Hydrotherapy refers to the medicinal use of water, including hot tubs, cold water treatments, ice packs, vapors and saunas, mineral springs, hot springs, water exercises, and water massage. Hydrotherapy immersion waters available at spas may be rich in specific minerals or enhanced with aromatic oils or herbs. Many different forms of hydrotherapy are available. It’s important to use the correct type of treatment since extremes of heat or cold and could be dangerous for some people. Hydrotherapy increases blood circulation, including circulation of the immune system’s white blood cells. Hydrotherapy also increases the body’s production of endogenous opioid peptides, particularly endorphins.
Enhanced circulation and increased endorphins strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, heal injured tissue, improve well-being and energize the body. Hydrotherapy also supplies fresh nutrients and oxygen to injured tissue and helps with the removal of waste products. In injuries alternate applications of heat and cold accelerate healing by improving blood vessel integrity and muscle tone. Heat causes peripheral (surface) blood vessels to dilate or expand. Cold causes peripheral blood vessels to constrict and drives blood back to the organs.New studies show that hydrotherapy benefits patients rehabilitating from strokes, traumas, and other injuries as well as connective tissue diseases and asthma
In Nature Cure, Mud therapy has been regarded as an effective remedy to several diseases in ancient times as well as the middle ages. In modern times, it again came into eminence as it was discovered to have remarkable effects to refresh, enliven and vitalize the human body; especially during the night. The forces of earth have remarkable effects upon the human body, especially during the night. It is believed that for wounds and skin diseases, application of clay or moistened earth was the only true natural cure. The body is thus repaired with the element from which it is assumed to be made. All diseases, especially the serious nervous troubles would lose their terrors, by sleeping or lying on the earth at night.
There is an increased use of moistened earth in the treatment of diseases by the nature cure practitioners. The use of mud packs has been found highly beneficial and effective in the treatment of chronic inflammation caused by internal diseases, bruises, sprains, boils and wounds. This mode of treatment is normally adopted in conjunction with a proper method of dietary and other natural therapies. This mud treatment helps to retain moisture and coolness for longer time span then compared to water packs or compresses. The mud pack relaxes the pores of the skin, draws the blood into the surface, relieves inner blockage and pain, and promotes heat radiation and removal of morbid matter. A mud pack is prepared with clay obtained from about ten centimeters below the surface of the earth after ensuring that it does not have any impurities such as compost or pebbles. The clay is then made into a smooth paste with warm water.
This is allowed to cool and then spread on a strip of cloth, the size of which may vary according to requirements. Mud packs have been found to be a valuable treatment of diseases relating to general weakness or nervous disorders. It can also bring down fever and is beneficial in the treatment of scarlet fever, measles and influenza. The mud pack is prescribed for swellings, eye and ear troubles, gout, rheumatism, stomach troubles, kidney and liver malfunctions, diphtheria, neuralgia, sexual disorders, headache, toothache and general aches and pains.
Mud or clay bath is another mode of treatment in mud therapy. The application is in same way as packs, but only on a larger scale on the entire body. In this, mud or clay is made into a smooth paste mixed with hot water. The paste is then spread on a sheet which in turn is wrapped round the body. One or two blankets are then wrapped over this, depending on the temperature of the room and that of the pack. A mud bath is followed with a cleansing warm water bath and a short cold shower. The mud bath is found to tone up the skin by increasing the movement and energizing the skin tissues. Frequent mud baths help to improve the complexion, clear spots and patches on the skin following skin disorders or due to smallpox. It is very beneficial in the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis, leucoderma and even leprosy.
This bath is also valuable in getting relief from rheumatic pain or pain in the joints caused by injuries. The duration of the bath should be from thirty minutes to one hour. Mud applications also form a vital part of natural beauty treatment. Shirodhara is a form of Ayurveda medicine that involves gently pouring liquids over the forehead (the 'third eye'). It was developed by vaidyas (practitionars of Ayurveda) in India for use in sukhachikitsa (restorative therapy) and can be one of the steps involved in Panchakarma. The name comes from the Sanskrit words shiras 'head' and dhara 'flow'. The liquids used in shirodhara depend on what is being treated, but can include oil, milk, buttermilk, coconut water, or even plain water.
Shirodhara has been used to treat a variety of conditions including eye diseases, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, graying of hair, neurological disorders, memory loss, insomnia, hearing impairment, tinnitus, vertigo, Ménière's disease and certain types of skin diseases like psoriasis. It is also used non-medicinally at spas for its relaxing properties. Massage is the manipulation of superficial layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the function and promote relaxation and well-being. Massage involves acting on and manipulating the body with pressure – structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving – tension, motion, or vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels, or organs of the gastrointestinal system.
Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearm, and feet. There are over eighty different recognized massage modalities. The most cited reasons for introducing massage as therapy have been client demand and perceived clinical effectiveness. Exercise plays vital role in maintaining health, improve blood circulation, improve digestion and eliminates toxins from cells and tissues. It is not always easy to find the time, but exercising regularly will keep your body working to its full potential. To make it easier, it is important to find exercise that suits you – something you enjoy and find worthwhile.
Physiotherapy can also be particularly useful, to help you find exercises that meet your specific needs and abilities. A physiotherapist may suggest exercises that concentrate on a particular area of the body that you wish to improve. At Nature Cure we provide proper guidance to get you working with the helpful exercises for your body.