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Hydrotherapy
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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[ Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is a group of methods of external use for therapeutic, preventive and rehabilitation purposes of influencing the human body with fresh water in its pure form or with the addition of various substances. The main types of hydrotherapy used in the clinic of internal diseases are showers and baths.
Showers are a method of local or general exposure of the patient's naked body to water in the form of a jet or several jets of different shapes, directions, temperatures and pressures.
Types of showers: needle, dust, fan, perineal or ascending, circular, Charcot shower (with one compact jet), Scottish (with two compact jets of different temperatures), underwater shower massage.
According to water temperature, showers are divided into:
- cold (below 20 °C);
- cool (20-24 °C);
- indifferent (35-37 °C);
- warm (38-39 °C);
- hot (40 °C and above).
According to pressure (water pressure) there are:
- low (0.3 atm);
- average (1.5-2 atm);
- high (3-4 atm).
The specific features of the action are related to the influence of thermal and mechanical factors on the skin and mucous membranes of the patient’s body.
Main clinical effects: tonic, sedative, vasoactive, antispasmodic, trophic.
Baths are a method of influencing the human body by immersing the patient's entire body or part of it in water of a certain chemical composition and temperature.
They are divided into general, lumbar or half-baths and local baths.
Depending on the water temperature used, baths are classified as:
- cold (below 20 °C);
- cool (20-33 °C);
- indifferent (34-37 °C);
- warm (38-39 °C);
- hot (40 °C and above).
Depending on their composition, baths can be fresh, aromatic, medicinal, mineral, or gas.
The specific effects of baths are determined by the combined influence of thermal, mechanical and chemical factors on the patient’s body.
Main clinical effects: vasoactive, metabolic, trophic, tonic, sedative, antispasmodic, analgesic.
Balneotherapy
Balneotherapy (from Latin balneum - bath and therapy) is a set of methods for the prevention of diseases and pathological conditions, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with pathology of internal organs using natural (natural) or artificially prepared mineral waters.
The basis of balneotherapy is the external use of mineral waters: general and local baths, spinal traction in water, bathing and swimming in a pool, etc.
An integral part of balneotherapy are procedures for internal use of mineral water (drinking, gastric lavage, duodenal drainage, enemas, inhalations, etc.).
The specific features of the action and the main clinical effects are related to the method of application and the chemical composition of mineral waters.