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"You are not a drop in the ocean. You are an entire ocean in a drop."
- Rumi
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An Introduction
Hydrotherapy is a term for water therapy. It has been one of the oldest healing practices of humanity. It helps with hygiene as well as easing body aches and pains. The buoyancy of water disrupts the gravity pressure on our joints. Salt water is more affective for floating and depending on the mineral content, beneficial to our health.
In an area where water conservation is active, long soaks aren't easily affordable. So we will be focusing on small scale hydrotherapy as well as the temperature aspect of hydrotherapy.
The simple rule for how our bodies react to topical applications of temperature is this: Heat attracts. Cold detracts. So if you're dealing with an injury that is hot to the touch, using a cold compress helps disperse the inflammation. If you're feeling stiffness or soreness, heat helps bring more blood flow to the area to address the stagnation.
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The Supplies
You can replicate the mineral content of a hot spring at home and make it smell pleasant! Epsom salts is the commercial name for Magnesium Sulfate. This form of magnesium has been used for medical conditions for centuries. We are focusing on the topical side of things since that is our Scope of Practice. Magnesium in this form helps with muscle and nerve fatigue as a localized topical. It's usually recommended to use a half cup for a bath so you can downsize to a quarter cup for a very concentrated solution.
Clays such as Bentonite clay have a concentration of calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, and potassium. One of the interesting characteristics of Bentonite clay is that it pulls and absorbs molecules that are irritants for our skin. It is also a great summertime ingredient for sunscreen since it creates a strong UV barrier on the skin.
Essential oils such as Lavender, Valerian, Holy Basil(Tulsi), and Chamomile are very calming additions to your hydrotherapy treatments. For a bit of an energy boost, the Citrus and Mint families of oils can do the trick. Just make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face or eating with your hands.
Having a pitcher that is safe to have boiled water in will help with the mixing of your salts, clay, and essential oils. The pitcher will help you customize the water temperature to your liking.
We recommend finding a storage container as a basin that you can comfortably fit your feet in. Might be best to measure your feet before going to the store and stepping in all of their bins.
The storage container basin is great to store your foot soak materials and a towel so remember to grab a lid!
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When Hydrotherapy Does
Not Help
There are some contraindications for hydrotherapy, more specifically Hot/Cold hydrotherapy. We recommend to use temperatures that are comfortable and safe for yourself. But if you are dealing with active infections, open wounds, poor balance, Epilepsy, Diabetes, and/or heart conditions, then full body hydrotherapy is a danger. Please consult with your doctor for foot hydrotherapy if you have these conditions. Consult with your doctor for hydrotherapy when pregnant.
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Utilize Your Shower
We tend to focus on just getting clean when we shower. Even if you take a 5 minute shower, you can incorporate hydrotherapy. Start out the shower with hot water and let it warm up your neck and back muscles. Do a couple of neck stretches as the water hits the muscles. Turn to face the shower head and let it warm up the muscles of your front. Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Once you're clean, turn the temperature down to a cool temperature and let it flow over you for a couple of breaths or more.
If you have more time to shower, exfoliating the skin with some body wash and a loofah is stimulating for our bigger muscles like the quads, biceps, triceps, and trapezius.
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Foot Bath
Soaking the feet in a basin uses far less water than a bath tub. Once you have your basin, a towel, and 30 to 60 minutes to relax, put some hot water in a pitcher to dissolve some Epsom salts and your preferred bath addition. We recommend pouring the water into the basin with your feet in it to avoid displacement. We've had too many moments of flooding the floor by stepping into a too full basin. Once your feet are comfortably submerged, let them soak for 30 to 60 minutes. You can multitask as your feet relax or zone out listening to some music.
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Arm and Neck Compresses
One of the best ways to deal with sore arms is soaking a hand towel with hot water and then wrapping it around your upper arm and once it has cooled off, refresh it with more hot water and cover your forearm with it. If you have more than 15 minutes, you can whip up a mineral compress. Mixing clay and Epsom salts into a watery paste, brush it on your arms and let it dry. You can use a cloth towel or old shirt fabric to add a bit more compression and prevent dried bits of clay from getting everywhere.
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"Try Something New" Special
We are offering $10 off a session if you ask to try a massage style or technique you haven't received before and want to try. We have experience in a lot of different styles of massage outside of Deep Tissue and Swedish. If you're interested in the special but don't have anything in mind, we can discuss what new techniques would benefit you most.
This is only valid for one session paid out of pocket excluding Groupon and Spafinder. We don't offer Thai Massage.
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