The Therapeutic Benefits of Hot Water Therapy

There aren’t many who won’t attest to the jolt of joy you get from jumping into a pool of cool water on a high, hot temperature summer day. The splashes around the pool, the laughs, and lounging, and the cooling effects of the water bring bliss to everyone around the pool. Homeowners will tell you that a pool is one of their best investments. However, there are just as many who have had the pleasure of being immersed in warm or hot water. Continue reading to discover what warm water therapy is, who is a good candidate for receiving it, and the therapeutic benefits of getting warm water therapy.

Warm water therapy is performed in a pool that is heated to 95 degrees or more. There are swim centers with pools of heated water however, most people think about hot tubs for this type of water treatment. The temperature and pressure of the water help relieve stiffness and help reduce pain on the soft tissue of the body. Warm water therapy is great for people who suffer back pain, those who need post-operative treatment, anyone who has knee pain, general weakness, muscle strains, and more.

The therapeutic benefits of warm water treatment are numerous and some of those reasons are listed below:

Water Therapy Improves Sleep

We are all aware of the benefits of getting enough good, quality sleep and the negative results of lack of sleep. Lack of sleep makes it even harder to get good sleep when you do finally get to sleep. Warm water therapy is an excellent sleep aid. It is beneficial to sleep because it helps calm the mind and aids in the transition into a deeper sleep. According to research, soaking in warm water before bedtime triggers the body’s internal thermostat to lower your temperature and that gradual temperature drop leaves people drowsy.

Water Therapy Relieves Stress

After a long day, there is nothing better than soaking in warm water. Warm water therapy will help relieve mental, physical, and emotional stress after a long day. According to Evergreen Softub and Sauna which specializes in soft tub hot tubs for hydrotherapy, the therapeutic benefits of hot water therapy provide millions of patients with relief from arthritis to fibromyalgia.

Water Therapy Relaxes Muscles

Relaxing muscles isn’t just beneficial if you’ve had an accident or injury, it is necessary for great quality of life. If you suffer from arthritis, you know how limited stiff muscles can make you feel. Soaking in water between 92 and 100 degrees helps relax stiffened muscles. That happens because the warmth makes blood vessels widen to help lactic acids and other toxins to flow away from the muscle. In turn, the muscles are made more elastic and thus relaxed. Relaxing muscles is one of the main reasons that people choose to soak in warm water.

Water Therapy Helps with Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular health is a heavy topic but how warm water therapy helps is relatively simple - your blood flow increases in warm water and that increase causes increased cardiac output.

For those at risk for cardiovascular disease or circulatory conditions that cause the narrowing of blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the limbs, warm water therapy may be just as beneficial as walking or other exercises. Warm water doesn’t cause any other stresses to limbs that working out may cause.

Water Therapy Can Help Burn Calories

This sounds too good to be true but it is...in an indirect way. The jets that give you the full body massage feeling help your body release dopamines that get rid of stress. Less stress helps you stay alert and creates an atmosphere where you want to lose weight and stay on top of your goals.

As you have just read, warm water therapy has many benefits. Give the warm water a try when you want to relax, need to sleep better, or have a health concern that the water therapy may help with.