Health Benefits of Using a Hot Tub for Arthritis
Arthritis is a very debilitating disease that causes you pain just by watching a person you care about suffer. Research shows that about 1.2 million adults in the United States live with arthritis. Living with this disease is very depressing, and it is an experience you would never love to endure. However, there are ways to ease the pain. If you are in the ache of arthritis or have had a friend go through this pain, you will be delighted to read this article, for a relief you never knew.
The Arthritis Foundation advise you to use heated swimming pools and hot tubs. A hot tub has medicinal elements that ease the effects of arthritis. The practice of using the hot tub to reduce pain and discomforts is called hydrotherapy.
Hot Tub Health Benefits
Getting in a hot tub or heated swimming pools makes your body experiences an upthrust force of up to 90% of your body weight. The decrease in body weight reduces the pressure on the joints thus increased joint mobility. Only the sufferers of arthritis can tell the relief of this therapy! This therapy also applies to those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatism. Submerging your body in a hot tub causes dilation of blood vessels. Consequently, the blood circulation is enhanced and the blood pressure is lowered.
Before jumping into hydrotherapy, I advise you first to visit your general health practitioner or a doctor that is familiar with your condition. Once your doctor has approved you, it is always good to make your body get used to warm water in advance. Introduce your body to warm water gradually. This will be preparing your muscles and your body for a simple exercise afterward. Arguably, in all the benefits of hydrotherapy, this is believed to be the best miracle of hot tubs. Not only will you be able to move freely, but also gain some muscles and burn some extra calories in the pool. This should not excite you to the extent of overworking your body in the pools or messing with your daily schedule. Take the exercise bit by bit.
Of all the various physiotherapy interventions, the hot tub stands out as the most fruitful. Indeed the benefits of a hot tub bath are too numerous to be completely appreciated. It provides warmth and a general feeling of relaxation to the body. This is not to mention its role in pain relief among others. In fact, most of the physical/health problems you are currently grappling with can be easily cured by taking a hot tub bath. We have gathered a few of those benefits and explained them below.
Aids in Weight Loss
Taking a hot tub can help you to reduce your weight. This is because it stimulates blood circulation and in so doing raises the rate of metabolism. This results in a faster rate of burning of the fat that is stored in the body. In case you take the hot tub bath repeatedly, you will shed off the fat completely and lose as much weight as possible. Other than that, a hot tub bath energizes and invigorates your body. It, therefore, makes you willing to exercise and lose weight in the process.
Mitigates Hypertension/High Blood Pressure
As has already been hinted above, taking a hot tub bath improves the circulation of blood in your body. It also relaxes the body and enhances the flow of blood in the circulatory system. In so doing, it relieves the pressure that the blood exerts in their vessels. This, in turn, reduces high blood pressure or hypertension. It is more superior to the other intervention mechanisms in mitigating hypertension due to its non-invasive and chemical-free nature. You will experience hardly any side effects and stay healthy at all times.
Improves the Health of Skin
It also improves the health of your skin in a number of ways. It opens up the sweat pores. This way, it gets rid of all the impurities that may be trapped in the skin or sweat pores. It also detoxifies the skin by killing any germs or dead matter that may be trapped on the skin or within the sweat pores. Lastly, it facilitates sweating which diminishes the amount of debris that may be deposited in the sweat pores. This, in turn, enhances the complexion of your skin.
Contributes to Stress Relief
By taking a hot tub bath, you also stand to reap the benefit of stress relief. This is brought about by a number of factors. First and foremost, the buoyancy of the bath itself relieves pressure on your joints and muscles. This reduces the stress they grapple with. Secondly, the hot bath stimulates the release of dopamine and endorphin hormones. These two hormones have analgesic effects. They are the ones that combat stress. Lastly, this activity confers on you with a ‘feel good’ experience.
Headaches and Migraines
Do you experience headaches and migraines every quite often? If you answered yes, then you should consider taking a hot tub bath. It cures headaches and migraines in the following two ways. It eliminates those body chemicals that produce tensions. It dilates (increases the diameter of) the blood vessels. This stimulates the circulation of blood that in turn relieves the pressure on the vessels, otherwise called migraines. Given that it does not entail the use of chemicals, it will leave behind almost no side effects.
Arthritis
As has already been stated above, the buoyancy that is generated by the hot water relieves pressure on your joints and muscles. By easing pressure on your joints, the likelihood of arthritis developing is severely diminished or suppressed. Other than that, taking a hot tub bath also promotes the circulation of blood in the body. This, in turn, promotes the healing of the body from inflammations and arthritis. What’s more? The hot tub bath is gentler than ordinary exercises. It is thus less likely to worsen the joint problems you may already have.
Curbs Insomnia
Insomnia refers to the habit of not falling asleep or having interrupted sleeping patterns. The hot tub bath curbs insomnia. By opting to take a hot tub bath regularly, you will experience a deep and restful sleep. This is because the activity induces the body’s natural sleeping mechanics to allow you to experience uninterrupted sleep. The activity also reduces tension and relieves stress as has already been explained. This also goes a long way in ensuring that your sleep is as sound and fruitful as possible.
Alleviates Excessive Pain
Apart from arthritis, the body is also bound to experience pain from other quarters. This includes the joints, muscles, and general body. This activity massages your muscles and whole body wonderfully. It relieves tension, improves circulation, and relaxes tensions thereby exuding some soothing effects. In so doing it alleviates the pain that your body may experience from time to time. It particularly impacts the knees and other joints that are particularly vulnerable to pain.
As we have already stated earlier, the sum total of the health benefits of the hot tub is very many. Owing to the limited time and space we had at our disposal we just could not exhaust them all. We, therefore, advise you to carry out further independent research to ascertain those extra benefits. In the meantime, we strongly urge you to contemplate taking a hot tub bath soonest possible. It could as well be that ‘magic charm’ you have been looking for all along!
There are many reasons why I recommend you to progress slowly, stage by stage when doing the hot tub or the heated pool. Get in the hot tub or pool and relax for some time. Begin slowly for effective results at the end of the exercise. You will certainly strain your muscles if you don’t warm up well before getting on with the exercise. Another factor is overexerting yourself. This will do you more harm and end up a detrimental process to your overall health. Once you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop the exercise instantly. This mainly happens when you exercise for a long period without giving your body a chance to respond to the stimuli. Feeling lightheaded is not common to all people since different bodies respond at a different rate to the environment. It is advisable to listen to your body attentively in the early stages to determine its elastic limit.
Lastly, take your time after you have finished the exercise. Stay in the tub for some minutes before leaving the hot tub. You will also be allowing more time for your body to get sufficient oxygen and blood flow to your muscles. This is aimed to allow your already stretched muscles to relax before exposing them to the cooler atmosphere. The whole exercise is like a miracle at the end. It is fascinating to see an arthritis person walk at ease. The hot tub relieves a lot of pain and inflammation in the joints.
Scientifically, gravity can simply aggravate some of the pain in arthritis. The force of gravity is reduced by soaking or submerging your body in water. The joints become less compressed since they experience 360-degree support (https://www.arthritis.org). Blood circulation is improved, and the swelling is reduced. How long should you stay in the hot tub? This will be determined by your body mechanism. However, it is advisable to soak for about twenty minutes. Many patients have shown signs of improvement when soaked in the hot tub for that long. Warm water should be heated to about 90 degrees for maximum health benefits. Additionally, drink water to keep hydrated before and after the exercise.
Are Hot Tubs Good for Arthritis?
There are other arthritis predisposing factors apart from gravity. A diet with high Purine-rich foods significantly contributes to increased pain and discomfort. Arthritis patients should, therefore, be selective about the diet they take. The good thing is that all these factors are less harmful when using a hot tub for a therapy.
Always have in mind that doing the exercise right will leap all the benefits. Failure to stick to the guidelines will do you more harm and leave you frustrated. Let your doctor give you directions. Visit your health practitioner regularly for progress checkup. Hot tubs have never failed, and their benefits are practically felt.
A portable hot tub is advisable for regular hydrotherapy patients. The type of hot tub to purchase rests on your choice and preference. A hot tub with water jets is advisable for patients experiencing lower extremities. For those experiencing whole body pains, a full-size hot tub is recommended. The portable hot tub is easy to put up and has all the benefits like any other hot tub. The only difference is that patients with portable hot tubs experience up to 40% pain relief. All arthritis patients should consider having a hot tub. Less money and resources will be spent on medical trips and services just by having a hot tub at your convenience.
Hydrotherapy program is beneficial to the patients, friends, and relatives. We all love to see everyone around us in an excellent health state. Hydrotherapy has been able to boost the patients’ emotions and self-esteem. On the other hand, family members have been able to put together their resources for more purposeful projects other than medical treatments.
Lastly, hydrotherapy has no side effects and offers almost instantaneous relief. It is easy to do and has remained effective throughout. New research continues to provide more positive results that hot tubs are suitable for arthritis treatment. The relationship between arthritis pain relief and hydrotherapy offers an excellent remedy for patients living with arthritis.
Sources
- https://www.arthritis.org
- https://ezinearticles.com
- https://rheumatoidarthritis.net
