Spa Benefits: How Hydrotherapy Works

Learn how hydrotherapy benefits everyday well-being.
Why should you care about this missing ingredient or understanding water? Because you can't afford not to. 77% of adults feel the physical effects of stress on a daily basis. Our lives are a tangle of overstimulation and stress, exacerbating health problems and overtaxing our brains.
Chronic stress over¬‐stimulates the amygdala, "preventing it from growing new neurons and can affect our ability to retain new information or create memories"
But luckily water can combat this. One study found soaking in hot water significantly reduced levels of cortisol (an indicator of stress) and mental fatigue in college students who experienced "mild stream bathing" where the bottom half of the body was continuously massaged by a stream of water.
Physically, soaking in water takes the weight off your joints and bones, offering instant pain relief. The heat also loosens muscles and speeds up removal of lactic acid before and after exercise. And mentally the sensation of weightlessness induces a sense of calm. One controlled study found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated hydrotherapy "not only had greater improvements in joint tenderness and range of movement, but also exhibited improvements to their emotional and psychological states".
That's a 3 in 1. Hydrotherapy is a multi-purpose solution for restoring the body and the mind, making it extremely valuable to doctors, patients and the health-conscious.