CRYOTHERAPY/POOL THERAPY/MEDICATED BATH
Any treatment that uses cold as a destructive medium is called Cryotherapy. In Nature Cure, Cryotherapy is given either by dipping Turkish towels in cracked ice and water or for eight minutes or ice bags filled with ice and covered with cold or large ice cubes.
CRYOTHERAPY
Cryotherapy is very effective for managing several painful conditions, especially after surgery, and for reducing sensations in any part of the body.
Recent studies have indicated that ice packs after any orthopaedic procedure improves patient recovery. This recovery is characterised by the lesser need to use painkillers and maintenance of normal blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and number of white blood cells in the blood.
Some doctors use Cryotherapy for a wide range of disorders of the bones and the muscles attached to them. These include (a) acute sprain, (b) collection of fluid in the knee joint, (c) acute pain in the back of the shoulder joint, (d) inflammation of the bursa, (e) arthritis, (f) injury to the brain, and (g) cervical spondylitis. Bursa is a lining of a sac-like structure below the end of the muscles where it joints the bones.
Whenever movements of some part of the body, especially the limbs, are limited due to abnormal brain functions, Cryotherapy is often recommended for several weeks before starting an exercise programme.
POOL THERAPY?
Pool therapy is doing specific exercises after immersing the body in deep water. It is very effective for managing painful conditions, such as arthritis and contraction of the muscles. Pool therapy is often used to manage poliomyelitis and spastic muscles at a rehabilitation centre. In these pools, you can walk a few steps and perform various movements of the hips, upper back, hands, shoulders and legs. The main advantage of doing exercises in water is that you can move the affected part more quickly than on the ground due to the buoyancy.
MEDICATED BATH
A bath in water to which medicinal substances are added is called a medicated bath. These substances include, among others, common salt, sulphur, mustard powder, foam-forming extracts, pine extracts, alkaline baths, seaweed and some antiseptics.
Medicated baths are effective because they act as counter-irritants and antiseptics. They also increase the buoyancy of the immersed body. There are several types of medicated baths. These include:
• Brine bath: Artificial brine baths are prepared by adding two and a half kilograms of common salt to a bathtub filled with warm water. The water temperature is maintained between 90-1050F or as much as you can tolerate.
Brine bath stimulates the skin and therefore results in profuse sweating. After having the brine bath, a blanket is often wrapped around the body to continue sweating. Brine bath is usually recommended to manage some skin diseases and rheumatism. Having a bath in seawater has effects similar to a brine bath.
• Sulphur bath: In this bath, 150 to 200 gms. of potash with sulphur is added to a bathtub filled with water. The temperature of the water ranges from 90-1020F. A sulphur bath is usually recommended for 10-20 minutes to manage skin infections, pimples, skin infestations, and some eruptions.
• Mustard bath: This bath is given by adding 850-900 gms. of mustard to a bathtub filled with water at a temperature of 96-1000F. A mustard bath is recommended for 10-15 minutes. The oil in the mustard irritates the skin and enhances the effect of a plain immersion bath. This irritation increases blood circulation of the skin.
• Spa treatment: A spa is a resort with a natural spring with some medicinal chemicals. A mineral spring used for spa treatment has a higher mineral content than regular drinking water, and its temperature is above 200C.
The type of diseases that can be managed by spa treatment depends on the mineral content of the water. Recently, spas have either become attractions or are used for relaxation purposes.
It is important to remember that using water to manage various diseases in its various forms has several advantages and contra-indication. Therefore, you must avoid using water treatment without the direct supervision of a trained Nature Cure practitioner. Some of these treatments can result in severe adverse effects if not used properly.