What About Hydrotherapy?

[endorfin]

Hydrotherapy is often presented as a major advantage for one tub over another. Yet there does not seem to be a lot of specific information regarding hydrotherapy.

At the simplest level, there are therapeutic advantages of just floating in water and relieving pressure on joints. There are also therapeutic advantages with hot water on the body – it increase blood circulation good for healing in some situations (while ice is better in others). There are therapeutic benefits from jets that can direct pressure into specific areas - hydro massage therapy. And some people find specific jet configurations to be more therapeutically beneficial than others.

So how about it? What are the most important benefits you get from hydrotherapy? Also, are there some places where hot tub should not be used - people with MS and sports injuries with before tissue swelling are some examples.

[WuhWuzzat]

I give this thread about 4 replies before it somehow degrades into a debate over the value/benefits/effectiveness of Costco(Strong) jets vs premium tub jets.

[Dr. Spa]

By 6 it might even go towards haven

[Bob Sanders]

To be honest, jet pressure has never really done anything for me. It's the bubbles I like. My tub has been done with micro bubble jets and air bubblers as a result. The whole tub is filled with millions of tiny little bubbles which kind of tickles the skin as they rise. The bubblers on the other hand let out fairly large gulps of air which displaces a fair bit of water on the rise. By the time these gulps of air break surface there's enough force to compete with the stronger jets out on the market. They give quite the massage.

[waterbear]

Hydrotherapy is much more than just hot tubs and spas. It also includes by definition such things as dry saunas, steam rooms, sitz baths, alternating hot and cold compresses, and foot baths.

It's being tossed around as a marketing term by spa manufacturers as a benefit to owning a spa but it is by no means the only form of hydrotherapy. If you soak in a spa you are, by definition, receiving hydrotherapy!

It's all about water movement and warmth in a spa, IMHO. At the basics you have a whirlpool which means jets around the perimeter of the tub all pointed in the same direction to cause the water in the tub to swirl around (and actually a water movement that I personally prefer). On top of that you can add air injectors and bubblers but realize that added air does cause the water to cool (which is not always a bad thing since cooling off and then heating up are part of the experience). Finally, there are special directional massage jets that target specific body parts. With these YMMV which is why wet testing is so important. I have tried some that were downright painful!

Another aspect of hydrotherapy that is often overlooked is the 'mineral spas' that are famous in parts of the world. These are often waters that have high magnesium hardness. On a small scale it is like soaking a sprained ankle in Epsom Salt or adding Bath Salts to a bathtub. In a spa adding borate or a salt generator system (or both) achieves a similar effect since most Bath Salts are made from Salt, Borax, Epsom Salt, Baking Soda, and/or sodium hexametaphosphate (a water softener and seqestrant that precipitates calcium and then keeps it in suspension, Calgon.) The idea is to raise the ionic strength of the water to bring it closer to the isotonic point of skin cells so the water is less 'irritating' on a long soak. (In other words the osmotic pressure is the same outside and inside the skin cells so they don't take on or lose water--no "pruney" toes and fingers and no edema.)

[waterbear]

I give this thread about 4 replies before it somehow degrades into a debate over the value/benefits/effectiveness of Costco(Strong) jets vs premium tub jets.

You lose! 4 replies and still on topic!

[Roger]

Hydrotherapy is often presented as a major advantage for one tub over another. Yet there does not seem to be a lot of specific information regarding hydrotherapy.

At the simplest level, there are therapeutic advantages of just floating in water and relieving pressure on joints. There are also therapeutic advantages with hot water on the body – it increase blood circulation good for healing in some situations (while ice is better in others). There are therapeutic benefits from jets that can direct pressure into specific areas - hydro massage therapy. And some people find specific jet configurations to be more therapeutically beneficial than others.

So how about it? What are the most important benefits you get from hydrotherapy? Also, are there some places where hot tub should not be used - people with MS and sports injuries with before tissue swelling are some examples.

For me, and everyone is different, it is all about the jet. There are so many different kinds of jets (take a look at the waterway catolog.) Some feel fabulous while others make you itch. When you put your skin close to a jet it should feel southing and yet still push enough to make it feel like the pressure you get from a massuese. Not all jets can do this. I have a pretty good feel of which jets feel good for me but I'm different than the next guy. Marquis, while not my favorite brand but close, has a good handle on it. The HK jets and their high flow, low pressure method of engineering. And some of their models create the best whirlpool action I have seen.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

This is something that is hard to define which is why we not only recommend wet testing but you'll see many of us suggest you wet test multiple choices on the same day/weekend. You can get in a spa and like it but then get in another and "wow" what a difference. The jets hit the muscles in the right place with the right pressure and the seat fits you right and you don't float and the different jets get different muscle groups and have different pressures blah, blah.

I can't really explain to someone how one spa will differ from another but I know there are big differences and I've seen people wet test a spa and say "wow, this is so much better than the ABC spa I wet tested". I’ve seen many people wet test and realize they almost made a mistake by purchasing with their eyes alone.

I agree that the hot water itself is hydrotherapy and I've stated that I'm a "jets on 15% of my time in the spa" so I get it but jet types (all jets are not created equal), flow/pressure, placement... do make a big difference and vary greatly.

[spawn]

I know that some prefer to sit in quiet water but we rarely do that. We are usually in the tub for 30 minutes and have the jets on high the entire time. The things we most enjoy are:

A powerful whirlpool jet that results in a swirling movement of the water. It works really well in our larger diameter round tub.

Large spinning jets. Static jets are okay I guess but I prefer those that move and further I like to move while in front of the jets rather than sit still. For example, one seat my tub has two large swirling jets for the upper back and one for the lower back. I like to put my feet together out in front of me and support myself on my hands and just kind of swivel and sweep my back over the upper jets. Our seating is open and not the heavily sculpted design so it is easy to manuver. Then I'll move my lower back closer to the lower jet and let it work over different spots.

Large jets at different locations so that they can work on feet, calves, thighs, butt as well as arms, back and neck. I like to put my hands and wrists in front of the whirlpool jet as well.

I often go through a little routine of hitting the whole body and then stretch which takes about 20 minutes more or less depending on how long I want to work on things. Then I just sit in a seat where I am not in front of jets and just enjoy the swirling water. My wife only sits in front of the jets when she has some spot that she wants to massage but otherwise justs likes the whirlpool effect.