Application of water solid, liquid or vaporous state in the form of pours, full-body or partial baths, treading water for the treatment of acute or chronic diseases and generally roborating to maintain health. Depending on the desired stimulation strength, cold, frozen (ice), warm or hot water can be used. Medical water treatments are recognized as classic treatment methods for various diseases and are covered in whole or in part by some health insurance companies.
Hydrotherapy can be done in many variations: sauna with cold casts, warm and cold wraps, washes, steam applications, rubs, partial or full body baths with and without additives, casts, continuous showers, treading water and dew. Alternating stimuli- alternating warm baths or casts are also frequently used, physical stimuli such as water pressure, temperature or chemical stimuli, as well as electrical stimuli can also be added.
As stimulation therapy there are different stimulation strengths, see also under indication.
Mild stimulation:
- brushing and rubbing, e.g. for -circulatory disorders, striae cutis distensae, urticaria factitia
- rising foot and forearm baths, e.g. for: circulatory disorders, Raynaud's syndrome
- moist compresses, e.g. for: weeping wounds, weeping eczema, dermatitis solaris, erysipelas
medium irritation:
- rising partial baths, e.g. in: circulatory disorders, resistant tinea unguium, Raynaud's syndrome, circulatory disorders, acrocyanosis
- alternating warm baths, roborating effect, e.g. in case of urticaria factitia
- sauna for immune stimulation in case of susceptibility to infections, also in case of collagenosis (only bio sauna)
strong stimulus:
- overheating bath - caution !!!
- Herpothermy, e.g. in case of: herpes simplex (bite away in case of insect bites) or whole body hyperthermia in case of metastasizing tumors
- Local cold therapy: e.g. for: hemangiomas, warts, genital lichen sclerosus et atrophicus; cold chamber: acute arthritis