Hydropathy – The Beginning of SPA

The term “Hydropathy” comes from Greek and stands for “water cure”. Yet, this term is a deceiving one, because the water is only the means through which other agents are activated. In fact the hydrotherapy is based on heat, cold or on the action of curative herbs. Because water is only the vehicle for these agents, scientists have suggested that the procedures specific to hydrotherapy should be grouped under a more suggestive name, that of hydrotherapy or hydrotherapeutics.

Hydrotherapy has appeared and developed as a treatment for different diseases. Using many techniques adapted to each type of disease hydrotherapy managed to increase its popularity very fast. Nowadays the hydropathical techniques are used in many fields of medicine, starting from physical therapy and ending with dermatology.

The first technique we are going to take a closer look at is the packing. It consists in covering the body in wet sheets. Over the sheets some blankets are put and fixed tightly around the body. The procedure lasts about an hour and it can be hot or cold, depending on the disease which the patient suffers from. The packing is usually followed by a general bath. It is used for stimulating the coetaneous excretion, as sedative or as soothing, depending on the type of packing applied.

A technique greatly enjoyed by the patients is the so called Turkish bath. They are hot air baths used for reducing internal congestion, promoting the repair of the tissues, and as vascular tonic and stimulant. It has also a powerful relaxing effect, being used for the people which are much stressed. Such an air bath takes between 20 minutes and 2 hours and it is usually completed by a general bath and sometimes even by soaping and shampooing.

The general and local baths are mainly combinations of cold and hot water. The rapid alternations of hot and cold water have detergent, derivative, stimulating and tonic effect on the body. They can be used independently, or as shown previously, in combination with other techniques.

In addition to its curative effects, Hydropathy has also relaxing effects. It represents the perfect combination between treatment and relaxation, combination very much exploited in the SPA Centers.