This document provides a history of hydrotherapy and discusses various hydrotherapy techniques. It traces the use of water as a therapeutic agent back to ancient times in places like Rome, Greece, India and Europe. Important figures who advanced the use of hydrotherapy are mentioned, such as Vincent Priessnitz in the 19th century and Sebastian Kneipp who popularized hydrotherapy. A variety of hydrotherapy techniques are defined and classified, including baths, compresses, packs, douches, drinking water and others. Guidelines for safe hydrotherapy administration are also outlined.

1. Dr. Shweta Mishra
B.N.Y.SCOURSE
RGSC, BHU
HYDROTHERAPY

2. HISTORYOFWATERCURE
 Use of water as a therapeutic agent to relieve
headache, ease pain, subdue a fever.
 Use of hot water applications in everyday use
to relieve pain & congestion.
 Water has been a very important concept to
man.his earliest settlements were always by
a river or by sea, as it was there he found
food, drink, cleanliness, health & joy.
 Bathing – one of the instinctive habits,
performed as a religious rite.

3.  In Roman history –ANTONIUS MUSA appears
as a ‘water cure physician.’ who cured
Neurasthenia.
 Water been always of value in the treatment
& prevention of disease, various sanitaria
called spas operating in Europe to this day.
 Romans & Greeks had well appointed baths
that were constantly used for restoration of
health/ strength & energy which luxurious
living had impaired.

4.  In third century B.C –
 HIPPOCRATES (The father of healing), Galen,
Askepliades & many others remind us that
cold water baths of all kind were instrumental
in curing diseases.Water relieved fever-
(important procedure.)

5.  Vedic literature has many references to the efficacy
of water in treatment of disease.
 In 17th century all the existing knowledge of water
cure was collected & published at one place.
 In 1673, NICOLA LAZANI-a physician of NAPLES,
published a learned treatise on the use of water in
health.
 In England , about the beginning of 18th century , Sir
JOHN FLOYER & Dr. BAYNARD made large use of
water which resulted in a book “THE HISTORY OF
COLD BATHING, BOTHANCIENT AND MODERN”
was practical & made a very specific learning.

6.  FLOYER a physician of Lichfield, was struck
by remedial use of certain springs as
employed by neighbouring peasants.he
investigated history of cold bathing and
published this book in 1702. quickly several
editions came and translated by Dr, S.J.
HAHN of Silesia in his work published in 1738,
“The healing virtues of cold water, inwardly &
outwardly applied, as approved by
experience.”

7.  VINCENT PRIESSNITZ of Graefenberg, in Eastern
Silesia, now part of Czecho-slovakia. in 19th century
institutionalized water cure very successfully.
 Begining by applying water externally, Priessnitz
gradually multiplied the types of administration .he
introduced & demonstrated the values of wet
compress, douche, bath, partial bath of all kind, the
sweating process, the wet sheet & drinking of large
amount of pure water. In addition to use water in all
forms he insisted on proper exercise & diet, fresh air
& mental repose to cure the disease. Using the
Natural resources and setting up a new kind of
medical treatment.

8.  The success was so remarkable that learned
medical men, , nobles , princes & royal person
visited Grafenberg to study his wonderfully
efficient methods.
 Winternitz ofVienna visited his place and
made experimental study on methods of
Priessnitz to determine their physiological
effects.
 Currie of England made scientific study on
the use of water in fever.

9.  DIETEL- a brilliant pupil of ROKITANSKI, thus formulated
the new medical thought: “Nature creates & maintains ,
therefore she must be able to heal.”
 SEBASTIAN KNEIPP, a catholic Priest spread the tenets of
Water cure.he found a book by Dr. Hahn, which was turning
point in his life.he cured himself of the failing health.
 Father kneipp became famous forWater cure, for more
than 40 years he conducted a hydrotherapeutic clinic for
treatment of almost every known disease.he practised art
of healing with water.
 In 1893 Father Kneipp consulted Pope Leo xiii for his health.
 Book;” MYWATER CURE”

10.  LOUIS KUHNE OF Leipzing Germany, pioneer
of water cure, formulated & announced his
revolutionary theory of the unity of disease
which astouned the world & which has been
the bedrock of Natural system of healing.
 He defined disease as presence of foreign
matter in the body which the body tries to
expell & get rid of in various waysthrough
various channels of elimination.

11.  Kuhne speaks , there is one cause of disease
& there is also one disease, which shows itself
in different forms.This doctrine of UNITY OD
DISEASE is the thesis of his brilliant treatise
“NEO-NATUROPATHY or “NEW SCIENCE OF
HEALING.”

12.  In INDIA Kuhne’s method was populrised by
late SHROTRIYA KRISHNA SWARUP of
MORADABAD by publishing the hindi & urdu
versions of the book.

13.  ADOLPH JUST- wrote a book “RETURNTO
NATURE” ( a classic nature cure literature)
 This book influenced the thought of
Mahatma Gandhi , in his later years of life he
established himself as a Nature cure
physician by founding Nature Cure Institute in
the village of Urli Kanchan, near , Pune.

14. HYDROTHERAPY
 Atleast two litres of
water should be taken
everyday.
 The interval between
meal and the
treatment should be
atleast 3 hours.
 Clean and pure water
must be used for
treatment.
 water once used for
any treatment, should
not be reused.

15.  Linen and packs should be
thoroughly washed in hot water
and dried before they are used for
treatment.
 Treatment rooms should be well
ventilated, clean & comfortably
warm.
 Very weak patients and patients
suffering from heart diseases,
hypertension, extreme
exhaustion, fever should not take
prolonged cold treatment and
sauna bath.

16.  While undergoing
hydrotherapeutic
treatments, the
temperature and duration
of application should be
strictly observed to obtain
derived effects.
 Unnecessary prolonging in
the belief of curing better
health is harmful.
 Before and after taking
cold water treatment
patient should not walk
barefoot on wet ground
and wet grass and should
not be exposed to cold air.

17.  Cold water treatment should
be discontinued immediately if
the patient feels chill, even a
second more may cause him
nausea, giddiness or
sometimes hydrotherapic
fever.
 After cold water treatments,
patient should quickly dry
themselves and undertake
moderate exercise or brisk
walk.
 After cold water treatment,
bath should be taken only
after an interval of 30-45 min.

18.  While taking hot treatment, necessary
precautions mentioned in the concerned
treatment procedure should be taken for
better results.
 before taking hot treatment, the patient
should drink about 1-2 glasses of cold water.
 The head should always be protected with a
wet towel, to keep the brain cool otherwise
the patient may feel nausea, giddiness or
even may faint.

19.  Sometimes, during a treatment a healing crisis
may occur. It generally consists of aggravation
of the disease, fever, diarrhoea, cold etc.
 Since it is nothing but a vigorous action of the
body to eliminate the disease producing morbid
matter & they should not be suppressed.
 During the period of crisis, treatment and diet
should be strictly followed and complete bed
rest should be taken.

20. TEMPERATUREOFWATER
 VERY COLD: 32°- 55° F
 COLD: 55°- 65° F
 COOL: 65°-80° F
 TEPID: 80°-92° F
 WARM: 92°-98° F (Neutral 94°-97° F)
 HOT: 98°- 104° F
 VERY HOT: 104° & above.
{ (° F-32)x5/9= ° C}
°

21. DEFINITION
 Hydrotherapy is a
modality of treating the
disease with the use of
water in different forms,
volume, pressure &
temperature for a
definite period of time
to attain the desired
effect.

22. GENERALPRINCIPLESOFHYDROTHERAPY
 Cold is a vital tonic
primary effect of a cold application is
excitant.
Secondary effect is restorative, invigorative,
tonic.
 Heat is depressant.
The effect of an application of heat is
depressant, sedative or atonic.

23. CLASSIFICATION OF
HYDRIATIC EFFECTS
HYDRIATIC
EFFECTS
EXCITANT
PRIMARY
GENERAL LOCAL
HEMOSTATIC(
Direct, indirect)
CARDIAC
EFFECT
UTERINE
EFFECT
VESICLE
EFFECT(Bladder
effect)
INTESTINAL
EFFECT(ENEMA
, COLON
THERAPY
SECONDARY
GENERAL
RESTORATIVE
TONIC
CALORIFIC
LOCAL
SUDORIFIC(imp
rove
perspiration)
EXPECTORANT
DIURETIC
CHOLOAGOGIC
(increaseliver
activity)
PEPTOGENIC(in
crease stomach
and intestinal
activity)
EMMENAGOGI
C(menstrual
functions are
improved)
REVULSIVE(refl
ex/exitant)
DERIVATIVE(HF
B)
RESOLUTIVE(A
LTERNATE
PACKS)
ALTERATIVE(pe
rspirationisincre
ased to improve
edema/reduce
obesity)
CALORIFIC
SEDATIVE
CIRCULATORY
EFFECT
ANTIPHLOGIST
IC(reuduce
inflammation/c
ongestion)
Hemostatic(sto
p b/f)
NERVOUS
EFFECT
HIPNOTIC
CALMATIVE
ANALGESIC
ANAESTHETIC
ANTISPASMOD
IC
THERMAL
EFFECT
ANTITHERMIC(
abstractbody
heat)
ANTIPYRETIC(r
educe heat
production also)
SECRETORY
EFFECT(improv
e activity of
gland)

24. TECHNIQUESOFHYDROTHERAPY
 BATHS
 COMPRESS
 PACKS
 POULTICES
 FOMENTATIONS
 STUPES
AFFUSIONS
STEAM INHALATION
WATER DRINKING
SPONGING
DOUCHE
LAVAGES: ENEMA & IRRIGATIONS

25. BATHS
 SITZ BATH/ HIP BATH
 FOOT & ARM BATH
 FULL IMMERSION BATH
 RUSSIAN BATH
 TURKISH BATH
 STEAM BATH

26. HIPBATH

27. FOOTANDARMBATH

28. FULLIMMERSIONBATH

29. RUSSIAN&TURKISHBATH

30. STEAMBATH

31. STEAMINHALATION

32. DOUCHE
 HOT DOUCHE
 NEUTRAL DOUCHE
 COLD DOUCHE
 SCOTCH DOUCHE/
REVULSIVE
DOUCHE
 ALTERNATE HOT
AND COLD DOUCHE

33. COMPRESSES
 COLD COMPRESS
 HEATING COMPRESS/ HEATING THROAT
COMPRESS/ HEATING JOINT COMPRESS
 REVULSIVE COMPRESS OR ALTERNATE
HOT & COLD COMPRESS

34. PACKS
 LEG PACK
 HAND PACK
 KNEE PACK
 CEPHALIC PACK
 GASTROHEPATIC PACK
 KIDNEY PACK
 FULLWET SHEET PACK

35. DRYPACKS
 DRY CHEST PACK
 DRY BLANKET PACK

36. POULTICES
 CHARCOAL POULTICE
 COTTON POULTICE

37. WATERDRINKING
 COLDWATER DRINKING
 HOTWATER DRINKING

38. AFFUSIONS
 PAIL POUR/
GENERAL
AFFUSION

39. SPONGING
 PLAINWATER
SPONGING
 TEPID SPONGING
 COOL/ COLD SPONGE
 SALINE SPONGE
 ALKALINE SPONGE

40. LAVAGES
 ENEMA
 RECTAL IRRIGATION
 VAGINAL ITRRIGATION
 URETHRAL IRRIGATION

41. FOMENTATION
 A FOMENTATION IS A LOCAL APPLICATION
OF MOIST HEAT BY MEANS OF CLOTHS
WRUNG FROM HOTWATER.

42. STUPES
 APPLICATION OF MEDICAMENT BY MEANS
OF FOMENTATION.
 Eg.Turpentine, mustard, menthol

43. HOT-WATERBOTTLES

44. ICE-BAG

45. THANKYOU