Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is an ancient method of assisting the body to recover from disease and injuries. It involves the application of water of different temperatures to the afflicted part of the body, or complete submersion in water.

It is utilized commonly in sports therapy, the whirlpool being one commonly used treatment, and ice packs another. When hot or cold water contacts an area of the body, there are four reactions: Skin, lymph, nerves and vascular. Cold has an effect of constricting capillaries, while heat expands them.

When hot and cold are alternated, rapid constriction and expansion occurs in the vessels, allowing more nutrient flow to an area, and removal of waste products that otherwise were stagnant due to injury or sludged blood.

It can be utilized in fasting either to reduce discomfort of detox symptoms, or to assist an organ in its metabolic work, such as the liver. An example would be an alternating hot and cold compress over the liver in a patient that was experiencing lower right quadrant ache during a fast.

As the fast progresses, Dr. Carp assesses each patient’s condition and prescribes the appropriate hydrotherapy, typically a contrast therapy to a specific organ or extremity site.