.: Hydrotherapy
For many years, hot tubs and home spas were
the exclusive luxuries of the wealthy. They were expensive
to buy, expensive to operate and not very reliable. With the
onset of better manufacturing and better materials, and lower
prices, however, the popularity of hot tubs and home spas
began to soar.
Spas Throughout History
History gives us many examples of spas being used as integral
parts of life for many civilizations. The Romans are perhaps
the most famous for their bathhouses, which became centers
of social life and a common daily activity for the elite classes.
Other cultures made use of spa-like hot baths as well, including
the ancient peoples of China and Japan.
What did these civilizations know that others didn’t?
Setting aside technological differences, some of the earliest
spa enthusiasts appreciated the health benefits of using hot
water to relax the body, open the pores of the skin, and generally
promote better health. Cleanliness was considered healthful
and a sign of prosperity – after all, you had to be
pretty well off to afford the bath facilities themselves and
to have the leisure time to partake of their benefits.
Hot Tub Hydrotherapy
As medical science has advanced, there has been an increased
awareness of the benefits of hot tub hydrotherapy. Many medical
conditions, injuries and other health problems can be eased
or improved with regular hydrotherapy treatments.
For example, people with arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis
and other conditions that involve deteriorating range of motion
benefit from time spent in a hot tub. The warm water helps
ease aches and pains, while loosening joints and making them
easier to move and keep mobile.
Joint problems, chronic back pain and other painful conditions
resulting from injuries are also helped with regular hot tub
hydrotherapy. Those seeking stress relief, general relaxation,
and quiet opportunities for conversation commonly experience
significant hot tub benefits as well.
Modern Spa and Hot Tub Hydrotherapy
Modern technology, materials and production processes make
it possible to design and build home spas and hot tubs with
highly specialized hydrotherapy features. These features are
typically based on a combination of seating position, jet
position and jet function. Let’s look at each of these
aspects in turn.
Seating Position – Traditional hot tub seating was
bench-style, typically in a round shape and at a uniform depth
so that everyone sat at the same level in the tub. This made
it challenging for people of different heights to fully benefit
from hot tub therapy.
With the development of molded fiberglass spa shells came
the development of different shapes and sizes of seats. Manufacturers
began to include lounge seats, where the bather reclines in
the water, as well as seats to accommodate bathers of different
heights. Some also included deeper seats, designed to fully
immerse the bather and allow placement of jets in specific
positions for specific benefits.
Jet Position – Moldable shell manufacturing made it
possible for the first time to place jets in nearly any position
within the tub. Manufacturers began experimenting with placing
jets in places where they would focus on specific areas of
the body, such as the back, neck, shoulders, arms and legs.
The earliest jets were single-action nozzles with limited
ability to adjust where they were aimed or the intensity of
the jet action. This made it difficult to use them in positions
where they would affect more tender areas of the body, such
as wrists, forearms, ankles, feet and knees. As manufacturers
developed more advanced jets with a wider variety of functionality,
though, the technology of hydrotherapy advanced significantly.
Jet Function – Modern hot tubs and spas can be customized
with a surprising variety of jets that range from multi-purpose
to highly specialized. Buyers often are able to select exactly
which jets to install in specific locations within their hot
tub or home spa.
The most common types of jets available today include:
• Swirl jets – water swirls in a circular pattern,
with a massaging action that covers a wide area
• Whirlpool jets – a large, round jet that concentrates
pressure in a specific area
• Mini jets – smaller than standard jets, they
are often grouped together in clusters, especially in massage
and therapy seats
• Pillow jets – combines massaging action for
the neck with a pillow designed to let the bather rest their
head without going under water
• Shoulder jets – positioned above the water line
to focus attention of specific parts of the shoulder
• Moving massage jets – this oval-shaped jet moves
back and forth in a sweeping motion to provide pulsating therapy
The benefits of different jet types have grown substantially
with the development of independent seating control. In older
spas and hot tubs, one set of controls ran all of the therapy
jets, but independent seating control allows each bather to
control the strength and intensity of therapy in their own
individual seat.
Hydrotherapy for Fitness
The latest technology in hydrotherapy involves using jetted
tubs for fitness purposes. This new generation of home spas
is elongated in shape and allows the bather to choose traditional
spas functions or switch over to functions that allow for
a vigorous workout. They are commonly referred to as swim
spas.
A swim spa has powerful jets that set up a strong resistance
current that allows the user to swim as if in a full sized
lap pool. The elongated shape allows even the tallest people
to stretch out into a full-length stroke and the center depth
is such that even a full arm extension will not bump into
the bottom of the spa.
Adjustable current jets make it possible to adjust workout
intensity depending on the user’s fitness level, and
increase intensity over time as the level of fitness improves.
Summary
Spas and hot tubs have been around in one form or another
for centuries, but only in the last few decades have technology,
materials and manufacturing improved to the point where a
home spa is affordable enough and reliable enough to be within
reach of most people.
Hot tub hydrotherapy is one of the most popular and effective
ways to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, injuries,
or simply promote relaxation and stress relief. Once you have
experienced the benefits of a home spa or hot tub, you will
wonder how you ever lived without one!
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