Hydrotherapy, which comes from the Greek word meaning ‘healing water’, is the use of water to maintain health and prevent disease. It is used to treat rheumatic conditions, such as arthritis, as well as musculoskeletal disorders and neurological conditions, for example cerebral palsy, Multiple Sclerosis. paralysis and stroke.
The term hydrotherapy can relate to treatments involving immersion in water, such as whirlpools and steam baths, or to specially selected exercises carried out in the water to improve health and promote relaxation. It is much more than just swimming - hydrotherapy uses water’s buoyancy to support the body and relieve painful pressures and requires direction from trained physiotherapists or qualified teachers.
The use of hydrotherapy has been recorded as early as ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. Egyptian royalty bathed with essential oils and flowers, while Romans had communal public baths for their citizens, and Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water for sickness.
Hydrotherapy was originally called hydropathy.
Relating to or involving the muscles and the skeleton.
The musculoskeletal system is the system of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, joints and associated tissues that move the body and maintain its form.
