Relief from Aches, Pain & Sore Muscles
Virtually all health professionals acknowledge that spending time in a hot tub provides a safe and effective way to minimize pain and loss of movement. While all forms of exercise are beneficial to one’s health and wellbeing, exercising in water helps to keep joints moving, restores and preserves flexibility and strength, along with protecting joints against further damage.
The Arthritis Foundation’s printed material states “The soothing warmth and buoyancy of warm water makes it a safe, ideal environment for relieving arthritis pain and stiffness and improving the range of movement of joints affected by arthritis. Exercising in warm water raises your body temperature, causing blood vessels to dilate and increase circulation. Water supports joints, lessens stress, allows free movement and provides mild resistance to help build muscle strength. Using a spa adds an additional benefit; jet nozzles release a mixture of warm water and air, massaging your body and helping relax tight muscles.”
The Foundation for Physical Therapy funded a study with patients undergoing Total Knee Arthoplasty. One group received traditional land therapy and the second received the identical land therapy along with aquatic treatments (using a Hot Tub or Swim Spa). During the first 6 weeks the second group experienced more improved range of motion. And even after 6 months the second group had a significant improvement in the KOOS (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores).
William Robiner, a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School, says hot water helps relax the muscles surrounding damaged nerves, disks or vertebrae . “When the body’s temperature is raised, the dilation of blood vessels increases blood to the muscles in those areas,” he says, adding “flowing water in whirlpools and hot tubs can also mimic massage pressure,” providing additional relief.
A study of volunteers aged 50 years and older with hip or knee osteoarthritis concluded: “Aquatic physical therapy offers several benefits over land-based physical therapy for patients with OA. Buoyancy reduces loading across joints affected by pain and allows perfor-mance… that otherwise may be too difficult on land.” “Water turbulence can be used as a method of increasing resistance,” “The warmth and pressure of water may further assist with pain relief, swelling reduction, and ease of movement.”
