The Hydrotherapy Guru

Hydrotherapy helps many adults, whether it’s medical related, stress related, or for leisure purposes.  Did you know that hydrotherapy can help children, too?  Children gain health benefits from hydrotherapy, become self-confident from being in water, and know more about water safety, too.  Since I have already discussed Autism in my previous blog, I have a couple of additional childhood conditions I would like to share with you, and how hydrotherapy helps!

 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

 

In recent studies, one out of every three children in the United States have ADHD.  That’s approximately 5.9 million children, with boys twice as likely of having the disorder over girls.  Children with ADHD show signs of some or all of the following characteristics:

 

  *Poor organization skills

  *Poor memory skills

  *Language deficits, such as listening skills, poor reading comprehension and poor    verbal expression

  *Poor motor skills

  *Difficulty in learning math, reading comprehension, listening, or oral skills.

  *Defiance

  *Hyperactivity

  *Easily loses temper

 

 

Hydrotherapy is a natural remedy, using heat and massage, to relax and relieve symptoms.  Consistent hydrotherapy has been known to help children with everyday tasks such as:

 

*Give close attention to detail and avoid careless mistakes;

*Sustain attention on tasks or play activities;

*Listen when spoken to directly;

*Follow through on instructions and finish school work or chores;

*Organize tasks and activities;

*Engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort;

*Keep track of things necessary for activities;

*Ignore extraneous stimuli;

*Remember daily activities;

*Control movement of hands or feet or control squirming;

*Stay seated;

*Minimize inappropriate running or climbing;

*Play quietly;

*Control constant activity;

*Control excess talking;

*Control blurting out answers;

*Stand in line and take turns; and

*Participate into conversations and games without interrupting or intruding.

 

Within a few weeks of hydrotherapy, children have improved interaction with others outside of therapy, focus on daily activities with little distractions, and even improved their performance in school and learning. An improvement of self confidence and higher self-esteem has shown in children as well.  Some have even reduced their medications, or quit taking them completely.  

 

Cerebral Palsy

 

There are 500,000 children and adults around the world who have cerebral palsy.  In children, it’s the most common congenital disorder.  Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects movement, muscle tone, and coordination caused by brain damage before or during one’s birth or within the first three to five years of life.  Those that have CP also medical issue pertaining to vision, speech, hearing, and learning.  

 

CP is classified in three ways, and they are:

 

1.    spastic cerebral palsy — causes stiffness and movement difficulties

2.    athetoid cerebral palsy — leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements

3.    ataxic cerebral palsy — causes a disturbed sense of balance and depth perception

 

Causes of CP are unknown.  Symptoms are found in early

stages of life, and include:

 

*Poor coordination

*Poor or abnormal muscle tone

*Delay in developmental milestones (not sitting up by 7

months of age or handling toys by 4 months, for example)

*Lack of persistent reflexes

 

With hydrotherapy, children with CP are able to move in

water with ease.  The buoyancy of the water reduces body

weight by 90 percent, allowing the body to move without pressure.  

 

 

Additional Information

While hydrotherapy works for adults and children alike, certain measures are taken into consideration for children for a successful therapy session. Children require a lower water temperature for hydrotherapy to avoid scalding and burns. The safe water temp for hydrotherapy in children is 90 to 94 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, hydrotherapy times are different from adults due to size and age. Children are in the water for 10 minutes times their age. For example, a five year old will use hydrotherapy for 50 minutes for a successful session.

 

There are three key factors in hydrotherapy, and they are heat, buoyancy, and massage. The heat of the water helps relax the child before therapy begins. The buoyancy of the water reduces body weight, allowing less pressure on the body during movements and exercises. The massaging feature is created by a mixture of water and air through water jets. The water jets help relax muscles, massage the body, and allow ease of sensory processing in children.

 

With all the benefits of hydrotherapy for these conditions in children, therapy is most easily done at home. At first thought, purchasing a hot tub could get pricey once you consider the cost, placement preparation, electrical installation, chemical purchases, and maintenance. There is one style of a hot tub that is easy to install, eco-friendly, and budget-friendly, too. It’s called Softub and with lower purchase cost, the least amount of maintenance in the industry and truly the most portability and comfort...it just can't be beat! For more information, go HERE.

 

 

Tyane Milem-Information Specialist

Softub Inc.

tyane.r.milem@gmail.com