Hippocrates noted the practice of hydrotherapy in the 5th Century BC. The prefix means literally water, hydro and is used in reference to any therapy that is used that involves water, in all forms. Ice packs are considered to be hydrotherapy, as well as the use of vaporizers when one is congested, and the soaking in hot water of spas or tubs.
Many ancient civilizations in Rome, Greece and Egypt have recorded uses for the medicinal or healing properties that these forms of therapy provide. Public baths were common and many doctors at the supported the claims of the positive effects on one’s overall health through exposure to the mineral springs. The public baths were not looked upon well by the Christians following the decline of the Roman Empire.
People attended these baths in the nude, and this was frowned upon by the society at the time. During the Renaissance time period, they regained their popularity however, as many physicians began to rely on the sulfur that was found in these natural springs to treat various skin conditions. There were also documented cases of the infertility being cured through soaking in the iodine rich waters. As the medical technology advanced and the effects of the hot soaks were being analyzed using scientific methods this began to increase even more.
Many of the models found at choosehottubsdirect.com are based on some of these earlier models, and as the manufacturing capabilities improved, so to have the models of today. During the 19th Century, a man named Vincent Priessnitz was known for his ability to help people using hydrotherapy, to help them with diseases that were previously thought to be incurable. He became well known for treating cases of pneumonia, typhus and anxiety and thus, the beginning of modern day water therapy had begun.
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