Heat and hot baths as a natural remedy shall be the subject of this guide. However, the moist heat is very differentiated in the extent of the effect. In practice, it can be seen that pain conditions can worsen when dry heat, which triggers a specific irritant effect, is brought to the application.
Baths as beneficial remedies
A relaxing bath is a simple and inexpensive wellness option. Anyone who has a bathtub at home can use a hot bath to relax and unwind. Among these heaters you need to include: Heating pads, irradiation lamps, infrared, light and hot air treatment. Wherever you want to relieve cramps, calm irritations, loosen effusion residues and flush out deposits, the moist heat application enjoys the preference. In practice, many a person has experienced disappointment when dry heat treatment did not bring the hoped-for improvement. In these cases one should turn to the moist heat as a therapeutic agent, then one will often be pleasantly surprised by its effect. The indications, i.e. the areas of application for which moist heat is suitable, are very extensive. It is recommended, among others, for rheumatic complaints of muscles and joints, sciatica, lumbago, intervertebral disc syndromes, conditions after subacute bruises, contusions, strains, fiber tears, sprains and for the consequences of accidents on the musculoskeletal system. Also cramps, colics, circulatory disorders and many others can be found in the range of applications of moist heat. It has the advantage that it can be applied at home without much effort. The variety of possibilities offered is briefly explained below:
Application
- The hot full bath, with and without bath additives, which additionally trigger individual healing effects through their active ingredients. In some bath additives, the local effectiveness can be increased by rubbing the bath extracts such as spruce needle extract, hay flower extract, rheumatism bath beforehand on the affected areas and then only gets into the hot bath.
- Partial baths, such as foot, arm or seat baths. For them, the same applies what was said for full baths. In some cases, an addition of salt will be useful here, for which the usual table salt is usually sufficient.
- Hot showers with the hand shower of 15 – 20 minutes duration, directed to the area to be treated. In the full bath, it can be strengthened by increasing the water temperature from the hand shower to 50 – 60 degrees Celsius for a short time. However, the part of the body to be treated must always remain a good hand width below the water surface.
- Ascending arm and foot baths against circulatory disorders in angina pextoris or circulatory disorders in the lower legs, as we find in the so-called smoker legs.
- Steam applications. These include the steam bath, the steam jet, from which targeted individual body parts are addressed, and the generally known and not yet surpassed chamomile bath. Many other inhalations also make use of the steam.
- Hot serves and compresses for acute attacks of pain, especially colic, are an easy-to-use home remedy. Final cover with warm cloths or blankets increase and prolong the soothing effect.
- A partial light bath or partial hot air bath can become a moist heat application if you wrap the areas to be treated, such as the arm, leg, abdomen or back, in a damp cloth or apply a compress and only then expose to the appropriate heat source.
- Contact heat is an intensive treatment, you apply it like this: A moist warm terry towel is placed as a compress, for example, on a thigh, a heating pad with waterproof cover on it, over it a dry terry towel. Everything is tightly wrapped with an elastic bandage 8 – 10 cm wide. About the heating pad switch can now be regulated to generate an individual moist heat, which brings an optimum effect in 30 – 45 minutes duration.
- Under moist packs are understood local heat applications with different materials, where in addition to the moist heat effect is added to that of the specific healing substances. These include mud packs, mud packs, kerosene packs, as well as hay flower, linseed and chamomile bags. They induce complex effects, which individually correspond to the indications.For this purpose, it is worth mentioning another proven pack for home use, the potato pack. Take about 5 pounds of potatoes with skin, boil them and pour off the water and the potatoes onto a large towel. Fold the towel over it from 4 sides and mash the potatoes. Put the hot potato mass in the towel on the affected area and wrap it warmly with terry cloth or blanket. The good warming effect will then last up to 30 minutes. To prevent burn blisters with all hot packs, the skin is previously rubbed with a little oil.
