Can Hydrotherapy Help with Circulation?

How a Hot Tub May Help?

While there are medications you can take and lifestyle changes you can make to improve your poor circulation, something as simple as relaxing in your hot tub could better your blood flow.

Experts say the hot water in your tub causes your blood vessels to open, which in turn, lowers your blood pressure. The warmth of the water also helps encourage your blood to flow more easily, allowing better circulation throughout your body. Your spa won’t cure your poor circulation, but it may temporarily improve your symptoms.

Taking the time to soak in your hot tub can have a positive effect on both your mind and body.

Regardless of whether you have poor circulation, treat yourself to a 30-minute dip a day to distress and rejuvenate.

A strong and consistent supply of nutrient – and oxygen- rich blood is key to ensuring each one of your body’s vital organs operate at their optimum. The hot water promotes vessel dilation (where the blood vessels widen) which aids blood flow. This increased blood flow means oxygen and nutrients are more able to reach affected areas to repair any damage. The jets also stimulate circulation, relaxing the soft tissue and promoting blood distribution throughout the body.

Compared with people who took baths less than twice a week, those who relaxed in a hot tub nearly every day had a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 26% lower risk of stroke.

This was after researchers adjusted the findings for other factors that affect heart health, such as diet, exercise, and smoking habits. The temperature of the bath (which in Japan is typically between 400c and 41.70c, did not affect the findings. The study appeared in the May 2020 issue of the journal Heart. People who lack such circulation can struggle with the associated symptoms and can go on to develop a range of diseases and disorders.

But could a hot tub be the rather surprising key to improving blood flow?

This improved blood flow to the extremities can help with some medical issues. The improved circulation helps muscle recovery and reduces soreness, as described in the points above.

Increased circulation also helps with vital organs, although caution should be taken as this can also be detrimental with some conditions. There are three particular areas of special benefit from the improved circulation:

1. Improving Blood Circulation in Your Legs Using Hydrotherapy:

Start off by making sure you are warm, the room is warm, and you warm up a pair of knee length socks. Fill a deep tub or bucket with cold water, step in, and tread water for 10 seconds, lifting each knee up high with each step. Finish by wiping off excess water from the legs, thoroughly drying toes, and putting on the warm socks.

2. Improving Blood Circulation in Cold Feet:

To circulate blood in cold feet, start by warming a pair of socks and keep them warm, then alternately step into a bowl of hot water for minutes, right foot first, and then into a bowl of cold water for 10 seconds, also right foot first. Repeat this process 2 or 3times and finish by wiping off excess water, thoroughly drying toes and then putting on the warm socks.

3. Improving Blood Circulation to The Whole Body:

Use Hydro-massage or Thermal bath massage, which simply works by pumping air, with or without ozone, through hydro- jets that can be set to target different muscles in your body. Has this been proven to work? Well, after considering what the doctors said about the effects of stimulating the muscles using Electro-stimulation, the same results are reached by stimulating the muscles using hydro-massage. The only difference is, hot water is used in hydro- massage which also has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, an extra bonus when using this therapy.

After a long day at the office, a rejuvenating dip in your hot tub can turn your drab day into a fab one in minutes. As you submerge your body into the warm water, you’ll immediately feel your muscles begin to loosen up and your stress start to melt away. In addition to helping you relax after a demanding day, a soak in your hot tub can temporarily alleviate your poor circulation.

Symptoms of Poor Circulation:

Those of you who suffer from poor blood circulation may experience symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and even numbness. People who have circulation problems sometimes experience shortness of breath and difficulty exercising, too. If you suspect you have poor circulation, consult a doctor as these conditions could worsen or become more serious.

Causes of Poor Circulation:

There are various reasons for poor circulation, some of which relate to unhealthy habits such as smoking, eating junk food, and failing to exercise. However, more serious conditions may be responsible for your poor circulation, including arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, and kidney, lung and liver disease, among others.

Is a hot tub good for peripheral artery disease?

Peripheral artery disease is a common circulatory condition in which patients experience reduced blood flows to the limbs due to narrowed arteries. Symptoms can include leg pain, numbness and weakness, a feeling of coldness in legs and feet, and sores failing to heal. This disease is most often caused by a build-up of fatty deposits, making exercising and diet the most effective cures. Many people struggle to rid themselves of the disease however, which can make managing the ongoing symptoms every bit as important.

With the ability of warm water to expand blood vessels, and with leg and foot jets helping to massage the affected areas, a hot tub can offer effective treatment for peripheral artery disease, helping to minimize pain and other symptoms, allowing a patient to move more freely, and opening up the opportunity for exercise.

In fact, according to a study, published in 2019 by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health revealed that warm water immersion is good for your heart and entire cardiovascular system. That’s because the heated water increases cardiac output due to blood flow shifting to the main blood vessels. The study’s authors concluded that warm water immersion has so many benefits for your cardiovascular system that it has “clinical significance as an alternative to exercise training.” But, what if you could exercise while you soak in the healing waters of a hot tub pool? That’s the proposition offered by a swim spa, that doubles as an aquacise and hydrotherapy machine, offering a spectacular swim-in- place experience. While circulation issues might be common, they needn’t be debilitating. In fact, given the range of verified therapies and treatments that hot tubs & swim spas offer, a blood pressure or circulation issue might form the perfect excuse to add a bit of luxury to your garden.

Heat from hot tubs can cause the blood vessels to open up (called vasodilation), which decrease blood pressure. The heat and massage ease blood flow and improve circulation, in addition to stimulating nerve impulses that boost the immune system and digestion.

According to the American Heart Association, individuals with high blood pressure who have been advised to refrain from other activities that cause vasodilation (such as exercise) should also avoid using hot tubs. You should also not drink alcohol or move back and forth between cold water and hot tubs as this can increase blood pressure.

A daily dip in a hot tub can keep your heart healthy. The heat raises your heart rate, which helps regulate your blood pressure. In fact, a 2016 study, published by The Journal of Physiology revealed that “lifelong sauna use reduces cardiovascular-related and all- cause mortality” and concluded that using a hot tub regularly (passive heat therapy) “could be a viable treatment for improving cardiovascular health”. It was noted that there was reduced carotid artery wall thickness & reduced arterial stiffness, significantly by 8 weeks The study demonstrates that passive heat therapy is capable of inducing robust improvements in vascular health, even in sedentary, young (otherwise healthy) individuals. Furthermore, the magnitude of improvements in vascular function and blood pressure observed in the present study was similar to what is typically observed in young, healthy, sedentary subjects with exercise training, and in some cases, even greater. As such, similarly to exercise training, improved endothelial function and reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure.