Water
is the basic unit of life that no human can deny; the purest form of life
sustaining power composed of oxygen and hydrogen. It is a biological necessity
that keeps each one of us alive. The miracle of water is that it is constantly
recycled on a chemical level; a cheap universal resource that the majority of
people have access to worldwide. Consider water for its healing properties-it
obviously cleans physical wounds and reduces risks of infection in them, but
the cryptic benefit of water is that it can help heal mental illness in Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) and help its victims cope with the struggles of everyday
life. Hydrotherapy is the use of water in a solid (ice), liquid (water), or gas
(steam) in a therapeutic manor. Many people who suffer from PTSD do not find
relief in medication and even many forms of complementary/alternative
therapies. However, some research supports the use of hydrotherapy in patients
suffering from PTSD to combat chronic pain, promote circulation, induce
meditation and relaxation, and prevent or interrupt bouts of dissociation.
Hydrotherapy
is a suitable option for soldiers and survivors of abuse because this is a
demographic of people that do not have a lot of resources or money.
Fortunately, water is a resource that everyone has access to; it is a basic
principle of human survival. More so, water is very cheap (if not free) and
easy to manipulate to customize a therapy plan. Temperature preferences,
aromatic oils and salts, and amount of water all have an impact on the
effectiveness of treatment and vary from person to person.
Balneotherapy
is a type of hydrotherapy where water therapy is used in conjunction with
aromatherapy and bath salts. Bath salts are aromatic; producing pleasant scents
to calm or stimulate the neurosensory pathways in the body. Bath salts
containing lavender, jasmine, chamomile, and vanilla are commonly used in PTSD
therapy for their relaxing qualities. Hydrostatic pressure from the water is
successful at reducing pain and edema, while at the same time pores in the skin
are open to diffuse minerals across the skin barrier into the body. Hot water
is more effective at improving circulation and hemodilution while cold water
helps to suppress pain and improve
muscle tone. (Kron) A group of Hungarian
researchers conducted a single-blind study concerning balneotherapy on a group
of 60 patients with low back pain, half of which bathed in mineral water and
half bathed in tap water. The 30 patients that bathed in mineral water found a
significant improvement in their back pain for at least 3 months after the
treatment ended. (Balogh, 2005). For this reason, balneotherapy (the use of
minerals in water) is highly recommended to patients with chronic pain like
those who suffer from PTSD.
Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder tends to sprout from traumatic events like military combat and
abuse, though not everyone who experiences this gets the disorder. However, for
those that do, life can be stressful to say the least. One major yet stressor
of victims are flashbacks: events caused by a trigger that psychologically
forces the victim to relive the traumatic situation. In the event of a
flashback, a person may feel numb, disoriented, delirious, and struggle to stay
in present time. The use of hydrotherapy is useful for producing sensory
nervous responses that allows the person to focus on the physical qualities of
the water to stay in touch with reality rather than succumb to the ensnarling
thoughts of the mind.
Another
ensnarling thought of the mind is anxiety; a main component of PTSD.
Hydrotherapy can be combined with meditation and mental imagery to suppress and
eliminate racing thoughts which potentially domino into panic attacks. Panic
attacks are very real and have physical implications on the body from
psychogenic pain to symptoms of a heart attack. Though medications can often
rid people of anxiety and prevent panic attacks, they have side effects that
often outweigh the benefits of use. For example, extreme dizziness, weight
change, drug interactions with other medications, and fatigue are common side
effects associated with the use of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication.
To no surprise, water has no side effects of use and therefore can be
complemented by any medication, so there is no fear of a bad reaction. On a
similar note, there is no magic pill that can cure or treat PTSD, so there is
no large benefit of using psychological drugs that have a small probability of
fixing the problem.
(OIF
Abigail, 2013) “Anger and aggression are associated with post-combat problems
among military veterans…anger is an emotional manifestation marked by hostile
impulses and the perception of blocked goal, which includes particular
cognitive, physiological, motivational, and behavioral components”. Anger is a
large component of PTSD for anyone who has the disorder and has been in a
traumatic physical confrontation. Hydrotherapy is a prime way to channel out
the anger and “cool off” or relax. Water has physical properties that cushion a
blunt force and make it easy to safely punch it without causing damage to the
victim or others. Other properties of this fluid that make it a suitable outlet
for hostile aggression include: the absence of feelings, inanimate properties,
unable to communicate with the victim. Just as the victim may have felt at one
point, the water will not act out against the aggressor (victim) or talk back
to it as the victim may have done in a previous time. This remarkable idea has
the potential to influence the complete destruction of the cycle of abuse in
some cases. Water can also be manipulated, as the aggressor once was, to help
the person regain a sense of control and relaxation- aromas, bubbles, colors,
and light refraction, and temperature of the water.
Just
like how these qualities of water are able to treat psychogenic pain
(Ricciardi, 2013), they can also successfully treat chronic physical pain as
well. (Sanchez, 2012) In 2011, a study was conducted at the University of
Almeria on a group of patients with pain associated with multiple sclerosis
resulted in the following: “50-75% of patients with MS used CAM because it
reduces the severity of painful symptoms and offers functional improvement…with
no adverse effects”. Even though pain is still subjective and can never truly
be accurately measured for research, it is fascinating that such a large amount
of people saw improvement in this 20-week program. After 40 sessions, this
“aquatic exercise program improves pain, spasms, disability, fatigue, and
depression, and autonomy”. Hydrotherapy was used in this study by combining joint/muscle-friendly
exercise with deep, synchronized, breathing techniques to gain control of the
body and self to conquer pain. Water cushions bodily joints to aid movement
while the water relaxes muscles to promote easy movement geared towards pain
control. The controlled breathing relaxes the nervous system to improve
neuromuscular functioning. PTSD patients are able to benefit from this because
of the similar complaints of symptoms prior to the study such as pain, fatigue,
depression, and muscular spasms which can diminish autonomy and self-image.
Water
therapies are an innovative and unique complementary/alternative treatment;
however, it is not right for everyone. Some patients who are burdened by the
disorder are a high suicide risk and should not be left unattended submerging
in large quantities of water in the event of asphyxiation by drowning. Nevertheless,
this is an easy problem to fix if the person is supervised. If the patient does
not feel comfortable being watched, this is a normal behavior and shut the door
to then room and make sure to constantly listen that the water is still moving.
In addition, continue to check on the patient. Also, patients with peripheral vascular
issues such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease should not participate in
hydrotherapy because it may worsen the condition. In water, these people may
also lack the sensory capability to feel the onset of diabetic shock, heart
attack, hypotension, hypertension, hypothermia, hyperthermia, and diabetic
shock. With this exception, water therapies have the potential to help a large
number of people suffering from PTSD.
Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder is an ailment that often results in a challenging life with few
close relationships and a lot of pain with little relief. Fortunately,
hydrotherapy has been shown to suppress both psychogenic and physical pain
while promoting relaxation techniques and channeling anger. The popularity of
use is increasing with further research and education because there are no
direct negative side effects of use and no adverse reactions. Therapeutic
treatments are as cheap as the patient wants them to be, depending on the
quality and location of the treatment. Lastly, it helps to provide a foundation
for rebirth and growth to start a new and happy life with each breath
submerging from the water.
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