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New Choices in Natural Healing: Taking Care With Hydrotherapy

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Taking Care With Hydrotherapy

Taking Care with Hydrotherapy

While hydrotherapy is generally quite safe, certain treatments are not recommended during pregnancy or for those with chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. To avoid complications, take note of the following precautions.

* If you have diabetes, avoid hot applications to the feet or legs. "Instead of using a hot foot bath to treat a boil on the calf, a person with diabetes could apply a small hot compress, no bigger than a washcloth," says Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist and co-founder and co-director of Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama. Full-body heating treatments, such as body wraps, should also be avoided.

* Avoid cold applications if you've been diagnosed with Raynaud's disease.

* Hot immersion baths and long, hot saunas aren't recommended for those with diabetes or multiple sclerosis, women who are pregnant or anyone with abnormally high or low blood pressure.

* Don't take cold foot baths if you're prone to bladder or rectal irritation, warns Dr. Thrash. People who suffer from sciatica, pelvic inflammation or rheumatism in the toes or ankles should also avoid cold foot baths.

* Elderly people and young children may be exhausted by too much heat and should avoid long full-body hot treatments such as immersion baths and saunas.

* If you are pregnant or have heart disease, consult a doctor before taking a sauna.

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