For Better Sleep, Take a Tub

By Phoebe | Published: March 10, 2011

According to the National Sleep Foundation, “insomnia is the most common sleep complaint among Americans,” occurring at a higher rate in women and older people. Conditions range from acute to chronic, but in all cases people experience an inability to fall or remain asleep. “Inadequate sleep,” the NSF article goes on to say, “can result in fatigue, depression, concentration problems, illness and injury.” Indeed, proper sleep is as necessary as a good diet and exercise.

What can be done for the 74 percent of adult Americans who report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more? To begin with, they can look to the list of healthy sleep tips posted on the National Sleep Foundation’s website. Right after maintaining a regular sleep and wake schedule they suggest establishing “a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.”

This recommendation is further supported by the findings of a 2002 article in the International Journal of Nursing Studies, which concludes that a warm evening bath facilitates sleep for otherwise healthy elderly individuals suffering from insomnia.

And if you are already a pretty good sleeper, that’s great. A hot evening soak will promote relaxation and restful sleep in anyone, insomniac or not.

Posted in Better Sleep, Natural Healing, New Research | Leave a comment

Water Eases Birth For Moms and Babies.

By Phoebe | Published: March 9, 2011

The practice of giving birth in water has been around for hundreds of years, and wisdom about it abounds in the midwifery community. But more formal research on the topic seems to be relatively new.

An article in The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which showed that use of a birthing pool “significantly reduced operative delivery rates, a shorter second stage of labor, reduced analgesic requirements and a lower incidence of perineal trauma,” inspired me to speak with a couple of friends about their recent birthing experiences.

My friend Gina, who gave birth to beautiful twin girls not long ago, recalls that although she did not actually give birth in a tub, she found that standing in the shower and letting the hot water run over her belly and back did a lot to relieve the intensity of her labor.

My other friend, Kai, who gave birth to both of her daughters in water, told me that having the pool of hot water was incredibly helpful. “On the physical level,” she said, “it helps the muscles relax. It provided a lot or relief for my hips and during contractions.” Furthermore, since we are more buoyant in water the result is that “instead of having gravity pulling on you, you’re held by the water.”

Being held in this way and the stillness of the water were emotionally soothing, as well.  As Kai put it, “I had my own womb to go into in order to birth my daughter.”

In addition to helping mothers, the warm water is also helpful for the baby, as it eases the transition into the world from the water-filled womb. “My second daughter didn’t even cry until a few minutes after she was born,” Kai told me, “and I stayed in my tub just floating with my baby for a half an hour.”

Water births are, of course, not for everyone; contraindicatons include kidney failure, heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. But clearly there is good reason for the growing popularity of this type of birthing experience. And if the birth cannot take place in water, a hot bath or shower, with doctors approval, can at least help alleviate the difficulty of labor.

Posted in Connecting People, Natural Healing, New Research | Leave a comment

Presidents and Queens in Hot Water

By Phoebe | Published: February 18, 2011

In the summer of 1921, President Franklin D. Roosevelt came down with polio, a disease that left him paralyzed from the waist down. But after traveling to Warm Springs, Georgia in 1924 he experienced great relief from daily soaks in the mineral-rich hot springs there. An Atlanta Journal article from that year quotes Roosevelt: “see that right leg? It’s the first time I’ve been able to move it at all in three years.” And the GeorgiaInfo website quotes a letter he wrote this his mother in the same year: “I feel that a great cure for infantile paralysis and kindred diseases could well be established here.”

And so, in 1927, Roosevelt did just that. He purchased the resort and founded the Roosevelt Warm Springs Foundation. Now known as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, the foundation has grown into a large facility with inpatient and outpatient services as well as a recreation center to which one may purchase a membership.

Although the pool that Roosevelt swam in is now out of commission, the recreational pool is open to the public and offers many community classes. Marlene, who teaches classes such as water tai chi, told me that part of what helped Roosevelt to stand in the water all those years ago was its rich mineral content, which increases buoyancy and therefore decreases the effects of gravity on one’s joints. At the same time, water provides more resistance than air. “So you’re getting a better workout with less strain,” says Marlene. This combination works wonders for her students, most of whom suffer from arthritis, some of whom suffer from fibromyalgia.

It is interesting that such a great number of people who suffer from infantile paralysis, fibromyalgia or arthritis have all been able to find some relief while soaking or exercising in warm water. For those who don’t know, PubMed Health defines fibromyalgia as a condition that is characterized by chronic widespread pain in the muscles and other soft tissues, while arthritis is “the inflammation of one or more joints, which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement.” There are many of types of arthritis, one of which is gout. So Queen Anne was clearly on the right track when she visited the Bath springs back in 1688 seeking a cure for her discomfort. The wisdom seems indeed to be widespread: soaking in hot water is good for the body’s mobility.

Posted in Arthritis Relief, History, Natural Healing | Leave a comment

Hot tub cures my cold.. the gout?

By Phoebe | Published: January 8, 2011

A few weeks ago I set off for the Mount Hood region of Oregon, where a bunch of old college friends and I had rented a cabin for a relaxing weekend reunion. Unfortunately for me, a week of mild congestion and an itchy throat had turned into a full-blown head cold by the time we rolled into our woodland retreat. I spent most of the weekend struggling to breathe, as I lay, depleted, on the couch, missing out on a raging game of Boggle.

Luckily, there was a hot tub on the property. After soaking in it for a while, and soaking up the beauty of the forest at nighttime as well, I was feeling much better. I was feeling so much better, in fact, that I went back inside and started doing some yoga (which, as you may know, requires a great deal of breathing through one’s nose). My fellow hot tub soakers all joined in and soon we were enjoying a raging ad-hoc yoga class.

I shouldn’t have been surprised by the healing power of hot (or even warm) water; a hot steamy bath is generally known to be helpful in relieving chest and nasal congestion. In fact, it’s been known for centuries that soaking in hot water has a therapeutic effect. According to the official tourism site of Bath, England, legend has it that Prince Bladud was cured of leprosy after bathing in the hot springs there in 863 BC.

In AD 43 the Romans founded the town of ‘Aquae Sulis’ (supposedly meaning the waters of Sulis) and built a bathing complex around the springs. A temple to Asclepius found near one of the baths suggests that the Romans too recognized its healing properties. Later, the baths drew several royal figures; among them was Queen Anne, who reportedly visited in 1688 hoping to be cured of her gout.

Well, I can’t personally comment on hot water immersion’s efficacy in curing gout, but I can say that it works wonders for a cold and for loosening stiff, unused muscles. There are myriad other benefits as well, and those too shall soon be explored.

Posted in History, Natural Healing | 1 Response