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.