Sinclair - Modern hydrotherapy for the massage therapist

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sinclair, Marybetts.

Modern hydrotherapy for the massage therapist / Marybetts Sinclair.

p. ; cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-9209-7

1. Hydrotherapy. 2. Masseurs. I. Title.

[DNLM: 1. Hydrotherapymethods. 2. Massagemethods. WB 520 S616m 2008]

RM811.S57 2008

615.853dc22

2007016571

DISCLAIMER

Care has been taken to confirm the accuracy of the information present and to describe generally accepted practices. However, the authors, editors, and publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of the information in this book and make no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the currency, completeness, or accuracy of the contents of the publication. Application of this information in a particular situation remains the professional responsibility of the practitioner; the clinical treatments described and recommended may not be considered absolute and universal recommendations.

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Some drugs and medical devices presented in this publication have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for limited use in restricted research settings. It is the responsibility of the health care provider to ascertain the FDA status of each drug or device planned for use in their clinical practice.

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This book is dedicated to those hydrotherapists who have kept an obscure and out-of-the mainstream tradition alive, who used water healing not because it was popular, profitable, streamlined patient care or looked trendy, but because they had faith in the healing powers of the human body

and

to that beautiful and brainy dame, Jeanne Hazleton. I admire you more than I can say.

Preface

Modern Hydrotherapy for the Massage Therapist has been written to fill in a large gap in the education of todays massage therapist. Today, most licensed therapists have taken only one short course in hydrotherapy, which imparts the most basic information. There are almost no continuing education classes in this subject area and no books that can be used to inspire a therapist to go farther. Without more background in hydrotherapy, todays new massage therapists are in danger of losing a traditionally important adjunct to their hands-on methods.

The purpose of this book, then, is to excite students about hydrotherapy and give them the tools to use hydrotherapy with ease and enjoyment. This will enhance their practices by allowing them to better meet their clients needs and to create unique treatments that combine their massage and hydrotherapy skills.

When I was licensed as a massage therapist in 1975, the study of hydrotherapy was confined to one short class. The book we used in the course was very old and its language antiquated, making the whole idea of hydrotherapy seem irrelevant and boring. Moreover, hydrotherapy, like massage, was little used in mainstream medicine at the time. What convinced me of the effectiveness of hydrotherapy, therefore, was not what I learned in my formal education but my personal experience.

When I had a serious musculoskeletal injury early in my life, I visited an old-school physical therapist who would treat me with a relaxing soak in a warm whirlpool bath, followed by a rest period, massage, and therapeutic exercises. I found this treatment very healing. Furthermore, I witnessed the effectiveness of hydrotherapy in my professional life. My first job as a massage therapist was giving massages at a health club with a sauna and a swimming pool. My clients used the sauna and pool to extend the relaxing effects of their massages. The physical therapist who worked there frequently used hot moist packs with his patients for their musculoskeletal aches and pains. As I continued to practice and to learn from different teachers and from other massage therapists, it became more obvious to me that hydrotherapy had a great deal more potential than I had understood. I took further hydrotherapy classes, visited clinics where hydrotherapy was used in a medical context, and began to research this subject. I discovered that there were a great many ways water had been and could be used in medicine and that, furthermore, hydrotherapy had a fascinating history full of patients seeking relief from various maladies, bold experiments with water healing, and colorful personalities.

When I began teaching hydrotherapy for a massage school, however, the available curriculum was just as outdated as what I had encountered in my own education. Students were sometimes terribly confused by antiquated terminology, and treatments that were given a half-century ago by nurses in a hospital setting did not seem relevant to them. It was difficult for them to complete the basic class with a vision of how hydrotherapy could help them with the kind of healing therapy that they wanted to do. They needed a textbook that helped them learn not only about the fascinating past of hydrotherapy but also its potential for massage practice today.

I wrote Modern Hydrotherapy for the Massage Therapist to fill that need. It contains information about hydrotherapys past that places todays massage therapist squarely in the middle of a time-honored tradition. It explains in todays language how hydrotherapy works, and it gives the massage therapist the information he or she needs to use hydrotherapy safely and appropriately. Current research brings the reader up-to-date on the anatomy and physiology of hydrotherapy and scientifically validates many treatments. Furthermore, cautions, contraindications, and notes on proper scope of practice are included throughout to ensure the safety of both client and therapist.