Intro to Hydrotherapy Flashcards
What is hydrotherapy?
the use of water in any of its three forms as a temperature medium to achieve therapeutic effects
What are the three forms of water?
solid, liquid, gas
What is Thermotherapy?
hydrotherapy using heat
What is Cryotherapy?
hydrotherapy using cold
What are the properties of water?
specific heat, thermal conductivity, hydrostatic pressure, buoyancy, resistance, chemical properties, electrical properties, portability, latent heat
How much more heat does water store than paraffin wax?
2 times
How much more heat does water store than air?
4 times
Solids have about _____ times more conductivity than liquids
100
Liquids have about _____ times more conductivity than gas
100
What is hydrostatic pressure?
the force a fluid exerts on a body, increases with water depth
How much water exerts the same amount of pressure as the pressure in the veins?
15cm of water
What is buoyancy?
the ability to float, the force pressing up on a body in liquid is equal to the amount of liquid displaced
Buoyancy depends of _______ versus lean muscle mass of body composition
adipose fat
How much more resistant is water than air?
12-34 times the resistance of air
What is the most important chemical property of water?
an effective solvent, able to dissolve and hold within it many substances
True or false: Water is a very poor conductor of electricity
False: water is a very GOOD conductor of electricity
What is latent heat?
energy is required when water converts from one state to another
How much energy does it cost to convert ice into water?
80 Kcal
How much energy does it cost to convert water into steam?
540 Kcal
What part(s) of the body does hydrotherapy primarily effect?
circulatory, skin, and nervous system
What is the largest organ in the body?
Skin
How much of the total body weight does the skin make up?
approximately 16%
What are the functions of skin?
protection, thermoregulation, excretion, absorption, vitamin D synthesis and sensation
How does the skin protect?
barrier to foreign substances, melanin protects from UV rays, keratin toughens skin, lipids waterproof skin, calluses protect from friction
How much of the body’s blood flow does the dermis contain at rest?
8-10%
True or false: the skin contains 10x less blood than needed for its own maintenance
False: skin contains 10x MORE blood than needed for its own maintenance
How much can blood volume in the skin increase or decrease by?
as much as 20x in emergencies
How do the blood vessels in the skin contribute to thermoregulation?
blood vessels dilate in response to heat bringing more blood to the surface to allow heat transfer out of the body
How do the blood vessels in the skin react to cold?
blood vessels constrict in response to cold to reduce blood volume to the surface
How does the skin assist in excretion?
has a small role in excretion of salt, CO2, ammonia and urea as well as drugs and heavy metals
Other than the skin what are the other organs of elimination?
kidneys, intestines, liver, lungs, spleen
What does the skin absorb?
some items such as fat soluble materials (vit A, D, E K), industrial chemicals, some minerals, medications, herbal preparations, essential oils
True or false: the skin has few receptors for senstation
False: skin has more receptors for sensation than any other body tissue
What type of receptors does the skin contain?
thermal and mechanical (light tough, change in pressure, fast/slow vibrations, deep pressure)
What is the core temperature?
37 degrees
What is the shell temperature?
1-6 degrees cooler than core temperature
Heat production is equal to what?
the rate of metabolic functions
What is conduction?
heat transfer via direct contact
What is convection?
heat transfer by moving air or liquid
What is radiation?
heat transfer in the form of infrared radiation
How is evaporation related to heat transfer?
changing water into water vapour
What is conversion?
heat transfer with no external heat source, heat comes from the energy coursing through
What is the “thermostat” for the body?
hypothalamus
How does the body try to conserve heat?
vasoconstriction, hormone release, shivering, goosebumps
How does the body promote heat loss?
passive conduction (3%), expiration (20%), skin (75-85%), decrease metabolic rate, vasodialation, perspiration
What is the effect of vasoconstriction?
reduces heat loss via blood at the bodys surface
What is the effect of shivering?
generates heat due to the movement
What is the effect of goose bumps?
hair creates an insulating layer which conserves heat at the surface of the skin
What are the effects of vasodialation?
increases heat loss via blood at the bodys surface
What is the effect of perspiring?
evaporating perspiration cools the bodys surface
What are the effects of an increase in breathing rate?
heat escapes via the warm breath
What is a reaction?
body’s healthy response to stress
What are the factors influencing reaction strength?
application temperature, skin temp, size of treatment area, tissue density, application duration, clients condition and constitution, addition of herbal additive
What are the types of reactions?
positive (intended reaction) and negative (unexpected or unwanted reaction)
What is a strengthening reaction?
increasing tissue activity ie. increase blood flow
What is a suppressive reaction?
slows or reduces tissue activity ie. cold to reduce pain
When are negative reactions more likely to occur?
hot/contrast, tx too long, too many applications, tx too short or incomplete, person is already chilled, too intense
What are the signs and symptoms of a negative reactions?
disoriented/faint, shivering, asthma (cold), headache, increased or decreased blood pressure, nausea, hyperventialting
What are the 4 main types of negative reactions?
arterial, venous, paradox or combination
