Live the Life: Heal

Millions of hot tub owners from around the world can attest to the multitude of benefits they derive from using their hot tubs.

Because the benefits are many and vary so greatly, D1 places them into the following three broad categories: Play, Heal and Relax. This page explores the various “Heal” benefits associated with owning and using a hot tub. “Healing” here refers to the therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits of D1’s portable spas.

Did you know that a hot tub (not just any hot tub, but a well-made, high-quality hot tub) can do the following for your health and well-being?

• Relieve sore and achy joints and muscles
• Help manage and soothe a chronic condition or disease
• Rejuvenate your body after strenuous exercise
• Assist in the rehabilitation of an injury
• Provide physical healing through hydrotherapeutic massage
• Improve overall health and well-being

Yep, it’s true.

It’s also true that using a hot tub can deliver many healthful benefits to those who suffer from such common and debilitative conditions and diseases as:

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Insomnia
• Back Pain

Below is some amazing scientific research that shows how hot tubs can provide much needed relief for these conditions.

Hot Tubs & Arthritis Relief     

Sitting in warm or hot water can do wonders for arthritis sufferers.

According to The Arthritis Foundation, in 2005 there were more than 46 million people in the United States suffering from some form of arthritis pain. The Center for Disease Control reports that arthritis is a term used to describe more than 100 different conditions that affect joints and other parts of the body. The CDC states that arthritis is one of the most prevalent chronic health problems and the nation’s leading cause of disability.

Further, one out of five adults in the United States report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Plus, as the population ages, the number of U.S. adults with arthritis is projected to increase to 64.9 million by 2030 (see Lethbridge – National Health Interview Survey, 2002. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 2004; 10; 222).

Projected Number of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis Sufferers in the U.S.:

• 2005: 46,265,000
• 2010: 50,146,000
• 2015: 53,889,000
• 2020: 57,501,000
• 2025: 61,240,000
• 2030: 64,921,000

Hot tub water is a safe, ideal medium for relieving arthritis pain and stiffness. That's why the Arthritis Foundation developed its Aquatic Program, which is designed to help relieve stiff joints, keep them moving, increasing their range of motion and maintain muscle strength.

In addition, new research from Marlene Fransen, Ph.D., which was posted to the Arthritis Foundation’s Web site on April 24, 2007, concluded that hydrotherapy provides great relief for joint pain, resulting in improvements in physical performance and function. Her study involved people with osteoarthritis, or OA, in their knees or hips.

The buoyancy of water supports and lessens the stress on joints and encourages much freer movement. Plus you receive the benefits of therapeutic massaging jets, which, especially on D1 hot tubs, are strategically located and easily adjustable for focused massaging action.

Plus with hot tubs, you can set the water temperature to whatever temperature you prefer. You decide when your personal “therapeutic hydrotherapy pool” is open and how the water is maintained. And you choose the kind of massaging action you need, from super-gentle to super-intensive, to anything in-between. It”s all under your control.

What Hot Tubs Can Do for Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 20.8 million adults and children in the United States, or about 7% of the population, who have diabetes. Diabetes, of course, is the disease in which the body cannot produce or properly process insulin, the hormone that converts sugar and other foods into sugar.

Studies show, the ADA reports, that physical activity of any kind can help control your blood glucose, blood pressure and blood cholesterol. Of course exercise improves blood circulation, helps insulin work better and keeps joints flexible. But what if regular exercise in not always possible?

One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that hot tub therapy helped a group of Type 2 diabetics reduce their blood sugar levels. It pointed out that the effects of immersion in a hot tub simulate the beneficial effects of exercise.

An independent study led by Dr. Philip L. Hooper at the McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Colorado, studied a group of Type 2 diabetes patients for three weeks. Patients soaked in a hot tub for 30 minutes a day, six days a week, for the duration of the study. Patients' average blood sugar levels were reduced by an average of 13 percent. Hooper also explained that one of the subjects was able to reduce his daily dose of insulin by 18 percent after only ten days of the study.

Dr. Hooper recommended that hot tub treatments be included as regular therapy for patients with diabetes.

Use a Hot Tub & Sleep Better

Exercise plus warm water equals a good nights rest!

Getting enough sleep is vital to our overall health and well-being. Nevertheless, millions of people either do not get enough sleep or suffer from other sleep-related problems.

Surveys conducted by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reveal that 60 percent of adults report having sleep problems at least a few nights a week. In addition, the NSF says that more than 40 percent of adults report daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days per month.

The NSF is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health and safety through sleep-related research, education and advocacy initiatives.

The NSF reports that millions of people struggle to stay alert at home, in school, on the job, and on the road. Tragically, the NSF claims that more than 100,000 police-reported highway crashes, causing 71,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths each year in the United States alone, are attributed to sleep deprivation.

Some studies, the NSF reports, suggest that soaking in hot water (such as a hot tub or bath) before retiring can ease the transition into deeper sleep. Researchers say that this may be due to a temperature shift, when the core body temperature drops after leaving the tub, which, they believe, may signal the body that it's time to sleep.

Or the sleep improvement may be related to the water's inherent relaxing properties, which has sleep-promoting effects. The buoyancy relieves pressure on joints and muscles, creating the sensation of weightlessness.

Whatever the case and however the sleep is induced, the solution is a natural remedy, unlike the use (or overuse) of sleeping aids such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and/or alcohol – all which can make you feel groggy, give you headaches or have other adverse side effects.

Using the “Waters” for Back Pain Relief

For back pain sufferers, nothing beats a warm water massage.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, 60 to 80 percent of the population in North America will suffer from back pain or injuries at some point during their lives, with one in five percent suffering chronic back pain that lasts six months or longer.

ACSM also reports that back pain is the most frequent cause of what it calls “activity limitation” among those under 45. Although 80 to 90 percent of individuals will recover from back pain within three to six days of injury, it says, it”s estimated that an average of $30 million annually is spent on doctor office visits for back pain, but that only three percent of the total cost goes to back pain prevention.

Compared to land, water substantially reduces the weight-bearing effects of gravity on the lower extremities and spine. As a result, back pain can be significantly reduced. The pain is further reduced by the viscosity and turbulence of water that’s churned up by built-in massage jets. The overall pain cycle is interrupted by offloading the spine and buffeting the body’s soft tissue with moving water.

Recent research published in the Journal of Rheumatology studied the effectiveness of hot water therapy for treating back pain.  The control group used only medication for back pain relief while a second group used a combination of medication and hot water treatments. After three weeks of regular hydrotherapy sessions, the group that used regular hot water treatments showed more improvement in health status (as measured in pain duration, intensity and back flexibility) versus the group that used only medication. After six months, significant improvement progressed in the hydrotherapy group and their use of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs decreased.

Post-Exercise & Sports Injury Rehab

As you know, professional athletes have trainers and therapists who help them recover and rejuvenate for their next battle. These professional trainers and physical therapists often use jet-controlled hot water as therapeutic tools.

Plus they often use hydrotherapy treatments to help the athletes warm up before competition.

Whatever the case, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to enjoy the soothing, rejuvenating, rehabilitative action of a hot tub’s hot water therapy. Weekend athletes or serious amateur athletes can also enjoy the benefits of a post-exercise hot tub soak to help treat sore muscle and joints.

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