Hydrotherapy PDF

HYDRO THERAPY BY DR/ SHEREEN M. SAID  OBJECTIVES (ILO’s) Following completion of this topic, the student will be able to: Define hydrotherapy Recognize physical property of water and its implications Understand the principles of hydrotherapy  De...

HYDRO THERAPY BY DR/ SHEREEN M. SAID  OBJECTIVES (ILO’s) Following completion of this topic, the student will be able to: Define hydrotherapy Recognize physical property of water and its implications Understand the principles of hydrotherapy  Definition  Hydrotherapy is a Greek word hydro means "water" and therapeia means "healing".  Hydrotherapy is therapeutic modality that uses water in any form or temperature (hot, cold, steam, liquid, ice) for the treatment of physical or psychological dysfunction.  properties of water. I. Chemical Properties of Water: Pure water is a polar molecule consisting of 2 molecules of Hydrogen and 1 molecule of Oxygen. Water possess high dissolving power (solvent) and this can help in cases of additive material such as antiviral or dissolvable antibiotic or any chemical material to water for therapeutic causes as in wound care. II.Physical and mechanical properties of water: 1. Specific gravity: Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water. Water has specific gravity of 1.0 at 4°C, and the human body has a specific gravity of 0.974. Density: The density of a substance is the relationship between the mass and volume of a substance. Density = mass\volume  Density: The density of a substance is the relationship between the mass and volume of a substance. Density = mass\volume  If an object's specific gravity/density is less than or equal to that of water (1.0), it will float in water. If the specific gravity is greater than that of water, it will sink at a rate based on the difference between the specific gravity of the object and of water.  If density of body further decreased (adding air-filled objects at rest), Body will float higher.  2. Buoyancy:  Buoyancy is a force experienced as an upward thrust on the body in the opposite direction to the force of gravity.  Archimedes Principle states that when a body is entirely or partially immersed in fluid at rest, it experiences an upward thrust equal to the weight of the fluid displaces.  The amount of fluid displaced depends on the density of the immersed body relative to the density of the fluid.  Buoyancy is used to help weakened body parts to rise against gravity or to assist the therapist in supporting the weight of the patient's body during therapeutic activities.  The buoyancy of the body in water is used clinically to decrease stress and compression on weight-bearing joints, muscles, and connective tissue. The upward thrust of water can be used either to assist movement (moving upward with upward thrust) or resist movement (moving downward against the upward thrust).  3. Hydrostatic pressure: Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted on an immersed body by the water that surrounds it. Pascal's law: According to Pascal's law, a fluid exerts equal pressure on all surfaces of a body at rest at a given depth, and this pressure increases in proportion to the depth of the fluid. So water exerts a perpendicular pressure against the surface of the body.  This hydrostatic pressure is the ratio of the magnitude of the force exerted by the fluid per body surface area. This pressure is dependent on the depth of the submerged part and the density of the liquid. Hydrostatic pressure increases as depth and density of the liquid increase. Therefore, motion is performed more easily near the surface of the water than at greater depths.  4. Cohesion:  Water molecules are cohesive; they have the tendency to attract each other. This results in an increase in viscosity of the medium, as compared to that of air, and an increase in resistance to motion.  5. Viscosity  Viscosity is internal friction, the property of liquids that resist relative motion within it. The greater the speed of the liquid, the higher it’s viscosity.  Resistance to motion is also dependent on the shape of the body. The more streamlined the body or object, the less force is required to move it through the water. The larger or more spread out the object moving through water, the greater the resistance to motion  6. Turbulence:  Turbulence is an irregular movement of water molecules. It may be created by an underwater douche, or turbines  Water that is stationary transfers heat by conduction.  Moving water transfers heat by conduction and Convection.  7. Specific Heat  Specific heat is the capacity of a substance to store heat substances.  Specific heat of water is the amount of energy required to raise temperature of 1 gm of water 1° C.  The specific heat capacity of water is equal to 1.  The specific heat capacity of air is 0.001.  Given these specific heat capacities, it is apparent that water holds heat well, approximately 1000 times more than an equivalent volume of air.  8.Thermal conductivity  Thermal conductivity is the ability of a substance to transfer heat to other substances.  Water efficiently conducts heat. In fact, water conducts heat 25 times faster than air does. This heat transfer is accomplished by conduction, convection, and radiation.  The thermal conductivity of solids is about 100 times that of liquids, which have about 100 times more conductivity than gases. This difference in conductivity explains why, for instance, moist hot towels provide a more effective treatment. THANK YOU