There have been many new and innovative trends within the world of healthcare, and one of the most visible and pronounced in recent years has been naturopathic medication. Naturopathic treatments have found such success that, while there are still no specific med school courses in “naturopathic medicine” (give it time), many qualified healthcare professionals are undertaking the training to also become naturopathic doctors. Furthermore, there are a range of healthcare institutions devoted solely to this form of medicine.
Kiya Longevity, a company specializing in naturopathic medicine and innovative telehealth treatment provision, note that the broad description of naturopathic medication has led to many different medical traditions and treatments being subsumed under this category. Naturopathic medication places a great deal of importance on the medicine of the ages, the natural remedies that have been around for an exceptionally long time and which, in conjunction with modern medical science where necessary, remain highly effective in treating certain ailments. One example of an older natural remedy that nowadays is considered a form of naturopathic medicine is hydrotherapy, and it could just be the answer to your headaches and migraines.
What is Hydrotherapy?
As the Greek-derived name suggests, hydrotherapy is the application of water for therapeutic effect. It has existed for all of history, but it was first formalized as a medical practice in the 19th century, which is also when it began to be commonly practiced in America. Of course, hydrotherapy is itself a very general trend and encompasses all forms of treatment with water. There are however some very specific effects of water on the body, and it is here that we begin to see hydrotherapy’s use in treating headaches.
Hydrotherapy and Headaches
The specific causes of migraines and headaches are actually little understood, but we do know that a major contributing factor is the width of blood vessels in the brain. The throbbing sensation associated with migraines and headaches is the sensation of wider blood vessels in the brain carrying a higher flow of blood through this part of the body.
This is where a quite simple principle of hydrotherapy comes in. The application of cold to the body causes the shrinkage of blood vessels and the retreat of blood from the surface of the skin. Where blood flow to the brain is concerned, it is this blood vessel shrinkage that can help alleviate a headache. The water merely serves as the most effective application of cold; as water is a liquid, it can be easily and evenly applied to any part of the body.
Do It at Home
Like so many naturopathic remedies, anti-headache hydrotherapy can be practiced safely at home and without the need of any specialist equipment or medications. Here follows something you can try to alleviate migraines and headaches:
- Fill a bowl with ice water and submerge a towel in the water
- Remove the towel and wring it out until it is still wet but not dripping
- Apply this to the back of your neck
- Fill another bowl with warm water and submerge your feet in this
- Relax in this position for around 20 minutes while focusing on deep breathing.
The reason this method works is that the application of the cold water will cause the blood vessel shrinkage mentioned above, whereas the application of heat at the other end of your body will encourage blood (and lymph) flow to these areas, reducing the overall blood pressure in the head.
This all sounds incredibly simple, but then most forms of naturopathic medication are. It may be simple, but it is effective too.
