Cures in the bathroom

You can perform many health-promoting treatments at home - almost like in a spa hotel. Especially Kneipp cures, mud and brine baths in the bathroom at home are very popular and easy to do.

Kneipp watering and washing can be done all over the body. It is about a cold stimulus, therefore the body should be warm during the application and there must be a pleasant ambient temperature. The cold water should have a minimum temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, warm water should not be hotter than 39 degrees Celsius. For alternating casts, the optimal temperature difference is 20 degrees. Smaller differences are more pleasant, but also achieve a smaller effect.

Regardless of whether it is a wash or a shower, the body should be covered quickly and evenly with a coat of water. Therefore, remove the shower head and pour the water directly from the hose onto your body. For a wash, you will need a linen towel. Generally, each application is started on the right side of the body and should be carried out quickly.

For alternate casts, start with warm water and then move to cold. For an alternating cast of both lower legs: 30 seconds warm, 10 seconds cold, 30 seconds warm and 10 seconds cold. For an arm bath, use warm water for 30 seconds and cold water for 15 seconds.

Example of an arm shower:

1. Stand in front of the bathtub or shower tray, you can also protect your lower body with a towel, because you don't want it to get wet.

2. Turn on the water, it should flow gently from the shower hose.

3. Bend your upper body over the edge of the bath and take the end of the hose in your left hand. Let your right arm hang loosely in the bathtub.

4. Now pour the water over the back of your right hand, bring the hose up to your shoulder, stay there for about 5 seconds until you bring it down the inside of your arm.

5. Then take the hose in the right hand and water the left arm as described.

Example of an upper body wash:

1. Heat the bath and undress the upper body only.

2. Fold the linen towel to hand size and dip it in cool water.

3. Squeeze it out so that it does not drip. Take it in your left hand.

4. Run the towel in three strokes from your right hand to your shoulder.

5. Then pass it over the neck, chest and abdomen up to the navel.

6. Take the cloth in the right hand to wash the left arm as you did the right arm before.

As soon as the cloth becomes warm, turn it over. If necessary, soak it again.

Compared to Kneipp water jets and ablutions, treading water is a simple application. All you need is a vessel in which you can stand in water up to just below the knee. Depending on your height, a water level of 35 to 45 cm is optimal. You can tread water anywhere: in a bathtub or in a small pool, but of course also in streams or on the shore of a lake.

The important thing is to have a stork gait, whether you are walking forward or on the spot. Lift your right leg and bend it at the knee. You have to lift it so that the right foot comes above the surface of the water. Then put it back down and do the same movement with the left leg. Continue in this way until the water feels uncomfortably cold.

Get out of the pool and wipe off the water without using a towel. Keep moving until your feet are warm again.

Treading water is refreshing and relieves nervousness, stress and exhaustion. It helps against tired legs and ensures that the legs do not swell excessively in the heat.

A mud bath contains nutrients that are believed to be absorbed through the skin.

• Magnesium has an antispasmodic and relaxing effect.
• Calcium strengthens the bones.
• Iron helps to produce the red blood pigment haemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood.
• Copper has an anti-inflammatory effect and can alleviate rheumatic diseases.
• Silicic acid stimulates the blood circulation and the metabolism of the skin.
• Humic acid binds excess stress hormones and is also said to have antiviral and antibacterial effects.

Don't get confused, a dried out bog is called peat. Therefore, you will often come across the term "bath peat" when talking about mud baths. Peat used in spa facilities is thick and stores the heat of the water particularly well. The bath temperature is often 40 degrees to induce a healing fever. The peat bath for home use is thinner, as a normal bathtub drain would be blocked by a thick peat bath.

Fango is a mineral healing mud that contains similar ingredients to a mud bath, but no humic acid. You cannot apply the mud at home because rinsing it off in the bathtub will clog the drain. In addition, you usually lack the equipment, because you usually lie covered in mud on a lounger designed for this purpose.

Brine baths contain water-soluble salts, mostly common salt. The salt comes either from the sea or from underground salt deposits that are also used by spas. However, you can also use normal table salt.

• Salt baths are good for the skin, as long as you do not suffer from dry skin.
• They relieve psoriasis, neurodermatitis or allergic skin reactions.
• Bathing in salty water stimulates the metabolism. This is said to boost the immune system.
• The baths are also beneficial for respiratory diseases.

Brine baths can easily be used at home. They will do you good if you tolerate a stay by the sea, in salt pans or in salt caves.

Kneipp water jets, ablutions and treading water can lead to a sudden drop in blood pressure and dizziness. It is therefore better not to do the treatments when you are alone, at least at the beginning. When treading water, there is also a risk of slipping. In health spas, there are qualified staff who will intervene immediately if you are in danger of falling. Otherwise, there is nothing to be said against Kneipp treatments in your own bathroom. They are just as effective as in a spa facility.

Dense packs of mud or mud mud, which you can buy in the shops, can be used as heating pads. They have the advantage of storing heat well and adapting to the body. Dense packs do not release healing ingredients. Therefore, you cannot compare a mud pillow or a mud pack for home use with a mud or mud bath in a spa clinic.

A mud bath for the home bath tub is, as already mentioned, thinner than the baths in spa facilities. In addition, it is expressly advised that it be carried out at lower temperatures. Some medical specialists even warn against using it on one's own. In a professional mud bath, the body temperature rises to 38 °C in a mud pack, even to 40 °C. This has the effect of a fever. This has the effect of a fever and for this reason is recommended in the case of acute inflammation, but should never be used during a rheumatism flare-up, activated arthrosis, tumours or a cardiovascular disease. In a spa clinic, it is clarified before the application whether it is suitable for you.

Brine baths are also not without their problems. If you suffer from low blood pressure, you should avoid them. In the case of neurodermatitis, the benefits and harms are closely related. A short salt bath counteracts inflammation of the skin, longer baths worsen the symptoms because they dry out the skin.

While Kneipp treatments are usually well tolerated and easy to carry out, the situation is different with bath cures. You should only take the baths after consulting your doctor and be aware that they are never as effective as in a spa clinic.