footbath

The foot bath is a part of hydrotherapy, a form of therapy already celebrated in antiquity. In the eighteenth century, water therapy regained importance. Known are the so-called Prießnitz wrap, named after Vincenz Prießnitz or the water applications of Johann Sebastian Kneipp.

contents

modes of action
When a foot bath should be avoided
Irritating effect of the water
Stimulus intensity and intensity
General to the foot bath
Health application
Foot bath for care
Recipes for soothing baths
Warm foot baths in case of health problems
Warm baths with additives
Contraindications
Cold footbaths
Contraindications
Foot bath to Schiele

modes of action

The mode of action of the hydrotherapy, to which the foot bath belongs, is mainly due to the heat conduction of the water. The water is able to produce a wide variety of temperature stimuli by either supplying or dissipating heat. The stimuli of water application by a foot bath do not remain localized, but develop their effect throughout the organism. This affects the immune system, the circulation, the nervous system and the metabolism.

The foot bath can have a beneficial effect on the entire organism. Image: Michael Nivelet / fotolia.com

When a foot bath should be avoided

As harmless as a footbath may sound, there are limitations that should be avoided. For example, if there is acute venous thrombosis, a foot bath should be used. Warm foot baths are also to be avoided in existing massive varicose veins and arterial circulatory disorders. Cold foot baths are contraindicated in urinary tract infections, hypertension and arterial circulatory disorders. Likewise, people who shiver or freeze should refrain from the cold application. In case of uncertainty regarding the application, a doctor should be consulted. For more on contraindications to foot baths, see the homologous sections of this article.

Irritating effect of the water

A foot bath can affect blood circulation. Warm water contributes to relaxation and relaxation. When using cold water, the vessels narrow first, which then then set wide again, which in turn causes a blood circulation promotion. The lymphatic circulation and the metabolism of the tissue are improved. The skin absorbs temperature stimuli during a foot bath. This can affect so-called reflex arches internal organs.

Stimulus intensity and intensity

Depending on the stimulus intensity, the foot bath has different effects. Small stimuli serve to stimulate the life activity, medium stimuli promote these and great stimuli have an inhibitory effect. Too strong stimuli seem counterproductive. The stimulus intensity should be adjusted to the initial position of the person who wants to undergo a foot bath.

Various water temperatures are possible with a foot bath. "Cold" means that the temperature should not exceed 18 ° C. A warm bath is between 36 ° C and 38 ° C and a hot one between 39 ° C and 41 ° C.

General to the foot bath

If you want to add ethereal oils to the foot bath, mix them first with an emulsifier. Cream, milk or whey powder perform well here. The mixture is then added to the footbath. When using essential oils, the principle is "less is more". A few drops of an oil are enough.

The vessel to be used for the foot bath should be so large that both feet can comfortably sit next to each other on the floor.

After a warm foot bath, the feet are dried well. After cold use, however, a "stripping" of the water is usually recommended. Care should also be taken to ensure that the feet are warm again a few minutes after each footbath, warm or cold. If this does not work, you should first start with rising foot baths. Cold applications are only recommended when the body has become accustomed to the irritant differences of the water.

Health application

A cold foot bath is initially refreshing, then relaxing and soothing. Venous disorders respond particularly well to cold stimuli.

A special form of the cold foot bath is the "treading water". This is one of the well-known Kneipp applications. Problems with venous return or poor arterial blood flow respond well to this therapy.

The "rising" foot bath warms the entire organism and dilates the blood vessels. The warm foot bath increases the overall circulation and gives the body heat.

Various herbal supplements can aid the effect of the foot bath. Essential oils are also added to the foot baths. These are to be used together with an emulsifier. Attention should be paid to any allergic reaction that the oils may cause. Other additions to the foot baths are salt, mustard or tinctures (plant extracts with the help of alcohol)

Foot bath for care

A foot bath does not necessarily have to be completed for health reasons, but also serves to prepare for a subsequent foot care, for example to remove the cornea. The footbath should not be too hot for that. About 38 ° C are a pleasant warmth for the feet. The bath duration is ten to a maximum of twenty minutes. Some vinegar may be added to the bath, softening the cornea. Then the feet are ready for a care treatment.

Recipes for soothing baths

Foot baths can be very beneficial. Most recipes are also easy to use and their ingredients are present in every household.

A cold foot bath is extremely pleasant in the hot summer. Especially when the outside temperatures are high, a cold foot bath helps the aching feet. However, not only the feet benefit from it, but also the entire organism. After a fifteen-minute foot bath, the spirits return, tiredness and exhaustion are gone.

An anti-stress foot bath is carried out with warm water, ie between 36 ° C and 38 ° C. Essential citrus oils help to make you feel good and to relieve the stress. A few drops of a high quality lemon or orange essential oil are very good here. These are mixed before use with some milk or cream and only then added to the water. Especially the feet, but also the whole body, benefit from this "citrus bath". In addition, the rising vapors of the essential oil are inhaled, which positively influences the mood.

Sage or oak bark fight sweaty feet. Adding the decoction of an sage or oak bark tea to the warm foot bath can, if regularly repeated, combat sweaty feet. Dried sage or dried oak bark is poured over a tablespoon of about a quarter liter of boiling water and strained after about ten minutes. This decoction is added to the bath water. A footbath with soda is also a way to counter sweaty feet.

Warm foot baths in case of health problems

Anyone looking for a recipe for a foot bath, will meet the term "rising foot bath". The temperature of the water is gradually and slowly heated from 20 ° C to 43 ° C. At the beginning of the bath time, the feet are only covered to the ankles with water. Slowly we cup by cup of hotter water until about 43 ° C are reached. This rising foot bath creates a pleasant well-being and warms, especially in the colder season, really through. The "rising" foot bath is used for bladder infections, mild colds, sinus problems and menstrual problems.

A warm foot bath is indicated for insomnia, a tendency to infections, constipation and chronically cold feet. The temperature for a warm foot bath should be between 37 ° C and 39 ° C. This bath can last a maximum of fifteen minutes. Then the feet are dried, a subsequent rest period of at least half an hour is important.

Another variant is the change bath. Two vessels are filled with water. One with 36 ° C warm and the other with 18 ° C cold water. First, your feet are bathed in cold water for about five minutes, then in cold water for about ten seconds. The change between warm and cold should be repeated at least once. Again, a post-rest period is important for the body.

Warm baths with additives

With low blood pressure, a warm foot bath with essential rosemary oil helps. A few drops of the oil are added to an emulsifier and stirred into the bath water.

For mild fever, lemon oil is a good choice. The temperature of the water here depends on the body temperature, that is, the water should be one degree below the temperature of the body and not exceed the bath time of fifteen minutes. In case of fever, it is essential to ensure that the bather's circulation is stable.

A footbath with mustard flour is helpful for sinus problems and / or incipient colds. However, this foot bath is only used for healthy skin. The bath must be filled with water at a temperature of 36 ° C to 37 ° C. Ground mustard flour is mixed with lukewarm water into a pulp, put in a cloth, and the mustard flour water is added to the bath water. The cloth is tied tightly and also placed in the bathing vessel. With the feet, this can then be expressed several times during bathing. The bath time is relatively short, from five minutes to a maximum of 15 minutes, depending on skin sensitivity. If the skin reddens, the bath is broken off. To prevent the rising smell of mustard flour from reaching the nose, the container is covered with a towel. After bathing, the feet are rinsed lukewarm and oiled after drying. As long as the skin is still red, no new mustard flour bath should be completed.

Tired and / or swollen or thick legs or an incipient respiratory tract infection respond well to a foot bath with salt. This is best used sea salt or Himalayan salt. Add two handfuls of salt to the approximately 37 ° C water and stir well until the salt has dissolved. The salt bath can additionally be mixed with essential oil. Salt is mixed with a few drops of oil and then added to the water. Thyme oil, for example, works here in the beginning of a cold.

Contraindications

For some illnesses and health problems, a warm foot bath should be avoided. These include inflammatory skin diseases of the feet and / or calves, pronounced varicose veins and arterial circulatory disorders. If in doubt about the application, consult a doctor.

Cold footbaths

Cold foot baths are mainly used for venous disorders. But also with headaches, overheating, with a gout attack or nosebleeds. The cold water has a temperature of 12 ° C to 18 ° C. The bath duration is a maximum of thirty seconds. The feet are not then terry, but the water only stripped.

A special form is the "treading water". This helps with insomnia, incipient disturbances of arterial blood flow, varicose veins, weather sensitivity and chronic fatigue. In this application, the foot bath is filled with cold water between 10 ° C and 18 ° C so far, that the calves are covered only three quarters. The "treading" is carried out for one to three minutes in the "stork step". Then the feet are not dried, but the water is only stripped off with your hands. It is important that the feet are quickly warm again after the foot bath. Move or warm socks support warming.

Contraindications

A cold footbath should not be used for acute bladder infections and with a pronounced heat need. Again, the doctor may need to be consulted beforehand.

Foot bath to Schiele

The foot bath after "Schiele" is a special tub with a heated plate on the bottom of the vessel. The water is heated at 0.5 ° C per minute, during which the temperature rises from 35 ° C to 45 ° C. This passively trains the cardiovascular system. This special therapeutic footbath is offered in naturopathic practices and some clinics. (Sw)