Hot Tub Therapy

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imp

Senior Member
Do you feel hot tubs, hot baths, natural hot springs, offer beneficial results to folks seeking release from painful conditions, or other maladies? I remember reading long ago that 105 degrees F immersion of the entire body should not be done for more than a relatively short time. 15 minutes?

I found the hot tub adjacent to our condo's pool to be uncomfortably hot. My wife and I, accompanied by my visiting nephew, Mike, who has chronic hip pain, immersed ourselves there late at night, nice and quiet, air temperature maybe 40 degrees.

I didn't really like it. What do you think? imp
 

I don't like them and they are especially bad for people who sit in them and drink cocktails. I can't remember where it was, but somewhere we were my husband sat in a hot tub when snow was on the ground. He's always loved the hot tubs at any hotel we've stayed in. Our daughter had one and I stuck my feet in it a couple times but as I said, I'm not a fan of the hot tubs. My husband and daughter both feel spas, hot tubs and natural hot springs help all sorts of painful conditions. Except for sore joints I don't have many painful conditions.
 
When we had this new house built, we had a hot tub installed in the lower level with silent ceiling vents that 'must' be used to prevent mold. We keep the water temp at 100 degrees, which eats up a fair amount of natural gas. It is covered when not in use. The chemicals are not too expensive, but they also need checked regularly because the Grandkids love to come over and play around in it on cold days. As for health benefits, I have arthritis in my back and knees the worse. On miserable cold, wet days or on days after I over-did with running or using weights, I hit the hot tub twice, at least 6 hours a part. I can say that I do feel better after each use. The stiffness in the joints are diminished and my muscles seem to be more flexible. I also sleep like a cat.
 

Linda said:
I don't like them and they are especially bad for people who sit in them and drink cocktails. I can't remember where it was, but somewhere we were my husband sat in a hot tub when snow was on the ground. He's always loved the hot tubs at any hotel we've stayed in. Our daughter had one and I stuck my feet in it a couple times but as I said, I'm not a fan of the hot tubs. My husband and daughter both feel spas, hot tubs and natural hot springs help all sorts of painful conditions. Except for sore joints I don't have many painful conditions.
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Beer and beans help..
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We have a Jacuzzi out on our back patio.. and have for the last 10 years... we use it year round... yes.. even in the winter.. It's only a short few steps from our back door.. and once in the 103 degree water it's very comfy.. even when the temperature is in the teens. We have sat in it when its been snowing..it's really nice.. The only time I won't go in is when it's really windy.. But.. I find it relaxing and very therapeutic. NO.. we don't drink alcohol in it... that's not a good idea..
 
QuickSilver said:
We have a Jacuzzi out on our back patio.. and have for the last 10 years... we use it year round... yes.. even in the winter.. It's only a short few steps from our back door.. and once in the 103 degree water it's very comfy.. even when the temperature is in the teens. We have sat in it when its been snowing..it's really nice.. The only time I won't go in is when it's really windy.. But.. I find it relaxing and very therapeutic. NO.. we don't drink alcohol in it... that's not a good idea..
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Same thing. I always call it a hot tub, but it's a Jacuzzi that has a heater for the water that we keep set at 90 degrees and then an hour before we get in it, we set it at 100 degrees. Like I said, it does get the kinks out of the arthritis and I sleep very well. We don't drink, except for 4 ounces of red wine in the evening. Our's is now 8 years old, same as the home we built. I had to replace the motor last year, but luckily, our home warranty policy covered it. I always wondered if those warranties were any good and evidently they are. Besides the Jacuzzi motor, we have also replaced the garbage disposal and a microwave, both GE. The warranty has paid for all, except for a small deductible. We also had to replace the water line from the house to the street because the plumber said that when they built the house and back-filled the yard, they must have shoved stone(s) against the pipe causing a small leak as the earth settled. That was a $3100.00 bill, but we pay an extra $3.95 per month on our water bill to cover such things. Same for gas, but I think with them it is a bit higher monthly fee. Everyone charges a fee for something. Even cable has a fee for inside wiring, if something goes wrong.
 
Yeah... ours is way out of warranty... in fact we are thinking of replacing it.. We had to have something replaced recently.. I think it was the heater. And one set of massaging jets is out... But other than that it's working fine.. I like my temperature a bit hotter than you.. It feels so good on cold evenings when you just can't get the chill out of your bones... 15 minutes in the tub and I feel warmed thru and thru... and like you said.. sleep like a baby.
 
The heat must be responsible for increased blood flow which in turn relieves aching, maybe due to the system having to adapt to higher than normal temperature surrounding the body? We maintain 98.6` through evaporation of sweat; now, surrounded by 105` temperature, the only place sweating will have cooling effect is where skin is exposed: head, face, neck, arms maybe? QS, out of curiosity, it might be interesting to take the old fever thermometer out with you, and check body temp. after 15 minutes or so immersed. Just a new idea hatched! imp
 
My aging stiff body likes a good 15 to 20 minutes in the SPA, however, last night I walked down three flights of stairs wearing my heavy Terry Cloth Robe, out the door and into the cold rainy nite. The jets were working fine but the water was ice cold. Back to the apartment for a hot shower.
 
imp said:
The heat must be responsible for increased blood flow which in turn relieves aching, maybe due to the system having to adapt to higher than normal temperature surrounding the body? We maintain 98.6` through evaporation of sweat; now, surrounded by 105` temperature, the only place sweating will have cooling effect is where skin is exposed: head, face, neck, arms maybe? QS, out of curiosity, it might be interesting to take the old fever thermometer out with you, and check body temp. after 15 minutes or so immersed. Just a new idea hatched! imp
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Actually a hot soak causes you blood pressure to go down.. because your vessels dilate in response to the heat. My soaks are only for 10-15 minutes.. I get out as soon as it becomes uncomfortable.
 
I really enjoyed my hot tub for the therapeutic value it offered, both mentally and physically. I kept it around 98 degrees and it was perfect....hot enough to feel good but not so hot that I couldn't linger for a half hour or so if I wanted to. Sometimes I miss it, but don't miss the added expense on my electric bill or the chemical maintenance. I think the newer ones are more energy efficient. If I ever get another one, I will hire a spa maintenance company to take care of it.
 
My sister and I went to a hot-springs spa for three days days in New Mexico a few years ago. It had natural springs with 4 or 5 different kinds of water (arsenic water, soda water, lithium water, iron water, etc), all the way from cool to meat-cooking hot. There was also a huge natural swimming pool with body-temperature mineral water in it. The body-temperature pool was open until after midnight and I remember floating on my back, looking up at the zillion stars in the desert sky and feeling like I didn't even have a body. There were mud baths, too.

I felt better after those three days than I think I have ever have. I'll admit, the massages helped, too. I have to go back one of these days.
 
imp said:
Do you feel hot tubs, hot baths, natural hot springs, offer beneficial results to folks seeking release from painful conditions, or other maladies? I remember reading long ago that 105 degrees F immersion of the entire body should not be done for more than a relatively short time. 15 minutes?

I found the hot tub adjacent to our condo's pool to be uncomfortably hot. My wife and I, accompanied by my visiting nephew, Mike, who has chronic hip pain, immersed ourselves there late at night, nice and quiet, air temperature maybe 40 degrees.

I didn't really like it. What do you think? imp
Click to expand...

I have never had a hot tub therapy, but as I dislike baths, much preferring a shower, I doubt I would like to have one.
 
We've had one on our deck for many years, and upgraded to a new model after our original one got too expensive to fix. We keep it at 100 degrees in the winter, but around 90 in the warm weather. Feels great, but must admit it's a commitment. You have to keep it clear of snow this time of year, and that also means having to shovel the deck. It's a bit tough to go out there on a cold night, but feels great once you're in the water. We typically stay in there for about 20-30 minutes, sometimes just soaking without the jets. Our model has some great jets, so it's nice when you have a muscle ache. In fact I'll be heading out there later, after having shoveled snow this morning and then worked out at the gym. Great day for it as the temps are falling and tonight is going to be bitter cold.

Took this shot last year.

IMG_0643.jpg
 
Blood Pressure and the Heart in Hot Water Submersion

QuickSilver said:
Actually a hot soak causes you blood pressure to go down.. because your vessels dilate in response to the heat. My soaks are only for 10-15 minutes.. I get out as soon as it becomes uncomfortable.
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True, of course, after I thought it through but not before blurting out an opinion. I looked up some interesting facts, though:

When you submerge your body in hot water, your temperature rises, but your blood pressure drops.
Evaporating sweat normally helps cool you off. But, when you immerse yourself in hot water, that natural cooling mechanism doesn’t work. As a result, you can’t cool off.
When your body gets superheated:

  • Your blood vessels dilate to try to help cool off the body.
  • Blood diverts to the skin, away from the body core.
  • Heart rate and pulse increase to counteract a drop in blood pressure.

Normally, these events don’t cause problems. However, if you have existing cardiovascular disease, the cascade of events could overtax your heart. This can lead to:

Loss of adequate blood pressure, if your heart can’t pump enough blood
Increased blood pressure, if you have blood vessel disease or narrowing and hardening of the arteries
Dizziness or feelings of faintness
Nausea
Abnormal heart rhythms
Inadequate blood flow to the heart or body
Heart attack

 

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