Mobile Whirlpool Tubs, Portable Whirlpool Tubs, Hydrotherapy

Types of Whirlpool Tubs

Materials - Most whirlpool tubs are constructed with stainless steel, cast iron, fiberglass, or acrylics.

Stainless steel has a high percentage of chromium which helps to make it corrosion resistant. Although tubs made with stainless steel can become rusty, one of the biggest reasons for this would be improper cleaning and care. Stainless steel is also primarily resistant to chipping, chemicals, scratching and denting and when treated correctly, a stainless steel whirlpool tub can last for a long time.

Cast iron tubs are also impervious to chipping, chemicals, scratching and denting, but they do have a tendency to rust, are very heavy and are the most expensive of tub types.

Acrylic tubs are lightweight, easy to clean and have a natural glossy finish, but they do tend to scratch easily and discolor over a period of time.

Fiberglass tubs are lightweight, have a matte finish, and are usually easy to install and repair. It is the least expensive of the materials, yet is also less durable than the others, and more prone to color fading and scratches.

Size and Configuration

Whirlpool tubs are available in different sizes and shapes for different purposes, places and uses. For professional medical use usually an oval shape is utilized, but other shapes such as round, hourglass or triangle are available for more personalized or home use in private bathrooms and house-decks. Professional medical personnel such as podiatrists and hand therapists may use whirlpool tubs ranging from a liquid capacity of 4.5 to 10 gallons for the immersion of hands or limbs for post-op pain relief, whereas hospitals or sport agencies will use up to a 110 gallon tub for whole body therapy. Home whirlpool tub configurations rely on the size and orientation of the home bathroom or deck, using either a single-person, freestanding tub in the bathroom, or a larger corner unit or a drop-in whirlpool bathtub for larger bathrooms or decks.

Water Jets and Air Jets

Pressured water is produced either by air jets or water jets and while serving the same purpose, they do function differently.

An air jet tub will have dozens of small jets that force warm air at high speeds into the whirlpool, creating thousands of bubbles for massage purposes. The tingling, gentle sensation the user will experience on the skin from the tiny air bubbles will cause certain neural reflexes to activate, leading to positive body chemical reactions that promote muscle relaxation and a state of contentment.

Water jet tubs will have fewer but larger jets that move water at a high speed, creating a water-buffering massage effect that activates the nerves in the skin and muscles, increasing blood circulation, tissue oxygenation, muscle relaxation, and toxin evacuation.

In each case the jets can swivel in different directions to target specific and various parts of the user’s body. The jets in the whirlpool tubs offered by Rehabmart are powered by quiet and powerful 1/2-horsepower turbine pumps that provide water agitation, thus creating a cleansing, soothing and relaxing hydrotherapy treatment, aiding in rehabilitation.

Physical Effects of Hydrotherapy on the Body

During hydrotherapy, the user’s body will sense the temperature and pressure changes via nerve endings in the skin and muscle, leading to a neural “reflex effect” that is controlled by the brain and spinal cord. The primary and most important of these reflex effects are vasodilatation and vasoconstriction, the relaxation and tensing of the blood vessels within the body.

Hot Water Therapy vs. Cold Water Therapy

Hot Water Hydrotherapy

Hot water usually results in a less stressful, more relaxed state of being that helps calm the nervous system. The body’s reflexive response to hot water is to initiate physical changes to help keep the body cool. It accomplishes this by dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow, activating sweat glands, diverting blood flow to the skin’s surface and the extremities, opening the pores of the skin, and relaxing muscles. In short durations, hot water therapy will also assist the organs of the endocrine system to become less active, particularly the adrenal glands, and will also help lower blood pressure.

Inhaling the steam from the hot water can have a beneficial effect on the lungs by causing the air sacs and small airways to dilate, increasing the lung’s ability to move mucus and phlegm out, leading to a larger volume of air space in the lungs and allowing the user to breathe more easily.

Cold Water Hydrotherapy

Cold water will usually have an opposite effect on the body by causing the body to conserve heat. The body’s blood vessels will constrict leading to decreased blood flow, while simultaneously diverting the blood flow from the extremities to the body core and the internal organs to help keep them warm and operating correctly. The muscles will tense, the pores of the skin will close, and sweat glands will shut down, whereas the adrenal glands and other endocrine organs will become more active. In short durations, cold water therapy will make the user feel less tired and more alert as the body activates the neural network in order to create more heat and raise the blood pressure to protect the body in response to the cold water hydrotherapy.

Health Benefits of Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy can treat a number of ailments by combining different water pressures, water temperatures, delivery methods and lengths of time. The primary health issues or maladies treated by hydrotherapy are back pain, arthritis pain, muscle pain, post-surgical pain, and headaches. Hydrotherapy is additionally used for a variety of symptoms associated with different discomforts and pain from various injuries, conditions and diseases.

Hydrotherapy Benefits – Hot Water Hydrotherapy

Hot water therapy is the most well known and popular water therapy. Hot water hydrotherapy helps to calm the user by stimulating nerve reflexes which in turn help relax and balance the heart, lungs, stomach and endocrine system. It also enhances blood flow that aids in healing the body, stimulates the immune system, tones the body, and decreases discomfort and pain from joint, muscle, or connective tissue problems, abnormalities and injuries. This therapy additionally helps to efficiently remove toxins from tissues which will help prevent injuries, and increase the tissue resiliency.

Increasing the body’s blood flow helps to promote the circulation of white blood cells within the immune system, ultimately aiding this system to work faster and more efficiently. Hot water therapy additionally increases the production of endorphins in the body as well, which helps tissues to heal faster, alleviate pain and to provide feelings of happiness and elation.

Some other body benefits from hot water therapy include:

Helps to clear respiratory infections – Inhalation of the steam from the hot water helps to decrease the constriction of swollen lung air sacs and canals. This helps to move mucus and fluids out of the lungs, allowing more oxygen into the lungs with enhanced efficiency.

Headache prevention – Since headaches are often brought on by high blood pressure in the arteries of the skull, lowering the blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels helps to prevent headaches. Also, hot water will help with alleviating stress and in doing so, will help limit stress-induced headaches as well.

Reduces arthritis, rheumatism pain and inflammation – Hot water helps increase circulation, bringing more oxygen to the muscles and thereby relaxing them. This will also lessen the pressure and stress on joints, helping to alleviate arthritic pain.

Improves sleep – The relaxing or calming effect from hot water on the endocrine and nervous systems helps to slow the body down. Hot water therapy mentally relaxes the user, decreasing “mental chatter” before bedtime.

Controls blood sugar levels in diabetics – When users with Type 2 diabetes soak in hot water for 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, they will have an easier time controlling their plasma sugar levels. The increased blood flow to and from tissues can mimic exercise while also decreasing the activity of the endocrine system, playing a vital part in the body’s ability to maintain healthy glucose levels.

Aids with circulatory problems in the extremities – Increased circulation, especially for those with circulation problems in their extremities and limbs, will help provide pain management for people who suffer from cold feet and hands. Relief can be both immediate and also felt hours after the soaking is completed.

Cold Water Hydrotherapy Benefits

Due to being somewhat uncomfortable for most people, cold water therapy is not as popular as hot water hydrotherapy, yet its beneficial and regenerative health benefits are just as powerful as with hot water therapy. Usually cold water hydrotherapy is used to invigorate people who may feel sleepy, mentally tired, or physically weak. It may be utilized to increase the function of the internal organs by diverting the flow of blood from the extremities to the internal organs, and may also be used to slow the heart rate.

Decreasing the flow of blood does affect the body in important ways by having a ‘numbing’ or calming effect on the pain receptor nerves located at the injury site, while also helping to prevent cellular fluid buildup at the injury site. While cold water therapy aids in pain and swelling alleviation on its own, when this therapy is combined with hot water hydrotherapy it has also been highly effective in helping to tone muscles, particularly in people who have mobility issues.

Some other uses for cold water hydrotherapy include:

Treats certain types of headaches - Headaches are often the result of an abnormal amount of blood flow within the blood vessels of the head area. Vasoconstriction and diversion of the blood flow from the extremities to the body core and internal organs can change the amount of blood flow to the brain, relieving the headache pain.

Treats varicose veins – Varicose veins are caused by pressure in the veins from a buildup of blood, the result being stretched veins that become larger, holding more blood, pushing up toward the surface of the skin. Cold water therapy can help the veins in the leg constrict and force out the blood within the veins, as well as the arteries in the legs.

Raises low blood pressure – Cold water therapy can help circulatory problems in the internal organs by helping to constrict the capillaries on the skin, diverting blood flow to the body core, increasing circulation to internal organs such as the heart, liver and lungs.

While hydrotherapy has many positive health benefits, remember that it is important to first consult with a professional healthcare provider before starting any hydrotherapy treatment. Limit your time when starting your hydrotherapy regimen, and monitor your progress for any side effects that might arise, making adjustments to your hydrotherapy protocol as needed.

Rehabmart is pleased to offer high quality whirlpools from Whitehall Manufacturing.

Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO

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