Student/Therapist Resources

Chapter 8: The History of Hydrotherapy

Key Concepts

• The main goal of this chapter are to gain a deeper understanding of the use of hydrotherapy as an essential element of many of the great holistic health & wellness traditions - from ancient to modern times.
  
• Hydrotherapy in Ayurveda from India, has been used continuously for thousands of years and continues today. Many Ayurveda hydrotherapy treatments can be found today at spa and wellness centers around the world.   
  
  
• Next to Ayurveda, the Japanese hydrotherapy traditions is probably the oldest tradition that continues today as an important part of the Japanese culture. There are several Japanese universities that have departments that study the benefits of hydrotherapy. Much of the traditional use of hydrotherapy in Japan is centered around Japan's many natural hot springs.  (see Suggested Readings) Japanese hot springs bath. (Image copyright John Leung, 2008. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
  
  
• There are many similarities  between the Greek holistic health & wellness tradition and today's modern health & wellness programs. Greek healing center of Hippocrates. (Image copyright Yan Vugenfirer, 2008. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
  
  
• Today, many elements of the Roman hydrotherapy traditions are found in the modern European hydrotherapy traditions. Many of the best known modern European hydrotherapy centers are located at the same sites (usually a natural hot springs) as a former Roman hydrotherapy center,  for example in Baden-Baden, Germany and Vichy, France. (see Suggested Readings) (Photos courtesy of CAMSAN, Baderbedriebe GmbH).
  
  
• The popular use of hydrotherapy programs in North America between 1850 to about 1940. Key examples of this, as stated in this chapter, were Saratoga Springs, NY and Hot Spring, AK. Discuss the decline of interest in hydrotherapy programs at these and similar sites until most were closed in the 1950s. (see Suggested Readings) Photo: Buckstaff Bath House (courtesy of Buckstaff)
  
  
• There has been a  growing interest of alternative health, including hydrotherapy, from the 1970s until the present day.
  
  
• There are modern challenges to health & wellness that require development of special health & wellness programs to deal with these issues, which include greater air, water and food pollution, greater persona and social stress and greater harm to the natural environment. 
  
  

Additional suggested Study, Research and Teaching Exercises

History of Hydrotherapy
Internet Educational Resource: 

Hot Springs National Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas  Link

Buckstaff Bathhouse, Hot Springs, Arkansas Link

The Friedrichsbad, Baden-Baden, Germany  Link

Suggested Reading

Healing Springs. Rochester: Altman, N. (2000). Healing Springs. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press.
This book covers much of the history of hydrotherapy in the United States as well as references to hot springs around the world.

Getting Wet: Adventures in the Japanese Bath: Talmage, E. (2006). Getting Wet: Adventures in the Japanese Bath. Kodansha International
This is a very interesting and creative book done on the hydrotherapy traditions in Japan today.