Hot Tub Therapy for Back Pain

Hydromassage and chronic back pain.

According to survey results released in 2012 by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)1, nearly two-thirds of Americans experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Anyone who owns a Jacuzzi® Hot Tub knows that the warm-water massage feels incredibly soothing on tender or tense back muscles, but does a hot tub help manage chronic back pain?

Here are some comments from our customers:

“Oh yes it does!!! Powerful jets massage my whole back, the heat soothes sore muscles. Our Jacuzzi® Hot Tub is wonderful.”

“New Jacuzzi® Hot Tub owners and bought it because of my chronic back problems…it has helped.”

“It’s a blessing, with or without back troubles. Great to de-stress, relax, & unwind.”

Hydrotherapy revs up circulation to soothe muscles and relieve pain symptoms faster, making it an effective way to gain control over lower back pain. It also promotes spine flexibility to help with stiffness of the spine, which is often identified as a cause of lower back pain.

The research on hydrotherapeutic massage is convincing—hot tub jets may be a good tactic for relieving lower back pain relief:

  • A study comparing hydrotherapy and land-based exercise for lower back pain stated that both are helpful, but “hydrotherapy seems to be better for spinal flexibility.” The Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, Vol. 13, Issue 04, Dec. 2010.
     
  • Applied heat expands blood vessels, improves circulation, helps to relax muscles, and reduces pain, according to a book about complementary and alternative cancer therapies by the American Cancer Society.2 “Warm water in the form of a bath, massaging water jets, or hot tub also provides relaxation and stress relief,” it says. “An analysis of studies done on hydrotherapy for lower back pain suggested that it might be helpful, although further studies are needed.”
     
  • Other sources have also concluded that while more research is needed, “hydrotherapy currently remains an attractive treatment modality for low back pain to improve aerobic conditioning and initiate spinal stabilizing efforts.”3
     
  • Seventy-two percent of those surveyed in the APTA study used pain medication to relieve their symptoms1, but the APTA recommends that sufferers learn natural strategies for preventing and relieving chronic back pain. Hydrotherapy encourages the body to use its own responses to handle back pain. With a Jacuzzi® Hot Tub in your backyard, you can relieve chronic pain with regular hydromassage sessions and feel better naturally.

1 American Physical Therapy Association™
2 American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary & Alternative Cancer Therapies
3 Scoliosisnutty Blog