Sitz Bath: Uses and Procedure

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Sitz Bath: Uses, Procedure, and Risk Factors

What is Sitz bath

Hot Sitz bath is an partial immersion bath covering only the hip, pelvic and  the anal area (buttocks) with water. The water may contain herbs or essential oils. 

It is a bath that is usually warm used for cleaning and healing.

SITZ BATH TREATMENT INDICATIONS 

WHEN TO USE SITZ BATH

• Strengthening pelvic tissues 

• Building of nervous vigor

• Itching

• Relieve pain, 

• Chronic constipation 

• Relieve pain after an episiotomy (surgical procedure to facilitate child birth) and relieve pain after rectal operation 

• Hemorrhoids 

• Chronic pelvic Inflammation 

• Dysmenorrhea or painful Menstruation 

• Boils and abscesses around the anal  region 

• Cystitis (painful urination) 

PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF SITZ BATH 

HOW SITZ BATH WORKS

It increases blood flow in the region thus relieving cramps and spasms in pelvic region and urinary bladder. 

Relaxes the urine nary bladder

Relaxes the internal anal sphineter 

Sitz bath can be done in two ways 

1. Sitz bath alone

2. Sitz bath with hot foot bath 

TYPES OF SITZ BATHS

•  Baking soda

• Basic saltwater sitz bath

• Herbal sitz bath

• Oil sitz bath

• Blueberry sitz bath

•  Sitz bath with witch hazel extract

• Apple cider vinegar sitz bath

HOW TO MAKE SITZ BATH

THINGS YOU NEED FOR SITZ BATH 

1. A large basin, deep enough for a person to sit in it

2. Basin of ice water

3. Two cold compress towels 

4. Sheet or blanket for wrapping around the body 

5. One bath towel

6. A kettle or pot of boiling water 

7. An extra basin for hot foot bath (if Sitz bath will be done with hot foot bath) 

TREATMENT PROCEDURES FOR SITZ BATH 

1. Pray with the person 

2. Remove the patient should remove their outer clothes 

3. Pour hot water into the basin and dilute it to a temperature the person can tolerate 

4. Close the doors and windows to prevent air drafts

5. Aid the patient while trying to sit in the basin, then gently place the legs of the person into the hot foot bath basin containing a water warm enough to tolerated by the person. if hot foot bath is used

6. Cover the person and basins with the sheet or blanket 

7. Apply the cold compress on the person forehead immediately the person starts perspiring and change the compress every 2 to 3 minutes [cold compress is a towel soaked in cold or iced water then wrung of water and placed around the forehead.] 

8. Occasionally add hot water to both the hot foot bath and the Sitz bath basins every 4 to 5 minutes to maintain the temperature of the water. Be sure to place your hand beneath the hot water in the basin and stir while adding hot water to the basins to avoid burning the patient’s  feet 

9. Continue for 20 to 30 minutes 

10. After completion, pray with patient 

11. Pour cold water on the feet of the person, to close the pores of skin that are opened due to the heat, this protects the person against bacteria 

12. The patient should rest for a while and a then have a shower. 

HOW LONG SHOULD SITZ BATH LAST

Occasionally add hot water to both the hot foot bath and the Sitz bath basins every 4 to 5 minutes to maintain the temperature of the water. Be sure to place your hand beneath the hot water in the basin and stir while adding hot water to the basins to avoid burning the patient’s  feet 

 Treatment should last up to Continue for 20 to 30 minutes, but lease for very sick and weak persons.

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Healing Benefits of the Hot Foot Bath And application

Definition: Hot foot bath is a local bath which covers the feet and ankles with temperatures generally ranging between 100 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 to 46 degrees Centigrade

Treatment indications.

Hot foot bath affects the entire body circulation by dilating the blood vessels in the lower extremities, relieving congestion of other parts of the body, (examples congestive headache, stopping nose bleedings, relieving chest congestion, relieving pelvic congestion.)

This process of shifting blood from one part of the body to another is called derivation.

It is a useful measure in unifying circulation, shorten a cold, decongest the brain, lungs, and abdominal organs, diminish pain anywhere in the body (from toothaches to backaches), relieve fatigue and nervous tension and prepare a person for any cold treatment or massage.

EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED.

1. A chair.

2. A large-mouthed bucket or a foot tub or deep dishpan of deep plastic bowl

3. Two medium towels or washcloths (for cold compress to the head)

4. A kettle or container of boiling water.

5. 2 blankets (to wrap the person well)

6. A large plastic or waterproof material to keep under the foot tub (to protect the bedding if lying down or keep the floor dry if seated.)

7. A basin of cold water

PREPARING FOR THE TREATMENT.

Ensure a warm, draught-free environment, and spread the waterproof material where the treatment will be given.

TREATMENT PROPER.

1. Pray

2. Fill the foot tub with water to completely cover the ankle.

3. Test water with thermometer, preferably (40 degrees Centigrade/104 degrees Fahrenheit), if not available the elbow or back of the wrist could used to test if the is tolerable.

4. Put your hands under the person's feet being treated and gently immerse them in the warm water, ask the person if temperature of water is Okey adjust according to the person's needs by adding cold or hot water.

5. Completely wrap the person's and the foot tub (to avoid heat escape), leave the head and neck exposed

6. When sweating occurs, place a cold wet towel or washcloth on the forehead (to avoid brain damage) and wipe off perspiration from the face

7. Add hot water periodically to the person's tolerance, ensure to place your hand between the hot water been poured and the person's feet and stir water while pouring (to avoid burning)

8. Warm water should be taken periodically to enhance sweating and replace fluid lost through sweating. Drink a hot cup of tea you can use ginger tea or the lemon tea that will help sweat even more

9. Treatment should last between 15 to 20 minutes.

TREATMENT COMPLETION.

Pray with the patient.

 1. Gently lift the feet out of the water and quickly pour cold water on the feet (to close the pores of skin and protect against infections)

2. The person's feet should dried and cover.

3. Some time should be given the person to rest after which the person can have a shower or bath.

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HYDROTHERAPY WHY AND HOW DOES IT WORK? (the physiology behind hydrotherapy)

Hydrotherapy comes from two Greek words Hydro meaning water and therapy meaning treatment, in other words Hydrotherapy means the use of water in any of its three forms (Solid, Liquid, or Steam) either externally or internally to restore health.

 

WHY WATER IS VALUABLE AS A THERAPEUTIC AGENT.

 1. It is generally available and cheap.

2. It does not cause irritation either externally or internally.

3. Its ability to change from solid to liquid to steam and back again.

4. It can be recycled and reused.

5. Water gives up heat rapidly, yet it does not cool too rapidly.

6. It is universal solvent.

7. Easy to apply.

8. Great power for absorbing and releasing heat.

9. Proper viscosity

10. Proper density for buoyancy.

 

The chemistry behind hydrotherapy.

 Good circulation of good blood leads to good health.

Hydrotherapy functions majorly by increasing proper circulation and the production of white blood cells.

 

Due to the skin been connected to every organ in the body through the nervous and circulatory systems, change in the temperature of the skin via water application either cold or hot or warm will stimulate or sedate specific systems or organs through nervous sensation.

 

Water therapy works because it provides the main needs of the cell which are oxygen, water, nutrition, elimination, and protection from toxic and harmful or unhealthy substance. Cells been the building block for our body's tissue, organs, and systems means that  healthy cells will definitely result to a healthy organs, and systems.

 

How does hydrotherapy satisfy these basic needs of the cell?

When the temperature of body is increased generally (E.G. steam bath) or specifically  to an area(E. G. Hot foot bath), there is a drastic increase in blood flow or circulation leading to sweating, thus toxins are removed from the body and congestion of the blood in any part of the body is relieved, because of the even circulation, there is increased transportation of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body and readily supply to the cells.

 

There is always a stimulation of the immune system leading to a multiplication of the white blood cells, they become more active when the body temperature is increased, this results to relieve of pains and fever, promotion of relaxation and rest.

 

 

 

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF HOT AND COLD WATER.

 

Understanding the physiological effects of water at varied temperatures is required for the optimization of its benefits.

 

HEAT

1. Decreases stiffness in arthritis.

2. Decreases muscle pain and spasm.

3. Increases hemorrhage

4. Increases edema production.

5. Increases blood flow.

6. Increases inflammatory response

 

COLD

1. Increases stiffness in arthritis

2. Decreases muscle pain and spasm

3. Decreases hemorrhage

4. Decreases edema production

5. Decreases blood flow.

6. Decreases the inflammatory response.

 

 

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