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Kneipp baths
Kneipp baths are water therapies originated by Germany's Father Sebastian Kneipp,
a holistic teacher and proponent of natural remedies. Kneipp is known as the
“Waterdoctor,” and the “father” of modern hydrotherapy. Kneipp baths originally
involved dips in the icy Danube, but today the therapy involves immersion both
in warm and cold water. Kneipp developed over 100 different hydrotherapy treatments
using ice, liquid water and vapor, with treatments that included washing/ablutions,
wraps, packs, compresses, poultices, affusions steam, and baths.
Kneipp baths are designed to gently stimulate the body "to give nature a gentle
hand," thereby strengthening the immune system and raising the body's tolerance
for stress. Kneipp was a strong believer in physical exercise, simple food and
a "regular style of life for body, mind and soul."
Kneipp baths are part of Kneipp therapy, which has 5 distinct components:
· Hydrotherapy-Water functions as a natural stimulus to the body
to increase energy and disease resistance. The therapeutic qualities of water
also have positive effects on the psyche and the nervous and hormone systems.
Kneipp hydrotherapy treatments are finely adjusted to suit the individual and
situation.
· Herbs/Phytotherapy-Kneipp documented scientific research that
herbs and phytotherapy have prophylactic, or healing, effects on the body. Kneipp
herbal treatments can be prepared in various forms, including teas, ointments,
oils, baths, and herbal wraps.
· Exercise/Kinesiotherapy -Physical exercise stimulates important
functions of the body, including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and nervous
systems, and the digestive tract. Massage is an indispensable supplementary
treatment to exercise.
· Nutrition/Dietetics -Kneipp believed that diseases could be
avoided or cured by a well-balanced, low-fat diet consisting of fresh food prepared
in such a way that the vitamins remain intact.
· Lifestyle/Regulative Therapy - Lifestyle and health education
are the most important part of Kneipp's doctrine. Kneipp believed that it is
important to live in harmony with one's social and natural environments and
to lead a balanced life.
The main Kneipp bath treatments are washings, wraps, and affusions:
· Kneipp washings are a simple and mild treatment in which the body is covered
with a film of cold water using a washcloth, causing brief vasoconstriction
of the blood vessels and then a reactionary increase in heat production that
stimulates the nervous system. Herbs are often added to the water to create
internal balance of the nervous systems.
· Kneipp wraps envelop body parts with wet and dry cloths that are either hot
or cold. Temperature, length of application and additives determine the effects
of this treatment, however the goal is to increase circulation to promote the
removal of metabolic wastes and increase the oxygen supply.
· Kneipp affusions direct a cold or warm water stream to body parts or the
full body. A "flar" affusion applies a stream of water without pressure, flowing
in a fan-shaped form to coat the body or body part. A high-pressure affusion
(such as a Scotch Hose) delivers a strong mechanical stimulus.
Kneipp baths are usually combined with stimulating or calming herbal additives.
A brush bath is a combination of a full-body brushing and a warm bath, which
intensifies the warming of the body through the effects of the hydrostatic pressure.
Other Kneipp bath treatments include walking barefoot on dew-moistened grass
to promote circulation and strengthen the immune system, walking in a basin,
fountain, lake, or ocean of below-knee level water to strengthen veins, induce
sleep, and stimulate metabolism, and walking for a few seconds up to three minutes
barefoot in snow to stimulate the nervous system and promote circulation.
Kneipp baths are believed to stimulate local reactions (for treatments applied
to particular body parts), influence internal organs (through external applications),
indirectly influence other parts of the body not being treated (as the body
is viewed as a whole and affecting one part affects all), influence the nervous
system to induce a general state of well-being, and strengthen the immune system.
Kneipp baths are beneficial for promoting relaxation and a sense of well being,
muscle relaxation, release of toxins through the skin, healthier metabolic rate,
regulated blood pressure, healthy immune system, and improved circulation.
Kneipp believed strongly in lifestyle and health education and he believed
self-responsibility to be the cornerstone of health. Thus, Kneipp baths can
and should be practiced at home, as they use ordinary water that is transformed
into “healing water” through proper knowledge and application.
Kneipp was born in 1821, in the Bavarian region of Germany. While studying
for the priesthood, Kneipp fell ill with pulmonary tuberculosis and became inspired
by German physician Johann Hahn, who wrote about the power and effect of fresh
water on human health a decade earlier. Kneipp literally shocked his system
to health by taking full-immersion dips in the icy waters of the Danube, effectively
curing himself of his disease. Kneipp developed his healing system through experimentation
and observation, curing a number of gravely ill patients, though doctors resented
him for his unorthodox methods.
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