Hot Baths for Arthritis – A Miracle Remedy
While you’re already aware that heat is a great way to help soothe your arthritis aches, hot baths in particular are powerful ways to relax your body and unclench your joints.
What are the Suitable Hot Baths for Arthritis?
There are a number of ways in which you can utilize your bath time to help your pain. Here are a few ‘recipes’ to help you get started.
Epsom salt bath
Using Epsom salt you can find in nearly any drugstore or pharmacy, take one cup of the salt and place it into a hot bath tub. Allow the salt to permeate the tub before you step in and begin to soak.
Sea salt bath
Using one cup of organic sea salt, you can follow the same procedure as the Epsom salt. Sea salt is often tolerated better by some patients as it is more balanced with the natural pH of the human body.
Lavender bath
Aromatherapy is also considered a great way to help release tension from the body. Using 5 to 6 drops of lavender essential oil can bring a light and pleasant small to your bath tub, while also filling your senses with peace and tranquility. You can also add other essential oils to salt baths in order to get as much benefit as possible.
Chamomile bath
Just as chamomile tea can soothe your stomach and your nerves, this tea can also soothe your body. Place a few chamomile tea bags into the hot bath with you, allow the bags to steep for a few minutes, and then remove them before getting into the tub. This will help you to release tension from your muscles, while also bringing you a sensation of calm.
Hot Baths for Arthritis with Music
The bath is also a great time to practice a little more distraction from your pain with music.
Music has been used for centuries to help change the mood of the listener. While some people like to use loud music to wake them up, soft music is just as effective in helping your body calm down.
But in the end, it’s a matter of preference. You might find, however that using soft, soothing New Age type of music while you soak in the bath is a fantastic way to affect all of your senses at the same time.
Hot Baths for Arthritis – Important Tips
When you are taking a hot bath, make sure to only be in the tub for 30 minutes or less as you can begin to lose the heat of the tub, which can then leave you cooler than when you got in. And then your muscles might tight up again in an effort to warm up.
Also, if you are on any medications, check with your doctor before sitting in the tub for extended bath times. Some medications (like those for high blood pressure) can cause you to feel lightheaded when mixed with hot tub temperatures.
As for the temperature your tub should be – as hot as you can stand it, but never enough to burn your skin or cause you pain.
Baths for Arthritis
Other ways to make the most of your tub time:
Use a bath pillow
When you support your neck with a rolled up towel behind your neck or a specially designed tub pillow, you will prevent your shoulders from tightening up as you lie in the tub.
Light candles
If you have aromatherapy candles, like lavender or vanilla, lighting them around the tub and turning off the lights in the bathroom can sink you into another world of peaceful bliss.
Visualize your pain moving out of your body
When you’re in the rub, close your eyes and picture the pain moving out of your body and into the water. As the tub drains, think about the pain going down the drain and out of your life.
Regular hot baths can help you whenever you feel pain, but they can also be used to prevent pain from occurring in the first place. By keeping your mind and your body as relaxed as possible, you will find many more pain-free days on the horizon.
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