Circulatory Whip Yourself Into Shape

1. Play hard 2. Work hard 3. Get a massage.

A client came to me complaining of early carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms: occasional tingling of some of his fingers, loss of grip strength, and hypertoned forearm muscles. As a carpenter, rock climber, and downhill mountain biker, his hands are used vigorously for both work and play. With both income and enjoyment on the line, I encouraged him to integrate a contrast arm bath regime to supplement the massage therapy I was providing.

The results were profound. With daily alternating hot and cold arm baths for a week, he felt that the hydrotherapy was perhaps even more effective than the semi-regular massage treatments he was receiving for his arms and shoulder girdle.

Hydrotherapy affects the blood & lymphatic circulation.

Benefits:
Contrast limb bathing can be used to prevent and treat repetitive strain injuries, and clear congestion in areas of chronic edema by aiding venous return. This type of hydrotherapy provides a circulatory whip by harnessing the power of contrasting temperatures to alternately move blood and lymphatics to and from the limbs, clearing metabolites (wastes created by cells) from the tissues. The resulting sensations in the limbs is tingly and  invigorating.

Conditions that may be treated:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis and golf elbow
• Chronic inflammation after fracture or sprain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Aching tired feet.

What you will need:

• Two vessels large enough to submerge both forearms or ankles, as deeply as possible, ideally 2-3 inches above the joint, such as double kitchen sinks or plastic wash bins.
• Ice water
• Warm/hot water
• Towel for drying

Stagnation of circulation decreases tissue health.

How to do it:

1. Fill one basin with very warm tap water (about the tempurature of what you'd consider a hot bath)
2. Fill the other basin with cold tap water. Eventually, after a few sessions of building tolerance to the cold, adding ice cubes.
3. Plunge the limbs to be treated into the hot water for 30 seconds (or until it starts to feel nice).
4. Immediately dunk arms into cold water for 60 seconds (or until it feels like your bones are aching),  hooting & hollering as much as needed. 
5. Repeat three times, ending on cold.
6. Pat your skin dry and enjoy the invigorating sensations as your body normalizes its circulation.
7. Depending on the severity of your condition, repeat 1-5 times per week.

These times are approximate, but the cold plunge should always be twice as long as the warm plunge. With repeated treatment, you will gain a tolerance to the temperatures and require longer soaks and/or greater temperature differences to achieve outcomes.

Limb contrasting is generally very safe, and what risk is present may be avoided with common sense; don't burn yourself with the heat or ice. Please be advised that contrast hydrotherapy is not appropriate for individuals with sensory impairments, obstructive vascular pathologies, or nervous system disorders where stimulation may aggravate symptoms. If you aren't certain, please check with your primary health care provider.

Happy dunking!
Dana