Last updated July 31, 2025
The use of water as a therapeutic tool is likely as old as humanity itself. In fact, its curative use can be traced back to the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Chinese civilizations. If these great empires recognized the healing powers of water, there certainly must be a reason why hydrotherapy is good for you.
Since those early beginnings, various forms of hydrotherapy have been practiced. And it continues to be a core element of holistic and alternative medicine. The goal is simple: to ease both physical and mental symptoms of stress through the use of hot and cold water stimuli.
Cold water is used to stimulate and invigorate, whereas warm water is used to calm and soothe. Alternating between hot and cold water treatments can help release endorphins, ease muscle stress, and alleviate pain and inflammation.
Healing Powers of Water
Water has always been an attraction for me. The sea, a lake, even my neighbor’s swimming pool. I learned to swim at age four. Being in the water has been a regular self-care essential.
Completely surrounded by water is a welcome moment of solace. Sounds are muffled. Bubbles float around me. As I slowly let my body rise to the surface, I feel relaxed and renewed.
When in doubt, take a bath.
Mae West
Over time, the restorative powers of water have proven that they can eliminate work stress, reduce the effects of long flights and most importantly, cheer me up.
Water is the panacea I need. Each time I immerse myself in water, I learn about the health benefits of hydrotherapy beyond my daily swim.
Healing Benefits of Hydrotherapy Over Time
Hydrotherapy may seem like a newfangled treatment to add to your wellness checklist, but ancient empires were already hip to the therapeutic use of water.
The Egyptians were lovers of the bath, infusing essential oils and flowers in their luxe ablutions. So fixated on the need to feel clean, their elite class would bathe up to four times a day.
The creature-comfort-loving Romans also adored their baths, constructing public and private bathhouses (which were called thermae) throughout their empire’s cities.
Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.
Slovakian proverb
In 60 CE, Roman conquerors installed baths and a temple in the town of Aquae Sulis (translated as the waters of Sulis) after discovering hot springs in the far western edges of their empire (southwestern England).
As the waters were once again anointed as curative in the 1700s, the English city of Bath was rejuvenated, attracting those seeking the healing waters as a remedy for all kinds of ailments.
Today, Bath is an established spa destination. Thanks to its three main natural hot springs, 250,000 gallons of water flow daily.
Hydrotherapy Is Good for You
The use of water is growing in popularity, with hydro circuits and thalassotherapy welcome inclusions in a wellness agenda. Whether in hot tubs or hot springs, hydrotherapy has the ability to calm and soothe.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, hydrotherapy has gained followers because of its use to reduce muscle pain, relieve joint stiffness and heal bruises. It has become another option in the treatment of a variety of diseases such as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis.
Hydrotherapy can be paired with low-impact aquatic activity or as a post-activity treatment for those recovering from injury or beginning a new workout regime.
At Euphoria Retreat in Mystras, Greece, guests are comforted and restored with holistic treatments routinely including hydrotherapy.
Euphoria offers a 25-minute personal bathing experience, which is a sequence of underwater jets combined with a customized selection of essential oils to relax, energize or detox.
“Because of its therapeutic effect on the body, hydrotherapy is highly recommended to all our guests,” explains spa manager Eleni Tsakistou.
She also recommends the signature Multi-Sensory Experience. This immersive sensation works beautifully on your body, mind, skin and psyche. Guests undergo a sequence—Vichy shower, mud mask, aromatherapy, color therapy, massage, steam and silence—to eliminate stress and infuse serenity.
Why Water Works
Without fail, I take advantage of a whirlpool before a spa treatment. On a trip to Mexico, I found the ultimate relaxation courtesy of my first experience with a hydrotherapy water circuit.
Wanting to treat myself to a manicure, I confirmed my time at the spa. The receptionist then asked me to arrive a minimum of an hour and a half before my appointment.
Why would I need to be that early? I was happily informed that the relaxation treatment was included with all spa appointments. I was told to bring my swimsuit as well.
Quickly ushered into the women’s change room after arrival, I slipped into my swimsuit, sandals and robe. I could hear the gentle waves from the ocean and an occasional chirp or two from birds—a calming soundtrack.
A Hydrotherapy Circuit Like No Other
The attendant gestured for me to hang my robe next to a lounge chair. From there, I proceeded slowly down the stairs into a pool, following the curve of the pool to begin the circuit.
As I descended, I could feel jets of warm and cool water shooting toward my legs. I didn’t anticipate the jets below my feet, though, each pulse hitting a reflexology point from my toes to my heel. The process rapidly draining the stress from my body.
At the next station of the circuit, I was directed to stand below large curved silver spouts lining the edge of the pool. A steady sheet of water targeted my head, neck, shoulders and back. The steady pressure leaving me in a blissful state.
I moved on, sinking below the water’s surface to access jets pulsing from the side of the pool, positioning myself to direct them toward my knee, thigh and lower back.
The next station was cool water—a quick plunge under an icy shower stream to cool the body but also boost my circulation and lymphatic systems.
The spa attendant waved me over to the side. She offered me a tall glass of cucumber-infused chilled water and slices of pineapple and mango before inviting me to lie down on a curved lounge chair just below the water’s surface.
Tiny jets pulsed along the meridians of my body, while my mind wandered, feeling the warmth of the sun and the gentle motion of the warm pool water bubbling around me. I was definitely in the zone of solitude.
The Joy of Hydrotherapy
I don’t remember the details of my manicure. However, the effects of the hydrotherapy lasted the rest of the day. It also guided me into a sweet slumber that night.
Hydrotherapy became my obsession. From a five-star hotel in Versailles, France, to a laid-back resort in the Florida Keys, to a remote outdoor spa in the Villarrica region of central Chile, each hydrotherapy session has left me blessed by the powers of water.
Snapshot Summary
Hydrotherapy is good for you, offering ancient healing wisdom that modern wellness travelers crave. From Egyptian luxury baths to Roman thermae, water therapy has soothed minds and bodies for millennia. Hot water calms while cold water invigorates, releasing endorphins and reducing muscle pain. Today’s spa circuits combine jets, temperature contrasts, and aromatherapy to treat conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. This therapeutic practice transforms stress into serenity, making every wellness journey more restorative and rejuvenating.
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