Purchasing a hot tub can seem like an opportunity for fun and socializing opportunities. But hot tubs offer many health benefits for anyone with chronic pain, arthritis, or sore muscles and joints. These therapeutic properties can add to muscle recovery and healing. This expands the many reasons why people invest in hot tubs.
Therapy Through Hydrotherapy
Treating sore muscles and joints with the water-based techniques of hydrotherapy has been used throughout history. In clinical settings, physiotherapists use hydrotherapy to treat patients with arthritis and injuries. The same principles of using buoyancy, heat, and massage from water jets can be used at home. Buoyancy lifts the weight of the body, the warm water eases tense muscles and increases circulation, and the jets massage muscles and joints allowing them to relax and alleviating pain.
Healing Sore or Strained Muscles with Your Hot Tub
The hot, moving water helps muscles by increasing blood circulation. The warmth causes your veins and arteries to dilate causing the blood to flow more freely. This creates a situation called “lactate reduction” where the blood is able to cleanse the body of toxins that cause fatigue. Another benefit is that nutrients and endorphins are more efficiently distributed throughout the body, especially to muscles that have been stressed and sore.
Basics of Lactic Acid
When muscles are strained, it is the lactic acid that is released into the muscle that makes them ache. During normal muscle use, it gives us the energy to perform daily activities. However, when muscles are pushed beyond their capacity, the lactic acid can build up when you return to a resting state. The increase in lactic acid causes muscle fatigue and soreness. When you stop moving and rest, your circulation also decreases. This means that it will take time for the lactic acid to be flushed out of your system. By using the heavy and massage of a hot tub, your circulation will increase and help improve muscle fatigue and stiffness by removing the lactic acid from the muscles.
Hot Tubs and Muscle Recovery
Another benefit is the massage you get from the hot tub jets. While the heat improves circulation, the jets can gently massage sore and aching muscles. Also, it's more convenient than going to a massage therapist. When there is a hot tub in your back yard or deck, it’s very easy to benefit from the daily benefits of massage you can get from a hot tub.
Resolving Muscle Tension
When muscles contract, you’ll experience stiffness and pain, especially in the back. This muscle tension can be created by a variety of factors such as stress and overworking the muscles. As mentioned, this feeling of stiffness and soreness is the result of the build-up of toxins and the reduction of circulation. Using your hot tub will increase blood flow and gently massage the affected areas.
At Love’s Hot Tubs, we understand the therapeutic value of hot tubs for people with sore muscles, arthritis, and stiff joints. As a family-owned business with more than 22-year experience, we offer new and refurbished hot tubs designed to meet a variety of needs. Contact us to begin the journey to better health with a hot tub today!