Ulcerative Colitis & Hydro Therapy

Hydro therapy can be extremely effective for relieving the pain and discomfort of Ulcerative Colitis symptoms. Though I don't frequent spas, because I cannot afford them, I incorporate hydrotherapy into my regimen in my own bathroom.

One of the least expensive and easiest ways of doing so is by alternating cold and hot water when I shower. I start my shower out cold. I used to dread the first three minutes of my showers, and then I would shun showers altogether because I felt that my body would go into shock each time I did this. So I did an experiment. I would start out the showers hot, and told myself that once I got used to the warmth, I would switch over to cold. However, I would never make the switch. I would become acclimated to the nice warm water and would convince myself that today I would show myself mercy by continuing on with the bliss. After this continued every day for a week, I told myself "Enough is enough! No more long luxurious showers for you!"

My next experiment consisted of trying lukewarm water first and then start alternating. This proved to be the most merciful method on days that I know I just can't handle the initial blast of cold. However, on most days of the year, I do start out with cold water. Not only is this invigorating and helps wake me up better thissets up discipline upon myself for the entire day. When I'm able to withstand ice-cold showers, I find myself making better food choices for the rest of the day. This is especially important for Ulcerative Colitis, because making careless choices for food usually means that we'll suffer for the rest of the day. I also have found that I become more productive; I don't lounge about as much, daydreaming about anything and everything.

Alternating cold and hot showers has done wonders for my circulation! My skin is considerably rosier, and my digestion has gotten better, especially since I have the water pour onto my stomach. Apparently the cold water is supposed to be good for the organs, and the warm water is good for removing toxins, so if you rotate these, you maximize their therapeutic effects. Also, I find that I have better bowel movements when I keep up the cold and hot showers. This makes sense, since my insides are getting a massage and out comes the nasty!