What Is Hydrotherapy?

Water is used for various health purposes, providing essential benefits to your body inside and out. You know that staying hydrated is good for you, but did you also know that water serves therapeutic purposes?

Hydrotherapy is a rising trend among wellness enthusiasts, and you’ve probably seen everyone, from fitness influencers to your coworkers, hyping the unbeatable advantages of this serene healing experience. You might be surprised to learn that it’s far from a new practice.

Medical practitioners have used water to treat ailments and injuries since the beginning of written history. However, only in the past few decades have researchers and medical experts started uncovering the evidence-based benefits of hydrotherapy treatment (1). Whether you soak in our hot spring or the cold plunge, WorldSprings mineral waters provide an elevated, restorative spa experience.

So, what is hydrotherapy, and what can it do for you? This guide uncovers how hydrotherapy can help contribute to your overall well-being.

What Is Hydrotherapy?

Hydrotherapy, water therapy, and aquatic therapy all refer to using water or pools for therapeutic purposes, addressing pain, injuries, health conditions, or stress.

Hydrotherapy is a broad category and may involve hot or cold temperatures, pressurized jets or natural pools, or special locations or equipment. Even a warm bath can be considered hydrotherapy!

In specialized settings, hydrotherapy treatments are highly controlled to provide specific advantages. The most common uses for hydrotherapy involve relieving uncomfortable symptoms, such as:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Muscle tension

For most people, it’s a relaxing, low-risk way to soothe discomfort, whether it’s acute or chronic.

The Benefits of Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy treatment offers many potential benefits, depending on the temperature and mineral water content. Here are a few ways unwinding with a relaxing soak can contribute to your well-being:

1. Easing Pain

Pain relief and pain management are common uses for hydrotherapy, especially when sore or tense muscles and joints cause the discomfort. The buoyancy of the water supports the body, reduces the effects of gravity, and improves blood flow, which can help relax the muscles and relieve joint pain (2).

2. Improving Mental Health

Taking a soak in a mineral hot spring is a great way to relax your body and mind. As the waters ease pressure on tense areas, it also has a calming effect. Warm water and rhythmic movements have the ability to soothe nerves, improve mood, and help with anxiety and depression (3).

3. Boosting Immunity

Cold weather weakens your immune system, while the soothing heat of a hot spring has the opposite effect. Hot springs can provide an immunity boost through nutrient-rich water and soothing warmth that open up your blood vessels and improve circulation, delivering oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body (2).

4. Promoting Recovery

Many athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and runners frequent hot springs, cold plunges, and saunas post-workout, and for good reason. Both ends of the temperature spectrum are excellent for muscle recovery — warmth can help decrease inflammation and muscle pain, while cold water slows blood flow to ease soreness and swelling (2), helping reduce the risk of future discomfort and injuries. Some may even benefit from alternating between hot and cold pools.

5. Enhancing Sleep

If you’re not getting enough quality sleep at night or have trouble falling asleep in the first place, hydrotherapy might improve your chances of better rest. A warm, soothing soak encourages relaxation and helps reduce pain and discomfort, making it easier to drift to sleep at night.

6. Supporting Skin Health

The skin needs a variety of minerals to stay healthy, and soaking in mineral water is an excellent way to absorb nutrients while boosting hydration and reducing inflammation. Each mineral type provides unique benefits. For example, the sodium in saltwater pools like our Dead Sea pool can open your pores, gently exfoliate dead skin cells, and dry out the bacteria that cause inflammation and acne (4).

Different Types of Hydrotherapy at WorldSprings

The best form of hydrotherapy for you will depend on your symptoms and goals. At WorldSprings, finding the right pool to suit your needs is easy. Our globally inspired regions feature pools of varying temperatures and mineral content, each with unique benefits. From mineral hot springs to cold plunges and freshwater pools, there’s something for everyone. If you want an option that aids muscle recovery, soothes the nerves, or balances electrolytes, visit the magnesium-rich pools in our Australia & Bali, Japan & Korea, Dead Sea, and Guatemala & Mexico regions.

Learn more about our waters and experience the rejuvenating properties of our pools at WorldSprings.

1. (May 23, 2022). Hydrotherapy. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23137-hydrotherapy

2. Andonian, N. (November 23, 2023). The Surprising Benefits of Hydrotherapy. GoodRx. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/alternative-treatments/hydrotherapy-types-treatments-benefit

3. Rapaport, L. (October 10, 2024). What Is Hydrotherapy: Benefits, Risks, and Techniques. Everyday Health. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/hydrotherapy/.

4. Tabin, E. (September 18, 2023). Does Salt Water Help Acne? We Ask Dermatologists. InStyle. Retrieved March 27, 2025, from https://www.instyle.com/does-salt-water-help-acne-7966090