You’ve probably never heard of a sitz bath. But…

Do you believe in the power of water to heal? If water does have the power to heal, would you try it?

This kind of bath use dates back from the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations with Hippocrates prescribing bathing in spring water as treatment for illnesses.

This is a European tradition for both wellness and relaxation. People have been wise to see the power of water to heal.

The word ‘sitz’ was derived from the German verb ‘sitzen’, meaning to sit. It is a form of hydrotherapy that makes use of water to soothe pain, swelling and treat different kinds of diseases. It is also called a hip bath because only the hips and buttocks are soaked in water or saline solution.

It comes in two forms – warm and cold baths. Yes, some like it hot, some like it cold! Warm and cold baths have different therapeutic effects. To reduce swelling and promote blood circulation, a warm bath is done.

A warm bath is one of the easiest and most popular treatments to relieve pain and swelling caused by hemorrhoids. This is usually advised by doctors for mild to moderate cases of hemorrhoids as a relief measure at home.

The logic behind its ability to relieve pain and swelling is that heat promotes blood circulation. Blood circulation promotes oxygenation of tissues, thereby relieving pain. Swelling is reduced when the trapped blood is mobilized by heat, therefore promoting blood circulation.

When doing a sitz bath at home, fill the tub with warm water to a height just enough to immerse your hips down while on sitting position. Check first the water temperature before sitting in the tub. You may add Epsom salt to your bath to hasten healing.

Now sit in the tub and do this for about 15 to 20 minutes. You may need to refill the tub with a fresh batch of warm water to maintain the right temperature of the water until the 20 minutes is complete.

If 20 minutes is up, stand up slowly to avoid falling down due to dizziness. Do not forget to pat dry the rectal area. Use a soft cotton towel to dry the rectal area and use gentle patting strokes when drying to avoid irritating the affected skin.

When doing this kind of bath, do not forget to apply safety measures to avoid accidents and complications. Here are some safety measures you must can note:

• use a bath mat beside the tub to avoid slipping when going in and out of the tub;
• do not soak for more than 30 minutes per day;
• make sure you are hydrated before the bath.

Although using sitz bath for hemorrhoid treatment is usually effective, it is not the only means to an end – meaning in order to treat your mild to moderate case of hemorrhoid, sitz bath alone cannot do this. If you want to heal faster, you also have to incorporate conservative management such as lifestyle modifications and practice basic prevention.