J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2005 Dec;29(6):647-653.

Hemodynamic Change after Half Body Bathing in Patients with Cardiovascular Risk Factor

• Rhee WI
• Seong NS
• Kim GW

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Nowadays half body bathing (H-bath) became popular with increasing interests of health and well-being. H-bath is expected to be beneficial and safe as well as conventional whole body bathing (W-bath). However, there has been no formal report on the safety and effectiveness of H-bath. Therefore, this study tried to evaluate and compare the cardiovascular response during H-bath and W-bath in patients with or without cardiovascular disease. METHOD: 17 subjects with at least one cardiovascular risk factor and 15 subjects without any cardiovascular risk factor took H-bath while 22 healthy control group without any cardiovascular risk factor took W-bath. Changes of skin and oral temperature as well as hemodynamic responses (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate) were measured. RESULTS: Increasing of systolic blood pressure and heart rate in H-bath was statistically lowered compared to W-bath as time goes by in bathing (p<0.05). There were no significant difference in patients with and without cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: Heart rate, temperature, systolic blood pressure showed a more gradual increase during H-bath than during W-bath. We propose that H-bath could be a more safe and compliant method of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Keyword

Half body bathing; Cardiac rehabilitation; Systemic thermal therapy

MeSH Terms

Baths*
Blood Pressure
Cardiovascular Diseases
Heart
Heart Rate
Hemodynamics*
Humans
Rehabilitation
Risk Factors*
Skin