Hot tubs for back pain – how regular hot tub sessions can ease back pain

By investing in a quality hot tub with advanced hydrotherapy functionality you can support your back pain problems and gain greater levels of health and wellness.

Lower back pain has become an extremely common health problem and, unfortunately, most of us will suffer pain in our backs at some point in our lives. By purchasing a quality hot tub, you can help to support back pain management effectively and possibly eliminate the requirement for pain-killing treatments.

Chronic back pain and sciatica caused by poor posture and sitting for long periods in front of computer screens is already having a major health impact on people of all age groups, but especially those who are over 50, according to figures by the UK Statistics Authority. Experts believe that with an increasingly obese and ageing population, with rates of physical activity continuing to decrease, the number of people with back pain and osteoarthritis will rise even more rapidly during the next ten years.

Latest study

Back pain can strike at any time, but a new study has revealed that generally people were most likely to have sudden lower back pain in the morning.  Any manual duties involving awkward positions were tied to an eight-fold increase in risk for lower back pain, the researchers also found.

One of the new study’s authors, Manuela Ferreira of The George Institute for Global Health at The University of Sydney, Australia has declared that back pain is a ‘worldwide’ health concern and that anti-inflammatory medicine, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), has very limited impact.

Findings of a systematic review by The George Institute for Global Health, published in the last couple of years in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, reveal only one in six patients treated with the NSAIDs achieve any significant reduction in pain.

“Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is commonly managed by prescribing medicines such as anti-inflammatories,” said Manuela, who is Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Bone and Joint Research at the University of Sydney; “But our results show anti-inflammatory drugs actually only provide very limited short term pain relief.

“They do reduce the level of pain, but only very slightly, and arguably not of any clinical significance.

“When you factor in the side effects which are very common, it becomes clear that these drugs are not the answer to providing pain relief to the many millions who suffer from this debilitating condition every year.”

Heat treatment

Associate Professor Christine Lin has reported that it is important to remain as active as possible and avoid bed rest and use heat treatment instead when you have lower back pain. She has been involved in research at the university that has shown that paracetamol, the pain relief medicine that is universally recommended to treat people with acute low back pain, does not speed recovery or reduce pain for this condition.

“In the world’s first large placebo-controlled trial, we have demonstrated that taking paracetamol does not speed recovery or reduce pain compared to placebo,” reported Christine.

“An active approach is probably more important than any therapy you may receive. Heat wraps and heat packs are simple methods that you can use to help with your pain.”

This supports studies published in the British Journal of Rheumatology that have highlighted that people receiving spa therapy treatments showed greater improvement from reduced pain and mobility than those who were treated with only medication. This is because hot tubs can combine heat, buoyancy, and massage treatment all at once.

Modern therapy

Although they didn’t have the sophisticated hot tubs that are available today; the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Japanese cultures understood sitting in warm water had myriad therapeutic powers that included relief from muscle soreness and back pain. Modern heat treatment benefits from hot tub warm water naturally encourage optimum blood flow and this in turn boosts the body’s healing process. See more information on the general hot tub health benefits in our dedicated guide.

Hot tub owner Andrew Theodore is a confirmed advocate of advanced hydrotherapy to ease back pain. As well as helped to gain relief from back pain within a week of purchasing his top-quality hot tub from Canadian manufacturer Coast Spas, which supports and helps fund pioneering arthritis research, he achieved multiple advantages including easing his headaches and joint pain; as well as greater family bonding as an extra bonus.

“I’ve only had my Coast Spas hot tub a week now and not only has it improved my back pain, joint pain, and headaches, it has also strengthened my bond with my wife and children,” enthused Andrew after his hot tub purchase.

Wellness investment

If you are seeking to gain the maximum benefits from your hot tub purchase for back pain and arthritis relief than you need to do your homework thoroughly and draw up a shortlist of options with suitable hydrotherapy jets and comfortable seating configurations.

The key advice, if you are purchasing a hot tub for advanced hydrotherapy and greater wellness, is invest wisely. Hot tubs range from very simple ‘entry level’ models that are designed mostly for warm water socialising and family leisure fun to more advanced ‘luxury’ designs with state-of-the-art hydrotherapy functionality. There are also a wide range of ‘mid-range’ options that provide good levels of hydrotherapy capability within specific seating configurations.

Although it is wise to use websites for research, if you are seeking to gain top quality hydrotherapy to ease your back pain then we would strongly advise against purchasing a hot tub from a faceless ‘web shop’ and instead seek out WhatSpa? Approved hot tub showrooms who have a wide range of options that you can sit in and wet test before purchasing.

To allow you to stretch your budget for maximum expenditure capability and ensure greater choice, many dealers offer finance options ranging from a few years ‘interest free’ to a major finance scheme investment spanning up to ten years. By purchasing one of the WhaSpa? Approved best hot tubs you will also have extra peace of mind that the model should be covered during the lifetime of the finance agreement.

Jet counting

Most above ground hot tubs generally incorporate between 20 and 100 jets. These are targeted at various parts of your body, including the legs, back and shoulders to help tackle muscle fatigue, soreness and general aches and pains. It is important to remember, though, that when it comes to jets for easing back pain it is all about quality, rather than quantity.

Just because a hot tub has 85 jets this doesn’t mean that it provides the best hydrotherapy solution for your body shape and wellness requirements. Optimisation of the jet technology within the hot tub is the main requirement you should be researching during your purchasing considerations.

Generally, the best advice if you are suffering from chronic pain is to seek out a hot tub that provides a specific and focused hydrotherapy massage capability with fewer, more powerful targeted jets that target your troublesome body areas, such as your lower back, shoulders and neck.

Seating consideration

Hot tubs are produced to meet a wide range of seating requirements, from indulgent single-seater models to the larger eight-seater varieties that are suitable for family gatherings and socialising with friends. If pain relief is your primary concern, don’t compromise on day-to-day massage therapy to cater for the odd occasion when your extended family will pop in for a dip in the hot tub.

As with the expert advice when it comes to jet count, the quality and comfort of the seating design is the most important factor when it comes to achieving optimum hydrotherapy. There is no point purchasing a hot tub with the most advanced jets and hydrotherapy functionality if you can’t sit comfortably in the seats and the jets don’t match up to the specific body parts that you are seeking to gain pain relief; including your spine and lower back.

Many leading hot tub manufacturers have produced hot tubs that can be easily transported through gates and doorways and accommodated into small garden spaces, but these are not suitable for a tall person who requires deep seating designs to accommodate their body shape.

Likewise, if you have a small body there is no point splashing out on a huge hot tub that has been designed to accommodate larger body shapes. It is important to visit your local professional showroom dealers to sit in dry display models and then wet test those that you find are suitable for your body and have the correct jets configured in the seat for your hydrotherapy requirements.

Showroom satisfaction

By visiting a showroom and wet testing a hot tub before purchasing you will eliminate the problems with poorly manufactured models sourced online from ‘faceless’ web sites that can lead to stress and an increased level of muscular and back pain. A quality hot tub purchase from a WhatSpa? Approved showroom supplier should negate this completely.

By choosing a reputable brand with advanced hydrotherapy from a showroom, where you have had a comprehensive consultation and opportunity to wet test the model before completing and payment or finance paperwork, you should quickly achieve the wellness benefits from high levels of hydrotherapy.

It is important to maximise the potential of your hot tub by having it installed by a professional dealership who can advise you on how you can safely enter and exit the hot tub without causing injuries or increased levels of back pain by purchasing dedicated steps with handles, if required, or having it semi-sunk or fully sunk within a decking area that has easy access. Some hot tubs may be supplied with standard steps within the purchase cost, but you may require more expensive steps or raised grab bars if you have specific mobility requirements.

As part of this purchasing and hot tub installation consultation process with your showroom dealer you should discuss cover lifter options. Hot tub covers can be quite heavy to lift off so if this is going to cause you difficulties you should ensure that you have a quality automatic cover system or hydraulic cover lifter fitted. This is especially important if you are contemplating a solo soak and want to avoid doing any further damage to your back or other muscles during the cover lifting process.

Regular dose

To maintain the benefits of your back pain-busting hydrotherapy and to gain the best possible return on investment from your hot tub you need to be able to use it conveniently on a regular basis.

Only top quality hot tubs from respected dealerships will provide you with guaranteed reliability so that you can use them every single day, and when you choose, without worries of technical problems hindering your hydrotherapy session.

By using your hot tub regularly, you should gain an improved wellness level that should ensure better capability for your body to recover from any further aches and pains in the future. Others have already taken this plunge to support back health wellness. Now it’s your turn. We know you will look back on this decision and wish you had done it sooner!