Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy, external application of water for therapeutic purposes. The body or any of its parts may be immersed in water or water may be applied to the surface with or without the intermediary of absorbent materials. In partial baths, water may be applied by immersion, pouring, or compress to a small area of the body. For an eye wash, a hemispherical container filled to the brim with water is applied to the open eye, and as the head is tilted, the water bathes the corneal surface. The ear may be washed with a stream of water applied with a rubber bulb or syringe, usually to dislodge ear wax from the canal. The nasal passages may be bathed by sniffing water from the cupped hands, and the mouth may be washed by rinsing or irrigation.