Hydrotherapy and why it helps myositis

My twice weekly hydrotherapy lessons have been helping my myositis. I thought it was but this was not proved until I had to miss 12 days and started getting more tingling in my arms and legs, upper back pain and general aches and pains again.

I am no doctor or physiotherapist but I have asked the physiotherapists running the classes why hydrotherapy helps myositis and this is what they had to say...

1. It is effective in preventing further atrophy of the muscles
2. It maintains the unaffected muscles you have
3. It strengthens the unaffected muscles you have
4. Relaxes muscles which can often tense up from pain
5. Relieves pain and muscle spasms
6. Increases circulation
7. Increased joint range of movement
8. Helps prevent shortening of the muscles from forming through stretching exercises that are held for 20 seconds or more

All of the above points can be achieved by most forms of exercise but hydrotherapy is particularly effective for the following reasons:

1. Physiotherapists understand water physics, which include buoyancy, drag, depth and pressure, and can prescribe specific movements that can help individual conditions
2. Buoyancy and heat of the water, means exercises, not possible on land, are possible 
3. The water temperature is effective for this therapy when it is kept at 34 to 35.5 degrees celsius

As I said I am not a specialist,  just a person with myositis, but I would suggest you ask your G.P. for a referral to a physiotherapist who understands muscle inflammation. I found mine at my local hospital rheumatological physiotherapy department.

If you have any points you would like to add, or correct, please leave the details in the comments.

Here is a thorough article about exercise for myositis:
Exercise and Physical Therapy Guidelines for People with Myositis by Sherry Backus, MA, PT, Senior Research Physical Therapist, Motion Analysis Laboratory
Hospital for Special Surgery in New York