What is the history behind it?
Hydrotherapy has been used throughout history by many diverse cultures. Even the Old Testament mentions the healing powers of mineral waters. By the time of the ancient Greeks, the use of water as a healing agent was well-established. The early Roman and Turkish baths are still popular tourist attractions today.
The modern use of hydrotherapy is linked to Vincent Preissnitz, who established the "Graefenberg cure" in the 1800s for treating almost every ailment. This treatment involved the use of water in every conceivable way, often alternating between hot and cold water.
Traditional Native American healing uses sweat lodges as a type of remedy. Sweating is thought to be a form of cleansing that purges poisons from the body. This belief is similar to the Scandinavians' use of saunas. Several of the springs first used by Native Americans have been converted into resorts and remain popular today. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's use of one such spring brought worldwide attention to the use of hydrotherapy.