The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [144]
During a cold sitz or a prolonged tepid sitz, the bather’s body should always be covered with a flannel sheet and/or blanket, or rubbed with an attendant’s hands or a coarse towel to prevent chilling, and the feet are to be kept warm either by the hot foot bath (104° to 110° F.) or by hot towels wrung out and placed around the feet and legs.
The materials needed for a sitz bath
• A washtub (two tubs when doing an alternate hot and cold sitz)
• A foot tub or simple dishpan
• Towels and washcloths
• Flannel sheet and/or blanket to cover the bather
• Hot water and cold water
• A bath thermometer
The process
1. Assemble above materials.
2. Place towels on bottom, back, sides, and front of tub.
3. Fill sitz tub and foot tub with appropriate temperature and appropriate amount of water.
In general
• If it is to be a hot sitz, use 106° to 110° F. water with a 110° to 112° F. foot bath. Include enough water so level is about 1/2″ above the navel.
• Bathe for a 3 to 8 minute duration.
• If it is to be a cold sitz, use 55° to 75° F. water with a 105° to 110° F. foot bath.
• Include enough water so level is about 1/2″ below the navel.
• Bathe for a 3 to 8 minute duration.
• If it is to be a neutral sitz, use 92° to 97° F. water with a 105° to 110° F. foot bath.
• Include enough water so level is to the navel.
• Bathe from 1/4 to 2 hours duration.
• For an alternate hot and cold sitz, use the above temperatures.
• Bathe 2 to 5 minutes hot, 20 to 60 seconds cold. These can be repeated as desired.
• Always start with hot and end with cold.
• Assist disrobed bather in and out of tub, making sure she or he is comfortable.
• It is very important to prevent chilling of the bather. Cover her or him with a flannel sheet and/or a blanket if necessary.
• While the bather is in a hot bath, apply cold compresses or ice bag to head and back of neck to prevent cerebral congestion.
• Finish a hot sitz bath by pouring cold water over all the parts that were submerged in the hot water.
• Finish a hot foot bath by pouring cold water over the feet.
• Assist bather out of the sitz tub and dry with towels.
• Have bather lie down for at least a half hour.
INDICATIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR SITZ BATHS
There are certain indications and contraindications for using this water tool. Basically, the indications for the cold sitz are the same as the contraindication for the hot sitz and vice versa. Contraindications for the alternate sitz are a combination of the contraindications for both the hot and cold sitz.
Hot sitz indications: painful spasm; acute abdominal pain; intestinal pain; or painful inflammation of kidneys (a serious condition, needs medical diagnosis); uterine pain; throbbing or stabbing nerve pain from the ovaries, testicles, or intestines; sciatica; lumbago; suppressed menses; painful hemorrhoids; congestive headache.
Hot sitz contraindications: hemorrhage; excessively profuse menstruation; pelvic congestion; atonic conditions or prolapsed organs.
Cold sitz indications: incontinence; constipation; benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and any incontinence due to BPH; prolapsed uterus; herniated bladder; herniated rectum; excessively profuse menstruation.
Cold sitz contraindications: acute inflammation; any painful conditions; spasms; colic; acute lung condition; and heart problems.
Alternating hot and cold sitz indications: pelvic congestion; congestive headache; prostatitis; vaginal infection; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID, a serious condition, needs medical diagnosis); chronic urinary tract infections; improving nerve pain (neuralgias); insomnia; hemorrhoids; fissures; postpartum constipation.
Alternating hot and cold sitz contraindications: see contraindications under both hot and cold sitz.
Neutral sitz indications: acute urinary tract infection (never employ a hot or cold sitz for this acute condition); intense itching of anus or vulva; to calm mental or emotional overexcitement or sexual overexcitement (that sounds like an oxymoron to me).
QUICK COLD