August 5, 2015

Hot tub jet massage is a pain solution for world surf kayak champion. 

Tracy Sherrington, a two-time world surf kayak champion from Scotland whose old injuries caught up with her and left her in crippling pain, has found relief in her hot tub.

Sherrington started winning championships in the 1990s, when she was a skiing instructor, a kayak coach for whitewater, surf, and sea, and a surf kayaking competitor. She suffered injuries in a skiing accident in 1996 and a car accident in 1999 but went on to win world championships in Santa Cruz, Calif., in 2001 and Basque Country, on the Atlantic between France and Spain, in 2007. Sherrington told kayaksurf.net that here coaching kept her connected to the sport as she played through the pain of injuries.

When the excruciating headaches, neck, back, and pelvis, and nerve pain her legs, hands, feet, and face became overwhelming, Sherrington turned to hydrotherapy as an alternative to prescribed pain medication.

“I had read about hydrotherapy really helping people with sports injuries so I wanted to get a tub with strong jets which could be adjusted to the individual areas which needed massaging,” Sherrington said in a release by Highland Home Centre in Scotland, where she bought the tub. “Within weeks of the tub arriving, my osteopath was surprised at the increase in movement, and, for the first time in a long time, I can see a light beginning to flicker at the end of the tunnel.”

Research explains why soaking sessions provide relief, said Jane Tadman of Arthritis Research UK. “Scientific studies have shown that hydrotherapy can improve strength and flexibility of the affected joints whilst also ensuring general fitness levels are maintained for those living with various types of arthritis,” she said. “In general, hydrotherapy is one of the safest treatments for arthritis and back pain.”

David Jenkins, a sports therapist from Sports Therapy Scotland, said athletes especially benefit from the practice. “Hydrotherapy is a great way to enhance movement after sports injuries,” he said. “The water protects limbs whilst they are healing. Rehabilitation in water enables the brain to connect again to the muscles and learn how to move properly – without causing any further injury or pain. Athletes are able to progress from hardly walking to running in water, to eventually exercising again on dry land.”

For Sherrington, the hot tub is serious relaxation. “It gives me amazing relief so it’s not just a fun addition to the garden,” she said. “It’s my rehabilitation studio!”

If you’ve got pain from injuries, arthritis or other joint and muscle illness, talk to your doctor about using a hot tub for pain relief. Then come to Olympic Hot Tub. We’ve been providing pain solutions for 38 years. ‘lWe’ll help you create your own “rehabilitation studio.” 

As the Romans said it, Sanum per Aqua. Health through water.

More on pain solutions:

Aches & Pains? A Hot Tub Can Help

Tax deduction for the hot tub you purchased last year?

Can a Hot Tub Help with Chronic Lyme Disease?