Tip 16. A simple nature cure is the hot footbath.

In this method, the patient should keep his or her legs in a tub or bucket filled with hot water at atemperature of 40ºC to 45ºC. Before taking this bath, a glass of water should be taken and the body should be covered with a blanket so that no heat or vapour escapes from the footbath.

The head should be protected with a cold compress. The duration of the bath is generally from 5 to 20 minutes. The patient should take a cold shower immediately after the bath.

The hot footbath stimulates the involuntary muscles of the uterus, intestines, bladder and other pelvic and abdominal organs. It also relieves sprains and ankle joint pains, headaches caused by cerebral congestion, and colds. In women, it helps restore menstruation, if suspended, by increasing supply of blood especially to the uterus and ovaries.