Cold Hip Bath

Requisites: Hip bath tub, a moderately coarse cloth (the size of a handkerchief).
Water Temperature: 18–24°C.
Duration: 15 minutes, unless otherwise indicated.
Procedure: The tub should be filled with cold water enough to cover the hips and reaching up to the navel of the patient when he sits in it. Generally four to six gallons of water are necessary. If the patient feels chill or when the climate is very cold or if the patient is very weak, a hot foot bath should be given along with the cold hip bath. The patient should gently rub the abdomen around the navel in clockwise direction with a coarse cloth. This should be continued during the entire period of the bath. It is important that the legs, feet and the upper part of the body should be thoroughly dry and should not get wet during and after the bath. Wear shoes before entering the bath. After the cold hip bath, the patient should undertake moderate exercise like brisk walking, yogasanas, suryanamaskaras etc. If he is very weak, he should lie down in bed covering a blanket.
Uses: A cold hip bath is a routine treatment for almost all diseases. The treatment is meant to relieve constipation, indigestion, and obesity and to help the eliminative organs to function properly. This bath is also helpful in sub involution of the uterus, inflammation of the pelvic organs, piles, hepatic and splenic congestion, urinary incontinence in young children, chronic uterine infections, chronic congestion of the prostate, seminal weakness, atony of bladder in both sexes, impotency, sterility, dilation of the stomach and colon.
Contra–indications: Avoid in cases of inflammation and neuralgias of pelvic and abdominal organs and in painful contractions of the bladder, rectum or vagina, low back pain and during menstrual period, diarrhea, dysentery and fever.