The sitz bath is an immersion bath with the person seated in a tub with water covering the hips, buttocks, and lower abdomen. It is used to decrease congestion and increase circulation to the pelvis and lower abdominal organs.
Indications: Sitz baths are used to treat vaginal infections, chronic urinary tract infections, pelvic congestion, hemorrhoids, fissures, prostatitis, constipation, and to improve insomnia and reduce the pain of neuralgia.
Contraindications: Do not use alternating sitz baths in persons with hemorrhages, heavy menstrual bleeding, prolapses, acute lung congestion, acute inflammation, painful conditions with spasms or colic, and heart problems.
Directions:
1. Prepare one tub with hot water at 105-110 degrees F so that it comes 1/2 inch above your navel. Do not exceed 120 degrees. This temperature is slightly higher than the average hot tub. You can use baking thermometer to measure the water temp.
2. Have a container by the bathtub which contains ice water and a large towel.
3. Sit in the hot bath for 3-5 minutes.
4. After the 3-5 minutes, stand up in the tub (or out of it if your feet are too hot and wrap the cold towel around you like a diaper. Make sure the towel is touching your skin all the way around from the waist down over the whole pelvis area.
5. Keep the cold towel on for 30 seconds then put it back in the ice container.
6. Sit back down in the tub and repeat the whole process 2 more times. Make sure you end the treatment with the cold towel part!