I wrote on the home page about paraffin spas and the importance of such therapy for my arthritic hands. Let me say here that I have severe osteoarthritis in my hands. Very painful and debilitating joint degeneration that controls my hand mobility. My physical therapy treatment is aimed at mobility and not at strength building. Were I to try to build strength in my hands and wrists, I would do further damage.
But I believe the products and therapies recommended for my treatment can be the building blocks for anyone whose hands are painful. I am not a physical therapist -- not trained medically in any way -- yet I must contend with debilitating effects of arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other medical conditions on a daily basis.
There is no cure for arthritis. Yet many of us can find some relief.
There are ways to live with the disease. For me, when the pain of arthritis is held in check, the fibromyalgia muscle soreness is more bearable. Not cured, unfortunately, but certainly less severe.
Paraffin Spa Treatments
I was taught to dip my hands, in a slightly cupped position, one at a time. Each hand went into the wax 10 times. I waited until the wax went from shiny to opaque before dipping again. Once I dipped 10 times, I paused for about a couple minutes to allow the wax to become translucent, then the hand is loosely wrapped in plastic grocery bag and secured with a VERY loose single knot. Then my hand is placed in the middle of a bath towel which is wrapped around my hand very securely. I did this to both hands. When each hand is wrapped, then the treatment begins. I sat with the paraffin on my hands for twenty (20) minutes. Then unwrapped the towels, shed the bags, and removed the paraffin directly back into the bath.
The next step is very important. It's called "milking" the hands according to my PT. My husband helps with this as it is a type of massage. I put a boatload of lotion on my hands, then the object is to massage the hand to the elbow by starting at the tip of each finger and gently stroking to the elbow -- like milking a cow, get it? This goes on for ten minutes.
A paraffin wax treatment is not a five-minute quick fix deal. That is one thing to understand. It is a life-habit. I use my half-hour of treatment as a meditation time... not much else to do when my hands are encased in hot wax (around 128 degrees is the optimal temperature).
A paraffin wax treatment would feel marvelous to anyone! The trick is sitting still but it is worth the time. My friend is a landscaper and she uses the paraffin treatment every day during her busiest seasons. It would be beneficial to anyone who uses a keyboard, or an artist... perhaps a baker?
People with fibromyalgia would benefit from such treatments. While hands are not "trigger points" they are indeed, like feet, the foundation of bodies. When our shoulders ache, our hands are affected. I believe fibro patients, like myself, need to try paraffin wax treatments.
NOTE: feet and ankles can also benefit from the paraffin spa. That's one reason I am grateful for a paraffin spa large enough to treat my feet and ankles. It is heavenly!