The effect of hydrotherapy in high blood pressure and heart rate in patients with stroke

Abstract

The systemic arterial hypertension is one of the causes related to the sprouting of cereborvascular accident. The hidrotherapy in warm water has a principle, the reduction of the arterial pressure in patients victim of cerebrovascular accident. The physical activity, associate with the rise of water temperature, may increase the cardiac frequency. Objective. To verify the effect of hydrotherapy on arterial pressure and the cardiac frequency in patients carrying of stroke. Method. Two patients participated in this research, one male and one female, both with 65 years old, with history of cerebrovascular accident, they had never done any type of treatment. They did 24 sessions of hydrotherapy, in warn water 34 degrees centigrade, the cardiac frequency and the arterial pressure were analyzed before and after each session. The therapy was based on exercises of stretching, active exercises, passive exercises and cardio-respiratory conditioning. Results. The patients presented high arterial blood pressure at the beginning of each session and in the end of each therapy, they presented a reduction both systolic and diastolic pressure (4.1% and 10.1% respectively). The cardiac frequency also increased after sessions and during the cardio-respiratory training using face immersion of face. They it had a reduction of cardiac frequency. Discussion. The patients presented a reduction of systolic pressure of 4.1% and pressure diastolic of 10.1%, after all sessions. Cardiac frequency had an increased of 15.3% after the sessions and during a fall of 1%. Conclusion. It was verified that hydrotherapy can bring benefits for both arterial pressure and cardiac frequency.