The Kneipp method is a holistic discipline useful for improving circulation and fighting stress, sleep disorders and varicose veins. Let’s find out better.

• What is the  Kneipp method
• How does it work?
• Benefits of the Kneipp method
• For whom the Kneipp method is meant 
• Where to do the Kneipp path
• Associations and reference bodies

What is the Kneipp Method?

The Kneipp method developed in the first half of the 19th century thanks to the German parish priest Sebastian Kneipp . It is an integrated doctrine of health based on naturopathy , which considers body, soul and spirit as a single complex entity .

The goal of this method is to strengthen the organism, activating the body’s self-healing energies , in order to calm any ailments or prevent diseases: the parish priest Kneipp, father of hydrotherapy, a man of poor health, began by studying the methods to heal yourself through cold water therapies, immersing yourself in the waters of the Danube River.

The Kneipp method today considers five fundamental therapeutic pillars to maintain and promote good health:

• Hydrotherapy ;
• phytotherapy ;
• nutrition therapy ;
• movement therapy ;
• order therapy , or lifestyle.

Kneipp had thoroughly studied the importance of movement with respect to the general health of the individual and used to repeat: ” inertia weakens, exercise strengthens, overexertion harms “.

How does it work?

The parameters that govern the Kneipp method are illustrated in the book ” My water cure “ of 1886, a meeting between hydrotherapy and the principles of phytotherapy. In this text, Father Sebastian Kneipp explains in detail the benefits of hydrotherapy, a therapeutic system based on the rhythmic alternation between hot and cold water .

The range of applications of the Kneipp method is very wide and includes:

• Jets;
• clutches ;
• bandages,
• baths at increasing, decreasing, neutral temperatures (between 36.7 ° and 37.2 °);
• full and partial baths (the sitz bath, sitting bath , foot baths, arm baths).

Other forms applicable to this method of treatment are sweat baths (Russian, Turkish, cabin bath), showers, the effectiveness of which lies both in the temperature of the water and in the pressure of the jet.

The basic path of the Kneipp method is not based only on hydrotherapy, but is also built with indications that contemplate

1. Physical activity (gymnastics, swimming, cycling, running);
2. Nutrition (balanced diet, rich in fiber, fresh and healthy food),
3. Herbs and medicinal plants ;
4. Lifestyle (harmonization of lifestyle through self-knowledge and inner order).

Kneipp was firmly convinced that the onset of the disease was linked to an imbalance between these aspects  and that thanks to his therapeutic path it was possible to achieve a strengthening of the cardio-circulatory and neuromuscular system.

Benefits of the Kneipp path

What is the Kneipp path for? The Kneipp method is designed to balance conditions considered the ” diseases of modern civilization ” caused by poor diet, little movement, alcohol or smoking abuse, stress.

The Kneipp method aims to cure simple colds , circulatory disorders , depression , apathy or bronchitis . It has been shown to be equally effective as an aid in medical therapies to reduce drug use.

The walk in the cold water or the showers, for example, they treat sleep disorders, pressure problems, headaches, chronic rheumatic diseases, venous insufficiency, restlessness and nocturnal heat, muscle, joint or vertebral rheumatism, varicose veins .

This path is often integrated into thermal medicine , enhanced by the benefits of the salty-bromine-iodine waters.

Who is the Kneipp Method intended for?

The Kneipp method is generally suitable for everyone , in particular it is recommended for those who need to relax, sleep well, reactivate blood circulation and prevent the formation of varicose veins. It is also a very suitable method for migraine sufferers or to strengthen the immune system.

The hot and cold water stimuli, in particular, tone the blood vessels and regulate the activity of the internal organs . The various techniques used by the Kneipp method produce specific responses of the circulatory, neuro-muscular and lymphatic system.

However, this method must be carried out carefully and under medical supervision, especially in the case of diabetes, in the elderly and pregnant women.

Where to do the Kneipp path

In addition to Bad Wörishofen, the birthplace of Kneipp, there are numerous other health resorts in Germany that rely on the Kneipp method. Kneipp medicine and Kneipp cure are now also recognized by traditional medicine and used as auxiliary therapies. In Italy, SPAs, thermal facilities and wellness centers that have the Kneipp path within them are increasingly widespread.

The ” Kneipp in kindergarten ” project is one of the most important themes for the future for the Austrian Kneipp Association and the South Tyrolean Kneipp Association.

In Italy, the hydrotherapy part of the Kneipp method is present in all spa facilities, with hot and cold water courses to reactivate circulation, stimulate the muscles and move lymphatic stagnation.

Associations and reference bodies

A trip to Bad Wörishofen could be a good opportunity to see the first nursing home or visit Sebastian Kneipp’s first studio. To stay in Italy, Trentino, but above all South Tyrol, promote the Kneipp method, in fact here is the first Italian wellness park known as ” Kneipp für mich Aktivpark Villabassa “.

The Kneipp South Tyrol association is a support organization of well-being present in the South Tyrolean territory and promotes in a practical and complete way the original health concept of Sebastian Kneipp.

The German association that belongs to the method is called Kneippbundand there are many detachments in many German cities that deal with this type of therapy, Germany being a country rich in spas and health centers for personal well-being attached to water.