Benefits of Paraffn on Hands and Feet

Paraffin is a wax coating made from crude petroleum and is used as a lubricants, candles, and waterproof barriers on fruits and preserves. Most people do not think of paraffin as a beauty treatment, widely used in spas.

The use of paraffin treatments as a therapeutic or relaxation treatment can be traced back to the Roman Empire.  The paraffin treatments were used on the body prior to massage treatments. Later on English and French masseurs or masseuses used paraffin treatments to aid in the healing of injuries, most especially for joint ailments.

The benefits of paraffin treatments, according to Body Balance Massage and Day Spa, include hydrating dry hands and feet by allowing the deep-penetrating heat to alleviate sore muscles and joints, and help relieve afflictions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, and muscle spasms.

A paraffin treatment consists of submerging your hands or feet in a tub of hot paraffin wax. The purpose of these treatments is to surround the sore or affected area with the heat from the wax.  The heat helps with the inflammation and stiffness in the joints. Heat therapy has also been known to decrease painful joint stiffness and muscle spasms and helps to reduce inflammation.  A buildup of fluid in hand tissues can be decreased with the treatment also.

When heat is applied to an area, the blood vessels expand thus stimulating circulation in the hands or feet. By increasing circulation, the nutrients in the body can get to the affected areas and the wastes that need to exit the body can be carried away. Increased circulation will also help increase flexibility. Aside from increasing circulation, paraffin will also moisturize the hands or feet. “According to "Evaluation of Paraffin Bath Treatment in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis" by Lund University Hospital in Sweden, the result of a paraffin treatment is often softer and more elastic skin.” The softer, more elastic skin will also have better skin color than hands and feet suffering from poor circulation.

Paraffin therapy is commonly used in the treatment of sports related injuries such as tendonitis, according to the Medical Supplies and Equipment Company website. Paraffin not only soothes the tendon, but also calms and moisturizes the skin, increases circulation and opens pores. Hands aching from tendonitis can be placed into a small paraffin dip or a larger paraffin therapy bath. The same can be done for feet afflicted with tendonitis or arthritis.

LivingStong.com gives excellent step-by-step instructions for giving you a paraffin treatment at home. You do not have to visit a spa to get a great, soothing paraffin treatment for your hands and feet.