Watsu is considered a fairly new therapy, developed in the early 1980s, even though the forms of therapy which comprise it are hundreds, if not thousands of years old. The creator of watsu is massage therapist Harold Dull, who studied Zen Shiatsu with its founder in Japan. The stretching and movement of Zen Shiatsu is thought to balance and redirect the bodies’ chi or energy flow. Then Director of the Harbin School of Massage and Shiatsu in California, the therapy evolved as Dull incorporated Zen Shiatsu into his massage practice.

Water is an ideal medium for passive stretching, as the buoyancy allows the body to move and stretch in ways that would be quite difficult on land. The pressure of gravity is taken off the spine, and when combined with the stretching movements and twists, the vertebrae can become more fluid, taking much needed pressure off the nerves exiting the spine, relieving pain. Water is also very soothing, and can relax people to the point of being in a meditative state.

In addition to the physical relief, many find the holding by the practitioner that being in the water necessitates to be a wonderful form of connection and trust. Often the feelings of connection and trust between the practitioner and the receiver allow the release of emotional guarding and restriction. Release on both the emotional and physical planes brings each person closer to healing and wellness.

One receiver of watsu with chronic low back pain found that he had much less pain and tightness in his back after just one session. This was significant given he had tried many therapies in the past that had not brought relief. A recent 2008 study published in Physiotherapy Research International found that multiple sessions of watsu reduced muscle spasticity and improved the ability to walk and function in people who had had a stroke.

Watsu is considered a form of massage therapy, and therefore, can be sought out for the same reasons someone would receive massage… back pain, neck pain, muscle tightness, muscle pain, headaches, and the list goes on. And because it is a type of massage therapy, in many instances insurance will cover it with a referral from your doctor.

We have a wonderful therapy pool and watsu practitioner, Dayna Wilbanks, available here in our backyard at the Elements of Wellness Aquatic and Manual Therapy in Moscow (208.892.8888). The Gritman Medical Center Wellness Center (208.883.9605) also offers a therapy pool with several aquatic exercise programs, however, no specific watsu programs to date.