Temperature-dependent Changes in Cardiovascular Parameters During Warm Water Footbaths in Healthy Women

ARCIM Institute Academic Research in Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cardiovascular System; Warm Footbath; Autonomic Nervous System

Treatments: Other: 38-42°C rising temperature footbath; Other: 42°C warm water footbath; Other: 38°C warm water footbath; Other: 40°C warm water footbath

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04579497

SWI_16

Details and patient eligibility

About

A study to explore whether different temperatures of warm water footbaths have different effects on the cardiovascular system, the autonomic nervous system and the general well-being of healthy women.

Full description

This is a blinded, four-arm randomized controlled trial with crossover design to explore the effects of warm water footbaths with different water temperatures on cardiovascular stress, reaction of the autonomic nervous system and a feeling of comfort and warmth in healthy female volunteers. Cardiovascular and ANS measurements are performed continuously throughout the interventions and the participants rate their feelings of warmth, general well-being and the footbath-related comfort with questionnaires.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Written informed consent
• Age between 18 and 55 years

Exclusion criteria

• Male sex
• Chronic skin lesions at the lower legs or feet
• Varicose veins grade 3 and grade 4 (Marshall stage classification), chronic venous insufficiency
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Cardiac pacemaker
• Asthma bronchiale
• Consumption of HRV-modulating medication (especially tricyclic antidepressants, beta blockers)
• Pregnancy
• Insufficient knowledge of the German language

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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28 participants in 4 patient groups

38° C footbath

Experimental group

Description:

Footbath with warm water at a constant temperature of 38° C

Treatment:

Other: 38°C warm water footbath

40° C footbath

Experimental group

Description:

Footbath with warm water at a constant temperature of 40° C

Treatment:

Other: 40°C warm water footbath

42° C footbath

Experimental group

Description:

Footbath with warm water at a constant temperature of 42° C

Treatment:

Other: 42°C warm water footbath

Rising temperature footbath

Experimental group

Description:

Footbath with warm water rising from 38° C to 42° C

Treatment:

Other: 38-42°C rising temperature footbath