Richard Eidson is a hydrotherapist and hydrotherapy educator. He has also invented and holds three patents on hydrotherapy equipment. Richard has an undergraduate degree in social psychology, which has provided him with a deeper understanding of the mental and emotional benefits of hydrotherapy treatments. He also has an MBA, which has been helpful in understanding the marketing and financial management aspects of hydrotherapy programs. Richard is also a licensed massage therapist, with special training in shiatsu.

Richard’s experiences not only as a therapist, educator, and inventor, but also from operating a wellness facility, have provided him with the knowledge and experiences for writing this textbook. In addition, he has done extensive research on hydrotherapy, especially into the behavior of water found in natural settings, in the human body, and in its use in hydrotherapy treatments. During his research, he has visited and researched some of the most important hydrotherapy sites of current and historical significance in North America, including Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Saratoga Springs, New York, as well as the main hot springs facilities in California, Colorado, and western Canada. His international research includes trips to Germany (including Baden-Baden and Bad Worischoften, the home of Kneipp therapy), as well as Vichy, France. Other research projects have included trips to Greece, India, Japan, Thailand, Oman, and Bali (Indonesia).

Several of the photographs in this textbook were taken by Richard during his travels and during the photo shoot for the textbook. These photographs are intended to give visual expression to the special and unique experiences of the many aspects of hydrotherapy.4 PM

Richard resides in Fairfield, Iowa, where he runs a wellness center and a company for inventing hydrotherapy equipment. He provides consulting, education, and training in hydrotherapy and continues his research into hydrotherapy through travels both nationally and internationally. 

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