Alternative hydrotherapy constitutes a rapidly developing area, based on alternative healing methods that have pre-existed out of the water, such as Yoga, Shiatsu, Tai-Chi, Craniosacral Therapy and others, in combination to the gains from the very exclusive therapeutic attributes of water. Water's attributes ranging from its temperature, its content in minerals and other substances, its healing properties, its physical principles of buoyancy and density creating its suspended lightness, to the psychological release it offers, all add up to a unique therapeutic medium. Even in traditional clinical therapy research, it isn't yet clear whether the benefits come from the method employed, or water's attributes. 

The therapeutic properties of water were known as early as 2000 BC when the Babylonians had then associated the essence of medicine, with those whom knew the healing of water best. The historiann Herodotus (484-410 B.C), often mentions in his writing "bath-therapy", and Hippocrates at the island of Kos (460-375 BC), defined the ailments for which the use of healing waters is recommended. Hippocrates is considered the "father" of hydrotherapy, and concentrated very much on the benefits of natural waters. Water baths became very prevalent in the eastern world and throughout Europe and their popularity is rising again. Only in Greece there are 822 recorded water baths all over the county (in the mainland and the islands), of which 350 still offer their healing services. Alternative hydrotherapy, besides water baths, extends to all the new techniques that are being developed today, particularly after the emergence of Watsu in 1980 (in California), with Ai-Chi following, and other more recent ones such as, Water Dance and Cranio-Sacral Therapy in Water. 

AHF has arbitrary differentiated Clinical Hydrotherapy from Alternative Hydrotherapy based on a basic difference between the two. Traditional Medicine through Clinical Hydrotherapy has specific healing goals and procedures aiming in healing the ailment and/or injury and gradually rehabilitating their patients, while Alternative Hydrotherapy does not have therapeutic goals but tries to stimulate self-healing mechanisms through its holistic approach and techniques, so that this can strengthen the individual as a whole (emotionally and physically). Alternative hydrotherapy puts a great emphasis on the bond that is created through the water between the giver and the receiver and the relaxation water creates through slow flowing movements or static suspension. They are both very valuable and can complement each other. A representive Professionals' website for both Clinical and Alternative Hydrotherapy is "Aqua for Balance" (http://aqua4balance.com/)