- Balneotherapy
Balneotherapy (from Latin: balneum, "bath") the treatment of
disease bybathing . It may involve hot or coldwater ,massage via moving water,relaxation orstimulation . Many mineral waters at spas are rich in particularmineral s (silica ,sulfur ,selenium ,radium ) which can be absorbed via theskin .Definition and characteristics
The term "balneotherapy" is generally applied to everything relating to spa treatment, including the drinking of waters and the use of hot baths and natural vapor baths, as well as of the various kinds of mud and sand used for hot applications. Balneotherapy is refers to the medical use of these spas, as opposed to recreational use. Common minerals found in spa waters are are
sodium ,magnesium ,calcium andiron , as well asarsenic ,lithium ,potassium ,manganese ,bromine , andiodine . Resorts may also add minerals or essential oils to naturally-occurring hot springs. Though balneotherapy commonly refers to mineral baths, the term may also apply to water treatments using regular hot or cold tap water.Mud baths are also included in balneotherapy, and the dirt and water used to mix mud baths may also contain minerals which are thought to have beneficial properties.
Treatment of diseases
Balneotherapy may be recommended for wide range of illnesses, including
arthritis [cite journal
author=Sukenik S |title=Balneotherapy at the Dead Sea area for knee osteoarthritis
journal=IMAJ |volume= 1
issue= 2|pages= 83-85
year= 1999|month=
pmid= 10731301
pmc=
doi=
url=] , skin conditions andfibromyalgia [cite journal
author=Deniz Evcik |title=The effects of balneotherapy on fibromyalgia patients
journal=Rheumatology International |volume= 22
issue= 2|pages= 56-59
year= 2002|month=June
pmid=
pmc=
doi= 10.1007/s00296-002-0189-8
url=] . As with any medical treatment, balneotherapy should be discussed with a physician before beginning treatment, since a number of conditions, like heart disease and pregnancy, can result in a serious adverse reaction.Scientific studies into the effectiveness of balneotherapy tend to be neutral or positive, finding that balneotherapy provides no effect or a placebo effect, or that there is a positive effect. However, many of these studies suffer from methodological flaws, and so may not be entirely reliable. [cite journal
author=Verhagen AP |title=Balneotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=
issue= |pages=
year=2004 |month=Jan
pmid= 10796385
pmc=
doi= 10.1002/14651858.CD000518
url=] [cite journal
author=Verhagen AP |title=Taking baths: the efficacy of balneotherapy in patients with arthritis. A systematic review.journal=J Rheumatol |volume= 24
issue= 10|pages= 1964-71
year= 1997|month= Oct
pmid= 9330940
pmc=
doi=
url=]ee also
*
Aromatherapy
*Destination spa
*Hydrotherapy
*Electrotherapy
*Dead Sea
*Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa) in Iceland
*Băile Govora (Spa town) inVâlcea County ,Romania
*Onsen
*Warm Springs, Georgia ,USA References
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