Balneotherapy

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Balneotherapy
Bath in Zetaquira - Boyacá - Colombia
MeSHD001452

Balneotherapy (Latin: balneum "bath") is the treatment of disease by bathing, usually practiced at spas.[1] While it is considered distinct from hydrotherapy,[2] there are some overlaps in practice and in underlying principles. Balneotherapy may involve hot or cold water, massage through moving water, relaxation, or stimulation. Many mineral waters at spas are rich in particular minerals such as silica, sulfur, selenium, and radium. Medicinal clays are also widely used, which practice is known as 'fangotherapy'.

Definition and characteristics

The statue of "A man breaking a walking crutch" in the spa town Piešťany (Slovakia) - an eloquent symbol of balneotherapy.

"Balneotherapy" is the practice of immersing a subject in mineral water or mineral-laden mud; it is part of the traditional medicine of many cultures and originated in hot springs, cold springs, or other sources of such water like the Dead Sea.[3]

Treatment of diseases

Treatment bath at a spa in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States

Balneotherapy may be recommended for a wide range of illnesses, including arthritis,[4] skin conditions and fibromyalgia.[5] 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 effect.

Scientific studies into the effectiveness of balneotherapy do not show that balneotherapy is effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis.[6] There is also no evidence indicating a more effective type of bath,[6] or to indicate that bathing is more effective than exercise, relaxation therapy, or mudpacks.[6] Most of the studies on balneotherapy have methodological flaws and are not reliable.[7][6] A 2009 review of all published clinical evidence concluded that, while available data suggest that balneotherapy may be truly associated with improvement in several rheumatological diseases, existing research is not sufficiently strong to draw firm conclusions.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Angus Stevenson, ed. (2007). "Definition of balneo therapy". Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 1: A-M (6th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-19-920687-2.
  2. ^ "Balneotherapeutics". The Encyclopædia Britannica (1911). Vol. III. New York. pp. 284–285 (300–301 in electronic page field). Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  3. ^ Matz, H; Orion, E; Wolf, R (2003). "Balneotherapy in dermatology". Dermatologic therapy. 16 (2): 132–40. PMID 12919115.
  4. ^ Sukenik S; Flusser, D; Codish, S; Abu-Shakra, M (1999). "Balneotherapy at the Dead Sea area for knee osteoarthritis". IMAJ. 1 (2): 83–85. PMID 10731301.
  5. ^ Deniz Evcik; Kizilay, B; Gökçen, E (June 2002). "The effects of balneotherapy on fibromyalgia patients". Rheumatology International. 22 (2): 56–59. doi:10.1007/s00296-002-0189-8. PMID 12070676.
  6. ^ a b c d Verhagen, Arianne P.; Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita M. A.; Boers, Maarten; Cardoso, Jefferson R.; Lambeck, Johan; de Bie, Rob; de Vet, Henrica C. W. (11 April 2015). "Balneotherapy (or spa therapy) for rheumatoid arthritis". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (4): CD000518. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000518.pub2. ISSN 1469-493X. PMID 25862243.
  7. ^ Verhagen AP; De Vet, HC; De Bie, RA; Kessels, AG; Boers, M; Knipschild, PG (October 1997). "Taking baths: the efficacy of balneotherapy in patients with arthritis. A systematic review". J Rheumatol. 24 (10): 1964–71. PMID 9330940.
  8. ^ Falagas ME; et al. (2009). "The therapeutic effect of balneotherapy: Evaluation of the evidence from randomized controlled trials". International Journal of Clinical Practice. 63 (7): 1068–84. doi:10.1111/j.1742-1241.2009.02062.x. PMID 19570124.

Further reading

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Balneotherapeutics".
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