BALNEOTHERAPY: HISTORY, EFFECTS, SCIENCE AND CONTRAINDICATIONS - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The spa therapy is an alternative therapy that claims to help fight various diseases and ailments by bathing. It is a traditional medicine practice that is frequently practiced in spas; but its history dates back several thousand years.

Balneotherapy is normally considered as a different discipline from hydrotherapy, although there are certain similarities between the two and some of their practices are very similar. However, the specific way in which these two therapies are carried out is different enough to separate them.

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Some of the most common practices of balneotherapy include baths in hot springs or waters rich in different minerals, massages through the movement of the water, immersions in cold and heat, and the use of medicinal mud for massages and other similar practices.

There are not too many studies that confirm the supposed benefits of balneotherapy, and more research is needed on it; but its practitioners affirm that it can be very useful to treat problems as diverse as osteoarthritis, dermatitis, stress, back or headaches or fibromyalgia.

History

The use of hot springs and enriched waters to improve health and relax dates back several thousand years. It is believed that certain ancient populations established near natural sources used the hot water to clean themselves and combat some health problems.

However, the first mention in Western history of the benefits of hot springs is that of Hippocrates, who is considered by many to be the father of modern medicine.

This thinker believed that all diseases were produced by an imbalance in body fluids, and he thought that hot water baths could help correct them.

Ancient civilizations

Empires like Greece and Rome took the use of medicinal waters beyond the realm of health and cleanliness. Thus, the thermal baths became places for social gatherings and the center of the culture of both civilizations.

During the centuries in which both empires ruled the world, the hot springs underwent great development. From being just places of relaxation where war veterans could rest, they became authentic architectural wonders where all citizens could go to improve their health and socialize with others.

However, today we know that the Greeks and Romans were not the only ones who enjoyed the benefits of balneotherapy.

The Old Kingdom of Egypt also used hot springs and medicinal mud to improve the health of its inhabitants; and the first Finnish saunas date back more than 7000 years.

Middle Ages and Modern

After the fall of the Roman Empire, many of the cultural practices of this civilization fell into disuse, including balneotherapy. However, new cultures continued to develop this discipline and use the benefits of hot springs to improve their health.

Thus, for example, the Ottoman Empire encouraged the use of hamam or Turkish baths, which shared many similarities with Roman baths. In Japan, hot springs were believed to have all kinds of benefits for the body and mind, which is why they were also widely used.

During the Renaissance and the Victorian Era, different European cultures re-popularized the use of thermal baths. Thus, in almost all the countries of the Old Continent and in many American colonies the natural sources of enriched water began to be used.

19th century onwards

Sometime in the 19th century, the word "thalassotherapy" was created, which comes from the Greek terms thalassa (ocean) and therapeia (healing).

It was used to describe a series of techniques related to water and bathing that supposedly improved both the physical and mental health of those who practiced them.

Also in this century, the first modern spas were opened in both the United States and Europe. They soon became very popular destinations for upper-class travelers, who spent a few days in luxury hotels relaxing with thermal baths and receiving all kinds of treatments.

Today, a large number of hotels in the world have their own spa, without the need to be located near a natural source of hot springs.

The popularity of balneotherapy continues to grow, and its practices have developed greatly over the past decades.

Physiological effects

Balneotherapy consists of treating some health problems through baths, usually in hot springs and other types of mineral-enriched waters.

Its advocates claim that this discipline can help combat certain problems such as arthritis, respiratory problems and high blood pressure, but how exactly does it do it?

According to practitioners of this discipline, taking baths in hot springs safely increases the body temperature, in such a way that it helps the immune system to fight against bacteria and viruses.

At the same time, it also increases the hydrostatic pressure in the body, improving circulation and oxygenation of cells.

All of these effects together supposedly help eliminate toxins and increase the number of nutrients that cells in the body receive. On the other hand, thermal baths can also speed up metabolism and help improve the digestive system.

When used topically, the hot springs supposedly also help fight certain skin conditions like psoriasis, fungal infections and dermatitis, as well as speed up the healing of all kinds of wounds.

Finally, taking thermal baths regularly could help reduce stress, thereby eliminating some pain (such as back or headaches) and psychological problems.

What does science say about balneotherapy?

Most of the supposed benefits of balneotherapy have not been properly proven by reliable experiments.

Therefore, most experts within the scientific world view this discipline with skepticism, and warn that it may not be as beneficial as its proponents say it is.

Because of this, most of the time balneotherapy should only be used as an aid to other, more established therapies, and not as a substitute for them. This is especially true in the case of serious illnesses or disorders that can get worse if not treated properly.

However, there is some evidence that balneotherapy could help combat certain problems; specifically, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and back pain.

Arthritis

According to a study published in 2008 in the Journal of Rheumatology, balneotherapy may be effective to some extent in treating osteoarthritis.

By analyzing seven clinical trials with nearly 500 participants, the researchers found evidence that this alternative therapy was more effective than using no treatment.

Another 2003 study, this one published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, found some evidence that balneotherapy can help to some extent to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

However, both studies had certain methodological problems, so more research is needed in this regard.

Fibromyalgia

A small study with 42 participants published in Rheumtaology International in 2002 seemed to indicate that fibromyalgia patients reduced their symptoms and improved their mood by undergoing 20-minute bathing sessions once a day for a week.

However, the small sample size and the lack of other similar studies to confirm these findings mean that experts in treating this disease cannot yet claim that balneotherapy is an effective method to improve the quality of life of patients.

Back pain

A 2005 study published in the journal Research in Complementary and Natural Classical Medicine suggested that bathing in mineral and sulphurous waters could relieve back pain, especially lower back pain.

The study compared the health of 30 patients who followed a balneotherapy program with that of another 30 who used an established therapy, and found that the former achieved better results.

However, the study showed certain problems, so more evidence is needed to affirm the effectiveness of this treatment.

Contraindications

Although balneotherapy in principle does not present problems for the majority of people who use it, there are some cases in which it can be dangerous to take thermal baths with the aim of treating a disease.

Specifically, doctors warn against using this procedure for people with severe heart problems, extremely low blood pressure, advanced pregnancy, highly symptomatic varicose veins, uncontrolled epilepsies, or some diseases such as tuberculosis or severe diabetes mellitus.

Before starting a balneotherapy process, if you think that you may belong to any of these risk groups or that thermal baths may pose a problem for you, consult your regular doctor to see if you can perform this practice safely.

conclusion

Balneotherapy has been used for thousands of years to improve health in a safe, painless and low-cost way.

However, as we have already seen, the scientific evidence in this regard is rather scarce, and therefore, it is best not to use this alternative therapy as the only way to treat a serious disease.

Still, in most cases bathing in hot springs does not present any problem, and its possible benefits are very numerous.

So if you think it is something you would like to experiment with or want to try, feel free to do so after consulting with a specialist.

References

1. "What is balneotherapy?" in: From The Grapevine. Retrieved on: December 17, 2018 from From The Grapevine: fromthegrapevine.com.
2. "The History of Spas Timeline: Evolution of the Journey So Far" in: Swim University. Retrieved on: December 17, 2018 from Swim University: swimuniversity.com.
3. "Bathing for stress relief" in: Yoga Journal. Retrieved on: December 17, 2018 from Yoga Journal: yogajournal.com.
4. "3 Health Benefits of Balneotherapy" at: VeryWell Health. Retrieved on: December 17, 2018 from VeryWell Health: verywellhealth.com.
5. "Balneotherapy" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: December 17, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.