(08-10-12) Want to Treat That Disease? Take a Bath!

by Jeff Jurmain, MA

Treatments don't come any wetter than "balneotherapy," which is the use of
therapeutic baths to treat disease. It is one of the world's oldest medical
procedures, going back to the very earliest humans. Could it work for you? And
for what?
Balneotherapy uses hot and cold baths to treat what ails you. In Europe, and
around the world, baths and mineral springs aren't just relaxing. They can help
your body overcome a health problem. Let's take a closer look.
The overall idea is that you immerse the body in mineral- rich waters,
allowing the minerals and sulfur to absorb into your skin. Then, this water can
soothe the joints and muscles and stimulate the body overall. This last factor
is believed to include such effects as empowering the immune system,
stimulating the flow of blood of lymph nodes, making your cells more active,
dilating the blood vessels, and triggering the body's ability to self-heal.
Though evidence is limited, balneotherapy is not without its health
breakthroughs. Highest in the list of possibilities are these conditions: low
back pain; osteoarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis; ankylosing spondylitis;
psoriasis; fibromyalgia; eczema; and varicose veins.
One study had 70 patients with chronic skin rash take two 10-minute baths a
day in an acidic hot spring. In 76% of them, skin symptoms improved, while
bacteria on the skin surface either disappeared or decreased. Another looked
into balneotherapy for autoimmune diseases in general. While further studies
are needed, it concluded that balneotherapy can complement regular drug
therapy, and is "certainly beneficial in suitable cases."
Another study sought to see how hot spring water could control skin symptoms
of dermatitis. Without getting overly technical here, the researchers were able
to show that the acidic hot water springs effectively destroyed bacteria on the
skin.
Overall, it seems that joint pain and skin conditions seem to respond best to
balneotherapy. Through its soothing nature, this treatment may work well for
psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, stress, and even mild
dementia, which would then suggest that balneotherapy could help take away risk
factors for your heart (such as high blood pressure) by relaxing your internal
systems.


Sources:
Kubota, K., et al., "Treatment of refractory cases of atopic dermatitis with
acidic hot-spring bathing," Acta-Derm-Venereol., Nov. 1997; 77: 452-4.
Sukenik, S., et al., "Balneotherapy in autoimmune disease," Isr-J-Med-Sci.,
Apr. 1997; 33: 258-61.

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