Balneotherapy: Mineral water bathing for health

Abstract

Bathing in hot water or mineral water, known as balneotherapy, is widely used for both therapeutic andrecreational purposes. Balneotherapy or çtaking the watersé was a popular treatment in ancient times and its popularityhas remained up to present in many countries in Europe, North America, and Asia especially Japan. Most spa resortsgenerally locate close to natural water resources such as hot springs, mountain area or seaside. Over the past decades,balneotherapy has been employed either alone or as a complement to other conventional therapies for the treatmentof several diseases, e.g. dermatologic, musculoskeletal, metabolic and/or psychological conditions. It may be appliedalong with physical therapy, underwater exercise, sunbath/phototherapy and fangotherapy (mud packs). Themechanisms by which a variety of diseases respond to balneotherapy are thought to be a combination of thermal,chemical and mechanical effects.

Key words: balneotherapy, spa, mineral water, thermal water, hot spring