Medical Conditions & Healing:
Throughout the world today, Hydrotherapy, also called Balneo Τherapy or Spa Τherapy or Medical Hydrolology, is a well recognized physiotherapy modality. It is an important component of the holistic approach to healing a wide range of health disorders.
It acts adjunctively to medical therapy.
In medical hydrology, there are three main ways patients can benefit from hot and/or mineral spring water:
1- Externally, through therapeutic baths (body immersion, either total or partial)
2- Internally, through drinking mineral spring water
3- Through inhalation of steam
These three methods used in Spa Therapy have healing effects on various kinds of disorders. Let us see in more detail the diseases that can be treated by each method:
a. Therapeutic baths in hot and mineral spring water
Rheumatic diseases (arthropathies)
1. Inflammatory rheumatic diseases:
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ankylosic spondylitis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Gout and hyperuricemia
• Enteropathic arthritis
2. Degenerative rheumatic diseases (result of “wear and tear” of the joints)
• Peripheral:
Osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, ankle, foot, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand
(with pain, stiffness and functional disorders in the affected joint)
• Central:
Depending on the part of the spine involved, there is neck pain, low back pain etc
Osteoarthritis of the spine
Spondyloarthropathies
Skin diseases
• Eczema
• Acme
• Dermatitis
• Psoriasis
• Skin allergies
• Neurodermatitis
Diseases of the peripheral nerves
• Neuritis
• Neuralgia
• Radiculopathy (nerve root pain) i.e. lumbar nerve pain (often called sciatica), brachial neuralgia (nerve pain in the arm)
Cardiovascular diseases
• Arterial hypertension
• Phlebitis
• Varicose veins
• Heart valves diseases
Gynecological diseases
• Chronic after inflammation conditions of the uterus and salpinx
• Salpingitis
• Trachilitis
• Ovarian insufficiency
• Leukorrhea
Metabolic diseases and disorders of mineral metabolism
• Osteoporosis
• Obesity
Post traumatic and post-surgical disorders
• Pain, stiffness and functional disorders (limitation of movement) after fracture
• Sprains
• Muscle tear
• Muscle pull
Other diseases and disorders
• Chronic fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
b. Drinking Mineral Spring Water
Gastrointestinal diseases (diseases of the alimentary canal)
• Chronic Constipation
• Dyspepsia (indigestion)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Colitis (disease of the colon)
• Chronic cholecystitis
• Cholelithiasis and/or Choledocholithiasis (stone of the gallbladder and/or the chelodechus)
Diseases of the urinary system
• Chronic cystitis
• Lithiasis of the urinary tract
• Proteinuria
Metabolic diseases
• Obesity
• Toxins elimination
Furthermore, salt-rich mineral waters enhance the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids and their subsequent secretion.
c. Inhaling Mineral Spring Water
Respiratory diseases
• Asthma bronchiole
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic rhinitis (nose)
• Chronic pharyngitis (throat)
• Chronic laryngitis
• Allergies