Balneotherapy

The use of natural and artificially prepared mineral waters for therapeutic and preventive purposes. During balneotherapy, mineral waters are prescribed externally or as a drink.

The most common methods of external use of mineral waters are general and local baths, swimming in mineral water pools, and showers. Mineral waters are also used for mouth rinsing, inhalation, gastric and intestinal lavage, and irrigation. The presence of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, rapidly decaying radioactive substances (radon), and salts in mineral waters determines their therapeutic effect. In addition, other factors are also important - temperature, mechanical.

At balneological resorts, balneotherapeutic treatment is carried out - the use of natural carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, radon, nitrogen-silicon thermal, salt (chloride and sodium), iodine-bromine, brine, sea and other waters.

Mineral baths have an impact primarily on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, help train the heart and blood vessels, balance the processes of nervous activity, normalize metabolism, and the activity of the endocrine glands. General and local mineral baths are used for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, musculoskeletal system (joints, ligaments, muscles), nervous system, gynecological diseases, etc. Gargling and inhalation with mineral water are prescribed for diseases of the nasopharynx and upper respiratory tract, irrigation - for gynecological diseases , rinsing and enemas - for intestinal diseases.

In the so-called drinking treatment, mineral water taken orally has a direct effect on the receptors of the oral mucosa, as well as the stomach and partly the duodenum, reflexively causing normalization of gastric secretion and helping to remove excess mucus. Mineral waters also stimulate the formation and secretion of bile and affect metabolism. In medical practice, mainly in non-resort conditions, artificial carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, radon, nitrogen and other mineral waters are widely used.

Balneotherapy is prescribed by a doctor and carried out under his supervision, often in combination with mud therapy, climatotherapy, diet therapy and other methods of complex treatment. Balneotherapy is widely used for medical rehabilitation after a number of diseases and injuries.

“Hydrotherapy” is how balneotherapy is translated from Greek. In this context, water means water of various types and purposes; one or another effect is added to it and a medicine or cosmetic product with high healing properties and a positive effect on the body is obtained. This approach to treatment is not new, but if desired, we can distinguish several stages of its development, each of which is important in its own way. - Assembly