General Physiological Principles of Balneology and Spa Treatment

Journal/Book: J. J. A. Phys. M. Baln. Clim. 53: 159-172 (1990). 1990;

Abstract: Institut für Arbeitsphysiologie und Rehabilitationsforschung der Philipps-Universität Marburg BRD The importance of balneology and spa medicine today differs considerably across different countries. In many European countries as well as in Japan spa treatment enjoys excellent tradition and is extensively used to this day. On the other hand in Scandinavia in the United States and many other countries balneology and spa treatment are considered unnecessary at best if not indeed a pseudomedical game lacking any scientific foundation. This remarkable difference is no way related to regionally differing or country specific preconditions for the treatments in question. For instance in the United States an appreciable number of spa centers have existed in past yet today there are only vestiges not to mention their frequently crass commercialization. In the United Kingdom too a similarly venerable spa tradition has been broken over the past several decades. Recently even in countries having highly developed facilities of balneotherapy and spa medicine we note inereasingly negative attitudes as well as the tendency to deprecate the significance of spa medicine through the vehicle of financial restrictions among others. . . . .

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