Balneotherapy and Rehabilitation Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

In the rehabilitation of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis, beneficence of the hot-spring cure has been well established.
Under-water exercise in the hot-spring water produces both physical and chemical effects favorable for treating the patients. An attention should be paid, however, as for the dosis of the remedies; spring waters indifferent in temperature, moderate in biological effects (simple thermals, simple hydrogen sulphide springs) are preferable.
When acute stage symptoms of the disease subsided, spring waters of irritable natures either in chemical compositions (sulphur, sulphurated acid, saline etc) and temperatures (41°-42°C) can be successfully employed. Physical exercise is better to be avoided in this occasion, merely the biological effects of spring waters being expected.
Indication of the hot-spring cure in the rehabilitation program of the disease can be well guided by body temperature and subjective complaints of the patients such as weakness, not depending on CRP., blood sedimentation rate, stages or classes of the disesase.
During the hot-spring cure no significant side-effects were seen but the so-called bath-reaction in 20 of the 82 cases such as mild fatigue and dullness were seen mainly at the beginning but soon subsided after several days without cessation.