The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Balneotherapy' Category

Consumer Alert: “Bath Salts”

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Unlike traditional cosmetic bath salts, which are packaged and sold for adding to bath water for soaking and cleaning, drugs sold as “bath salts” have no legitimate use for bathing and are intended for substance abuse.

Confused? (more…)

Effects of balneotherapy on quality of life in osteoarthritis

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Siena, in Italy, evaluated whether balneotherapy (treatment of disease by baths) with mineral sulphate-bicarbonate-calcium water might achieve symptomatic improvement, and improve quality of life of patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. (more…)

The risk of contact allergy to essential oils

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

They’re used in perfumes and in products for aromatherapy or balneotherapy. Previous studies have shown some to be important contact sensitizers.

Researchers at the University of Erlangen/Nürnberg, in Germany, reviewed the records of more than 15,000 patients in order to estimate the risk. (more…)

Balneotherapy for fibromyalgia

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Researchers at the Istanbul Medical Faculty, in Turkey, studied the effects of balneotherapy alone and with physical therapies on the respiratory and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. (more…)

Balneotherapy: 2 reviews of the evidence

Friday, October 29th, 2010

This review of balneotherapy comes from the Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), in Athens, Greece. (more…)

Benefits of spa treatment in people with fibromyalgia

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Researchers in The Netherlands report temporary improvement in quality of life. (more…)

Chiropractic management of fibromyalgia

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania reviewed the evidence for chiropractic… and more. (more…)

Spa therapy: Does it matter how long you stay?

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Researchers at the University of Tartu in Estonia studied the duration of spa therapy on the management of osteoarthritis. (more…)

Recommended CAM for chronic pain

Friday, August 8th, 2008

 Here are some CAM highlights for migraine and fibromyalgia from the American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM) 19th Annual Clinical Meeting. (more…)

Balneotherapy for patients with arthritis

Friday, September 22nd, 2006

The aims of balneotherapy (treatment of disease by bathing) are to soothe the pain, improve joint motion, and as a consequence, relieve people’s suffering and make them feel well.

Although most studies report positive outcomes, the trials are so poorly designed that “positive findings” should be viewed with caution, according to the Cochrane Collaboration, which included studies up to 2002.

What’s happened since?

(more…)