The thermal waters have numerous curative properties thanks to their temperature and to the existence of different mineral substances in their composition. The thermal water emanates to the surface with a temperature five degrees Celsius higher than the annual average temperature of the place where we are, that it contains minerals with therapeutic characteristics due to the different biological and geologic processes. In addition, they are also mineromedicinales, but all the mineromedicinales waters are not thermal since mineromedicinales waters exist cold.

The thermal waters are used mainly in the treatment of inflammatory diseases (arthritis, bursitis…), muscular (mainly the rheumatics) and dermatológicas (psoriasis, erythemas…). Without forgetting the esthetic treatments.

In the inflammatory pathologies, this type of waters produces an effect of relaxation, a diminution of the internal heat and an improvement of mobility, which will allow to reduce the pain. For muscles, the desgravitación produced by the water helps to that the joints submissive stress by the corporal weight are freed, relaxing the musculatura of the zone and diminishing the contracturas. In addition, the relajante and descontracturante effect of the temperature increases the effect therapeutic. The musculo-skeletal pathology more treated in the thermal facilities is the reumatismo, where it is managed to diminish the pain, the inflammation and the contracturas; improving mobility. As far as the esthetic one, this water allows the toxin liberation, the cleaning of the skin and the mucous.

The application of thermal waters can be realized of oral, topical form or inhalatoria. The oral route or water ingestion is indicated for digestive, hepatic, biliary, renal and skin pathologies. The application on the skin or topical route is realized through baths, showers or massages for processes of the locomotive apparatus, circulatory system and dermopatías. Finally, the inhalation becomes by means of nasal showers for respiratory pathologies and the water by its mineromedicinales properties as to be carrying of specific drugs can be used as much.

The use of mineromedicinales waters must be supervised by a doctor, since the compositions of waters are different and can be contraindicated for some pathologies. For example, the hypersodium waters are counter-productive for people with hypertensive cardiopathies or.

Why it serves each type as water
The mineral composition that owns thermal waters will determine the use of each of them. The bicarbonated ones, of low mineralization, alkaline and cold, are used to help the digestive process. When drinking them in uninformed the gastric PH acts on the metabolism, alcalinizando and diminishing the acidity. Also they stimulate the pancreatic secretion and they have diuréticas functions when alcalinizar the urine.

The cloruradas waters, in whose composition the chloride predominates, can be of low mineralization, giving rise to thermal waters, or of high mineralization, that will be cold waters. They are indicated in dermatológicas affections, increasing to the defenses of the skin, also having a anti-inflammatory effect if in its composition is sodium. Its application can be by oral, bringing about gastric stimulation and intestinal route, or by external route, for cases of stress by its important sedative effect, the diminution of hipertonía muscular, the increase of the sanguineous flow ysu to be able analgesic and anti-inflammatory. Also they are indicated for affections of the locomotive apparatus, like the muscular contracturas, being applied by means of showers, spurts, baths and swimming pool.

The rich iron waters are denominated ferruginous, had an effect tonic and improve the cases of anemia. In addition, they are used in slimming regimes, hepatic and biliary reumatismos, affections and some dermatológicas pathologies.

The sulfurous waters are in muddy grounds and they are used for problems you will articulate like rheumatic and postoperative processes of the locomotive apparatus, pruriginous anemias, neuralgias, dermatosis, allergic inflammations and respiratory affections like the asthma. Hypertension cases of and hemoptisis are contraindicated in.

On the other hand, the waters sulphated are characterized because its temperature and mineralization varies, and they are divided in sodium and magnésicas, with an important laxative and adapted for the dermatológicas affections, prurito action and even in some cases of medicinal or nutritional poisoning; sulphated calcic, for gastric ailments, intestinal, biliary hepatopatías and, producing a diurética action and the uric, important acid elimination in cases of drop; sulphated cloruradas, indicated in digestive affections, gastritis, constipation and also in cases of hepatic insufficiency.

When sulfur predominates, it is sulfurated waters, with a beneficial action in the rheumatic, dermatological processes like eczemas, queratosis, psoriasis or pruritos; and respiratory chronic, like laryngitis, rinitis, bronchitis, asthma. They are used in postoperative of the locomotive apparatus and traumatisms. They also have effect on the hepatic affections.

Finally, the carbonic waters stimulate the appetite and favor the good operation of the circulatory apparatus.

b [That it differentiates there is between a spa and spa]b

Spa or thermal station. Qualified facilities that have declared mineromedicinales waters of public utility, medical professionals and suitable spaces to realize therapeutic techniques based on the application of thermal waters. Before beginning any treatment in a spa, it is realized a clinical analysis and a complete medical valuation.

Talasoterapia. It uses the climate and marine means (water of sea, seaweed, mud and other extracted substances of the sea) like therapeutic agents, always under medical supervision. Before its application, the water takes shelter to more than 1,000 meters of the border, it is purified and it sterilized to guarantee the absence of pathogenic agents.

SPA. The centers spa are characterized because in them esthetic treatments and of relax by average water are realized, but are not mineromedicinales nor thermal.

Hydrotherapy, a service more of the residences

Hydrotherapy is the part of the hydrology that consists of the treatment of the body with waters to different temperatures, with the purpose of to take advantage of its blast effects, thermal and mineral. Every time it is acquiring more importance in the residences for people majors, since “the water is the therapeutic means with less contraindications and majors benefits, as much in the organic scope as psychological. It directly modifies the performance of the activities of the majors, improving his capacity of `to do' and, therefore, their capacity of `to be'�, according to explains people in charge of the department of Physiotherapy of the Personalia residence Even it (Madrid), that counts on a pioneering program of hydrotherapy.

This therapy of stimulus-answer-adaptation allows to mobilize all the muscular and skeletal system, to relax totally the body and to improve the psychic state. Also, it favors the flexibility, the aerobic capacity and the muscular tonificación in specific zones. Also it contributes remarkable benefits to the systems neurological, respiratory, cardiological and circulatory.

Hydrotherapy can be applied to all type of residents, varying the techniques based on the pathologies that are wanted to try. It is indicated when one requires analgesia, antiinflammation, vasodilatación and muscular relaxation; it is also used to obtain a antispasmodic effect, like heating means to improve the exercise, to increase mobility to articulate and to increase sanguineous the flow cutaneous; as well as for the desbridamiento of weaves, the treatment of burns and wounds, the stimulation of the peripheral vascular system, and for infectious processes: coronary, organic and circulatory insufficiencies.

The Personalia residence Even it is one of the pioneering centers in offering the service of hydrotherapy to its users. Its novel program must like objective “secure the maximum well-being of the residents and to delay to the effects brought about by the aging process, obtaining a greater autonomy of the person by means of the physiological effects of the water�, they indicate the people in charge of the department of Physiotherapy.

In particular, the program of the center is developed in three differentiated atmospheres:

• Spa
• Swimming pool of summer.
• Room of waters of the residence. Applications of cold water are realized, that stimulate the metabolism and the production of heat; and of hot water, recommended for debilitated people, who have a relajante effect and lower the arterial tension. These applications can be general (with percussion, skillful it fries, it warms up, warmed up and it fries, progressive, Scottish, general spurt, rain bath, wet immersion, envelopes, steam bath) and the premises (the skillful cold premises, warm up, local spurts, baths standing up of hot water, average body, seat, quiet water trunk, feet, of hands and arms, compressed, of steam partial), that can be made single with water or with infusions of medicinal plants or clay or mud accompanied.

Glossary of practical terms

• Aerosol: applications inhalatorias of mineromedicinal water, by means of special apparatuses that produce steam particles finísimas.

l [Baño of bubbles: immersion in a bathtub with mineromedicinal water, to which] is added to air under pressure

• Bath of hidromasaje: bath technique that consists of adding water under pressure with the purpose of to give movement to the mineromedicinal water so that it acts like massage.

• Spurt under pressure: application of the mineromedicinal water of form manual with more or less pressure and continuity.

• It cures hidropínica: it at the same time consists of the oral ingestion of mineromedicinal water and rate determined by the doctor, with therapeutic effects.

• Skillful circular: application of the mineromedicinal water to low pressure with exit by multiple orifices.

• Skillful Scot: application of hot the mineromedicinal water alternating and fries.

• Skillful Vichy: combined massage dry and low mineromedicinal water.

• Steam stove: room of humid steam.

• Inhalations: technique inhalatoria of steam and thermal water (low respiratory tract).

• Muds: mud that form when mixing earth with the mineromedicinal water.

• Maniluvios: bath of the hands and the arms.

• Aerosolisations: inhalations of heavy drop.

• Parafangos: mixture of muds or muds with paraffin for applications in one or several parts of the body.

• Pediluvios: bath of the feet and leaves from the legs.

• Pulverizations: technique inhalatoria of steam and thermal water (high respiratory tract).

• Sauna: dry heat in cabin.

• Vaporario: steam production that is applied to the body with therapeutic aims.

(Source: National association of Spas)