Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Mud cure in Russia: history, achievements and
prospective
Badalov NG (1) , Krikorova S (1)
(1) Department of Resort Medicine. Center for Medical Rehabilitation and
Balneology. Moscow. Russia
bng57@yandex.ru
Mud cure in Russia has a long history. From the beginning of XIX century it became
one of the basic directions of resort treatment. Mud cure in Crimea became a
basis of the Russian school of peloidotherapy. In 1828 first-ever mud resort was
Saki officially opened in Saki. During the Crimean War (1853-1856) under
N.I.Pirogov's offer mud treatment of the wounded in a backbone and a spinal cord
was practiced in Saki
Basic formation of the Russian school of mud cure has occurred in Soviet period.
Large researches on studying quantity of mud resources of the country, their
genesis, physico-chemical and biological properties, the mechanism of physiological
and therapeutic influence were conducted. Optimal methods of treatment were
developed taking into account physical and chemical properties of the mud, activity
of its environment at different diseases depending on a stage and expressiveness of
a clinical picture.
Thus it is proved that the degree of physiological changes at different types of
mud is not the same, and muds of various physical and chemical composition at the
same temperature and dofferent parameters can cause ambiguous responses of an
organism.
Various methodical techniques were developed: baths, applications, abdominal
procedures, local baths for hands and feet, combined techniques mud cure (galvanomud
cure, diathermomudtherapy, electro-and phonophoresis of mud solution,
magnetic and mud therapy etc.). Balneo-mud economy was put on a new level
(extraction, processing and transportation of mud, its storage, regeneration, heating,
etc.).
In recent years methods of thin-layer mud therapy, mud baths have been implemented
actively. Also new data of the mechanism of mud-cure procedures’ action
was obtained and indications for their appointment were expanded( at such diseases
as chronic obstructive illness of lungs, seronegative spondylitis etc); works on
finding of an optimum temperature mode (the application of peloids of low and
moderate temperature) and localizations of influence of mud cure were held. Scientific
bases of appointment of the mud therapy procedures in the early regenerative
period after surgical interventions are developed.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 171-172
171
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4