Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Salt mines therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation
of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
Cinteza D (1) , Poenaru D (1) , Dumitrescu E (1) , Marcu V (1) , Cioc L (1) , Simionca I (1) ,
Munteanu C (1) , Hoteteu M (1)
(1) National Institute of Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Balneology,
Bucharest, Romania
delcint@yahoo.com
Introduction and Objectives
Using naturally therapeutic factors for treatment and/or rehabilitation cures of
different respiratory pathologies knows a continuous development in Romania and
elsewhere. The indications and the methodology are still to be well established.
The objective of this study is to standardize and to assure a scientific background
for salt mines rehabilitation therapy (speleotherapy) in patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases (COPD).
Materials and Methods
30 patients (group A) diagnosed with COPD, men and women, ages between 50
and 65 years, without cardiac complication, accepted to be included in this prospective
controlled single-blind study; the matched control group (group B) also included
30 patients. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied for both groups.
The subjects were evaluated before and after the treatment period and after three
months for pulmonary function, effort testing, degree of dyspnea and fatigability,
quality of life, number of exacerbations and number of hospitalizations. The evaluation
and the statistical analysis of recorded parameters were done by independent
individuals.
All the patients were included in a standardized training program (respiratory
training); the subjects from group A received 12 daily salt mines therapy sessions
Results
Statistical analysis showed a significant improvement for the clinical and functional
parameters in the study group, comparing with the baseline data and with the
control group. However, the functional pulmonary testing shows no significant
changes. After 6 months, the number of disease exacerbations was significantly
lower in the study group
Conclusions
The method of speleotherapy proposed by this work for the COPD rehabilitation
seems to be more beneficial for patients’ outcome, on a medium term, than only
respiratory training. Further studies are ongoing for a more precise conclusion
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 334-335
334
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4