Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Puente Viesgo’s spa therapy for
parkinsons patients
Gutierrez-Iñiguez M (1) , Rion N (1) , Lopez A (1)
(1) Puente Viesgo's Spa. Cantabria. Spain
mgutierreziniguez@gmail.com
Introduction and Objectives
Balneotherapy in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has always to be considered
from the point of view of no healing but an adjuvant treatment. Spa treatment
is never going to replace pharmacological neither surgical treatment that the
patient is under use. The aim of balneotherapy in these patients, would be improving
functional capability, improving psychological repercussion of the disease (up
to 50% of these patients have depressive symptoms) and therefore, improve the
patient’s quality of life, but the number of Parkinson’s patients that goes to spa
centers is small and this beneficial effect is not well known. The objective of this
study is to evaluate the welcome and the physical and psychological effect of
balneotherapy among PD patients.
Materials and Methods
Eleven patients (n=11) diagnosed with PD, coming from a PD association were
included in the study. The patients attended to our Spa through the Spanish Social
Thermalism Program (IMSERSO). Individuals: 8 men and 3 women, aged between
56 and 80 years old. According to the Hoehn and Yahr Scale the patient’s stage was
from 1 to 4. Five of the patients received thermal pool exercises in addition to
respiratory techniques or showers; the other 6 patients received bathtub in addition
to jets, showers or respiratory techniques. Spa treatment lasted 11 days.
Results
After 11 days of balneotherapy, 73% of the patients (n=8) referred general health
state improvement: n=5 were “better” and n=3 “much better”. 18% (n=2) felt
“equal” than at starting treatment and 9% (n=1) said that was “worse”.
All patients enjoyed with the received thermal treatment: 36% (n=4) enjoyed “a
lot” and 64% (n=7) enjoyed “really much”. None of them dislike the treatment.
Highlight the positive evaluation that patients made of the thermal pool exercises;
some of the patients that received bathtubs told that in future they would like to do
thermal pool exercises. Finally, patients were asked if they considered that received
treatments were appropriate or not for their disease; 54.5% said “very suitable” and
36% said “appropriate”. Only one patient (9%) considered the treatment “inappropriate”
because he felt worst.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 342-343
342
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4