Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Thermotherapy applications in spanish resorts
using peloids and parafangos
Armijo F (1-2) , Corvillo I (1-2) , Morer C (2-3) , Maraver F (1-2)
(1) Professional School of Medical Hydrology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
(2) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Medical Hydrology, Faculty
of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
(3) Thalasso Center, San Pedro del Pinatar-Murcia, Spain.
farmijoc@med.ucm.es
Introduction and Objectives
Among the many and varied techniques of heat application used in musculoskeletal
system pathology, the extensive use of peloids and parafangos because
their main appliction is thermotherapy is very outstanding in Spanish resorts 1 .
To assess their thermal behavior it is necessary to measure and in some way
quantify the heat transfer by studying the cooling curves. We use the Rambeau
technique to obtain parameters that allow a comparison between the different
peloids 2 .
OBJECTIVES
Perform heat transfer curves of 6 peloids and 3 parafangos commonly used in
Spanish spas and determine the relaxation time parameters.
Materials and Methods
We used 5 peloids from 5 different Spanish resorts (Murcia, Arnedillo, Caldas
de Bohí, The Fox and Lopagán) and 1 from a Thalassotherapeutic establishment in
Thalasia, Murcia. The muds (parafangos) used are: A (Battaglia), B (Subita), C
(Dauner) 3-4 .
Thermostatic bath LAUDA E100, Thermostatic bath LAUDA model RC-
3,Thermometer Thermocouple Cole-Parmer 91100-50, Polystyrene container 250
cm3 with screw cap and a central hole, Computer and Origin Software.
To perform the heat transfer curves, prepare and fill the container with the sample
eliminating air bubbles.
Introduce the temperature probe through the hole in the centre of the lid and put
the container in a thermostatic bath at 45° C. Once the probe reaches this temperature,
leave the container in the bath during 30 minutes to achieve the thermal homogeneity
of the sample and then take the sample to another thermostatic bath at 36°
C.
Balnea 385
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4
2012, núm. 6, 385-386