Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Cardiorespiratory response to Thalassotherapy
on stroke patients
Morer C (1-2) , Peñalver I (1-3) , Maraver F (2-4)
(1) Thalasso Center, San Pedro del Pinatar-Murcia, Spain
(2) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Medical Hydrology, Faculty of
Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
(3) University Institute for Ageing Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Spain
(4) Professional School of Medical Hydrology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
carla.morer@thalasia.com
Purpose:
To better delineate medical hydrology intervention programs, knowledge of the
factors that are associated with physical fitness in water and land in stroke survivors
is crucial. This study aimed to predict cardiorespiratory fitness based on standardized
measures along the several dimensions of the International Classification of
Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model at several time intervals in a patients
who had had an stroke (either acute, subacute and chronic). Methods: As a
pilot study, eleven patients were assessed from three months to 5 years poststroke.
A symptom-limited exercise on water was used to assess cardio respiratory fitness.
Outcome variables were Systolic Pressure, Diastolic Pressure and Oxygen conc.
(pulxioximeter). Impairments, activity limitations, participation restrictions, personal
and environmental factors were also assessed. Results: Water exercice seems to
be safer than land exercice for cardiorespiratory fitness on stroke patients rehabilitation.
Functional mobility, body mass index (BMI) and emotional status also contributed
to explain variance. Conclusions: Thalassotherapy, specifically hydrotherapy
on sea water could be a simple and, most importantly, a patient-specific
treatment. We believe that incorporating aquatic therapy into the conventional
rehabilitation program at an early or not stage of treatment, and applying it intensively
on a short period of time ( continuing the land exercise after the treatment),
may be beneficial in improving the effects and outcome on motor recovery and
function. The limitations of this study are the relatively small study population and
the fact that we did not use invasive/imaging cardiorespiratory techniques (eg,
functional magnetic resonance of heard, ultrasound, central catheter…) that might
have more exact results.
References
1. Collen FM, Wade DT, Bradshaw CM. Mobility after stroke reliability of
measures of impairment and disability. Int Disabil Stud 1990;12:6-9.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 411-412
411
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4