Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Talassotherapy on stroke rehabilitation. Review
of classical contraindications, complications.
Comparison with a traditional Spa in Murcia
Morer C (1-2) , Peñalver I (1-3) , Muela A (4) , Maraver F (2-5)
(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) Institute for Ageing Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Spain
(4) Balneario de Leana. Hot spring spa. Baños de Fortuna. Murcia. Spain
(5) Professional School of Medical Hydrology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
carla.morer@thalasia.com
Introduction and Objectives
Recent cardiovascular events have been a classic contraindication to perform
thermal treatment. However, given the advances in pharmacology for the proper
control of the different variables (blood pressure,glucose, heart rate ...) it may be
revised and also the indication for treatment in neuro rehabilitation for stroke patients
even in very recent phases, as Talassotherapy Centers and Spas offer optimal
conditions for the treatment of these patients based on the premise of early, intensive
rehabilitation and special environmental parameters along the several dimensions
of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
model
Materials and Methods
Forty patients were assessed from three months to 5 years post stroke. Variables
assessed were age, sex, body mass index (bmi), medication, type of stroke, year of
the stroke and complications occurred on two or three weeks intensive rehabilitation
program such as infection, falls, new stroke, skin reactions, cardio respiratory acute
events... that affected or not to the starting or continuation of the spa treatment,
hospital admission or death. Other forty alleatory patients doing a Rheumatologic or
others (non stroke) thermal cure were assessed on a Hot Spring Spa, same items.
Results
On going indexes.
Conclusions
Talassotherapy seems to be safe enough for stroke rehabilitation, further studies
needed. 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 apply-
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 413-414
413
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4