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The change of well-being associated with spa therapy
G Strauss-Blasche1, C Ekmekcioglu, N Klammer
1Department of Physiology, University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, A-1090 Wien, Austria. gerhard.strauss-blasche@univie.ac.at
Objective:
The present exploratory study sought to examine the changes of well-being associated with 3 weeks of resort based spa therapy. This is a traditional form of health enhancement incorporating balneotherapy, physical therapies, and health education in an inpatient setting.
Patients And Method:
Subjects were spa patients (n = 153, mean age 58 years) with chronic pain and other age related complaints of moderately higher than normal prevalence. The well-being variables were vegetative complaints, pain, fatigue, positive and negative mood, and health satisfaction assessed at the beginning and end of spa treatment as well as 5 weeks and 12 months thereafter.
Results:
Well-being improved significantly in all variables during spa therapy, the improvement continuing with a slight deterioration at 5 weeks after the stay. After 12 months, vegetative complaints and fatigue had again reached pre-spa levels, whereas pain, positive and negative mood as well as health satisfaction remained improved. Both patients with high and low levels of pain increase their well-being, although pain patients showed greater improvements in some of the measures. Subjects not responding to spa therapy were older and showed less health satisfaction.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that spa therapy may be a powerful tool in enhancing well-being in progressed middle aged adults with common health impairments.