Review of polish spas using thermal waters in balneotherapy and healing purposes

Abstract

Thermal waters have been recognized as a source of health and energy since ancient times, and today there is still interest in balneotherapy as a method of treating various diseases, rehabilitation and prevention. In Poland, as many as 12 spa towns use healing thermal waters in their activities. They include: Busko-Zdrój, Ciechocinek, Jelenia Góra-Cieplice, Gołdap, Inowrocław, Iwonicz-Zdrój, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Lądek-Zdrój, Rabka-Zdrój, Uniejów, Ustka and Ustroń. Healing thermal waters are not only used there for medical treatments, because they also supply the brine graduation towers, are the base for the production of cosmetics and are also used in drinking treatments. Uniejów spa is a part of the cascade system, so the healing waters of higher temperature are also used for heating apartments. Depending on the mineral composition of the waters, they can be used in the treatment of, among others: diseases of the musculoskeletal system, rheumatology, osteoporosis, skin diseases, diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, cardiological diseases, diseases of the digestive system, hypertension, obesity, diabetes. All treatments are non-invasive, because the vast majority of them are carried out in the form of bathing, irrigation, inhalation or drinking treatments. The paper also shows the most promising towns in terms of the development of balneotherapy, including Stargard, Pyrzyce, Toruń, Konin and Grudziądz. Balneotherapy in Poland is currently at a difficult time, which is related to the inability to function of many facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a possibility that when the pandemic and its effects are eliminated, balneotherapy and spa treatment will experience a renaissance.