Together, the two concepts - spa yes spa - could bring Romanian tourism to a higher level, provided that things are properly managed at both micro and macro levels.
There is already plenty of evidence that we are "on the right track", and browsing the Ongoing investments You will see this for yourself - one of the clues is the fact that many hotels in spa resorts have been or are being rehabilitated, and the modernization process is constant. In addition, there is a noticeable trend towards equipping spas with spa centers to complement the treatments themselves.
Seen as a whole, the concept of BalneoSPA forms a complete solution, in which the medical foundation and alternative therapies materialize into an attractive final product with high marketability potential.
An interesting exercise is to compare the situation in 1980 with the current one: if about thirty years ago there were about 130 resorts with specific climatic conditions, therapeutic factors and technical facilities for their use, today there are about 160 resorts, of which only 100 are registered with the Ministry of Tourism.
As far as the owners of the spa patrimony are concerned, it can be said that 80% are in the care of private persons, while about 20% are public property and belong to the Ministry of Health.
It is widely accepted that balneology involves the use of water. But its source and chemical processing are problematic. Traditionalists have simplified the definition balneotherapy and concluded that only three characteristics of water are essential (see text box).
In the following, we will present the properties and benefits of the main therapeutic factors in Romania, together with how to administer them and where they can be found (the places can be identified on the map with the corresponding symbols).
Carbonated mineral waters are waters containing at least 1 g of carbon dioxide/liter, formed by the dissolution of volcanic gas in seepage water. Pure carbonated waters are very rare, as they have a high solubilizing capacity of the mineral salts in the rocks they cross on their way to the surface. So, in our country we usually find carbonated-alkaline, alkaline-earthy, ferruginous, chlorinated, sodic, etc.
Administration: internal care;
Digestive, hepato-biliary and urinary diseases can be treated in this way; the effect of the carbonated water cures is to increase pancreatic activity, bile and gastric juice;
This category includes waters with total mineralization below 1 g/l. These poorly mineralized waters are seepage waters with rock circulation containing mineral substances soluble in the seepage water.
Administration: external or internal cure;
In external cures (when the waters are used in pools in which the patient makes directed movement / stretching), this therapeutic factor has proven to be effective in treating: joint inflammation, muscle atrophy, rheumatism, osteoporosis, peripheral nerve disorders, dermatological diseases (through the action of silica) or gynecological disorders. The water is used at a temperature above 20 degrees Celsius.
In internal cures, water can have analgesic, antispasmodic and resolving effects (it reduces inflammation in the body).
They contain at least 1g salts per liter, predominantly sodium bicarbonate and potassium.
Administration: external or internal cure;
External treatment takes the form of aerosols or inhalations and can treat conditions such as chronic rhinopharyngitis, laryngitis or chronic tracheo-bronchitis.
Administered internally, they fluidify pharyngo-tracheo-bronchial secretions and favor detox. Consumed before meals or with food, stimulates gastric secretion and gastric evacuation, increases choleresis (stimulates gallbladder). Taken after meals, neutralizes gastric acidity.
They are characterized by their content in ferrous ions in the form of bicarbonate sulfate or iron chloride.
Administration: internal care;
Water is consumed directly from the spring to prevent oxidation. Ferruginous waters are indicated in hypochromic anemia, physical weakness and convalescence. Contraindications: during the cure, it is not recommended to eat dairy products, acidified products or fruits containing citric acid, as all these foods reduce iron absorption.
They contain predominantly chlorine and sodium.
Administration: internal and external care;
Those with concentrations up to 15g/l (seawater concentration) are used for internal cure (crenotherapy and inhalations), and those with higher concentrations are used in external care (baths, sprays, irrigation).
Internally, they increase gastric secretion and intestinal motility. Inhaled, they decrease the viscosity of secretions and ease expectoration. Vaginal irrigations with chloride-sodium water have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Sulphurous waters contain a minimum of 1 g of H2S, HS or S per liter or colloidal sulphur complexes.
Administration: internal and external care;
Because of the high concentration of sulphur, which imparts an unpleasant taste, sulphurous water cannot be used as drinking water, but only as medicinal water.
The sulphurous waters are indicated both for crenotherapy and for external cure, in the form of baths, inhalations and vaginal irrigations, due to the effects of H2S, which is reabsorbed through the integument and gastric mucous membranes, upper airways, bronchopulmonary and vaginal.
In terms of conditions that can be treated, sulphurous waters improve digestion, have an antitoxic and choleretic effect on the liver, reduce blood glucose and increase diuresis. Therefore, they are indicated for internal treatment in: colitis, hepatitis, cholecystitis, diabetes mellitus, detoxification cures, peripheral edema, etc. In external treatment, they reduce blood pressure, improve cardiac labor and stimulate metabolism.
I iodide waters contain iodine in concentrations of 1-5 mg/liter. They are usually mixed, chloride-sodium. The iodine in the water comes from sedimentary rocks or has its origin in the flora or fauna of the seas of yesteryear
Administration: internal and external care;
In internal treatment, it acts in particular on the thyroid gland and is also indicated in the treatment of Basedow's disease, nodular worms or gout. As an external treatment, its anti-inflammatory effect successfully acts on patients suffering from joint rheumatism, peripheral arteriopathy or dermatologic disorders (eczema, psoriasis).
These mineral waters contain uranium and thorium radioactive elements. Although the concentrations in Romanian waters are below the international limits required to be categorized as radioactive, our waters also successfully treat certain diseases.
Administration: external cure;
They are recommended for treating neuralgia, neuritis or hyperthyroidism.
Contraindications: acute diseases, T.B.C., tumors, pregnancy, epilepsy, mental disorders, hemorrhagic syndrome.
Contains arsenium ions, which come from washing out eruptive rocks.
Administration: internal care;
They are used for their hematoforming effect (restoration of red blood cells), in convalescence, physical debility, anemia, thyroid dysfunction, chronic eczema, psoriasis (because arsenic is eliminated through the skin) or to reduce oxidative metabolic processes in the body.
The characteristics and therapeutic properties of the lakes differ depending on the area in which they are located and the resources related to this region.
There are lakes in Romania whose sodium chloride or magnesium sulfate water is also used for therapeutic purposes. Such lakes are distributed in Campia Romana (Amara, Lacu Sarat-Braila, Balta Alba - Buzau).
Administration: through baths, mud massages, exposure to the sun after the body has been previously namol. Namol can also be applied to affected areas of the body as a compress.
Among the conditions that can be treated in this way are rheumatism, respiratory problems, orthopedic and vascular diseases, gynecological, endocrine and even paralysis.
Contraindications: asthma, diabetes, ulcers, any form of cancer or hepatitis, kidney or cardiovascular disease.
Accumulation of water in the depressions formed by the collapse of old salt mines has given rise to highly concentrated salt lakes (Slanic, Telega, Ocnele Mari, Ocna Dejului, Cojocna, Ocna Mures, Ocna Sibiului, Sovata).
Administration: through the salt lake baths;
Among the conditions that can be treated in this way are: degenerative and diarthritic rheumatic diseases (cervical, dorsal and lumbar spondylosis, arthrosis, polyarthrosis, tendonitis, tendimyositis, scapulohumeral periarthritis).
The treatments are also effective for those who are in a state:
Lake Techirghiol was formed from an ancient liman, separated from the Black Sea by a coastline, and whose water was strongly mineralized by evaporation.
The areas where mud is exploited for therapeutic purposes are distributed in many regions of the country; thus, in the lakes located in Campia Romana, continental sapropelic mud is found, and sapropelic mud is extracted from the lake Techirghiol; fossil sapropelic mud occurs in salt lakes.
Administration: via bai, massages with mud, sun exposure after the body has been previously applied with mud. You can also apply mud to affected areas of the body as a compress.
Diseases that can be treated are dermatological, rheumatism, allergies, acute febrile or chronic diseases, all infectious diseases during the period of contagious and convalescence, contagious venereal diseases, hemorrhagic states, menstruation, pathological pregnancies in any month and normal pregnancies over 3 months, lautiasis, anemia, leukemia, heart failure, liver, kidney, lymphoma or epilepsy.
Contraindications: asthma, diabetes, cancer, ulcers, kidney or cardiovascular diseases.
One of the natural riches our country can be proud of is skunk. Coming from the Latin word "mephitis", which means "stinking emanation", moffets are gas emanations that can occur through cracks in the earth's crust in the final stages of volcanic activity, through drilling, through degassing of mineral waters or can be artificially made.
Administration: the treatments take place in mofetarii (rooms specially arranged in steps, similar to small amphitheaters, so that the therapeutic gases accumulate inside). The gases are continuously discharged from the skunk through outlets which must not be in the direction of the prevailing winds. The patient should be exposed only from the lower part of the trunk downwards, where the beneficial action is exerted. To avoid intoxication, the carbon dioxide level should be checked every half hour with a lighted match.
Before treatment, it is recommended that the patient rest for 5-10 minutes. Any movement, including talking, should be avoided, as the gas, which is denser than air, moves very easily and the patient might inhale it. There should be a break of 4-8 hours between the two daily treatments. The duration of a session should not exceed 20 minutes. For a long-term effect, 10 to 28 days of treatment are needed. Gas baths can be used in particular to treat cardiovascular, dermatological, gynecological and endocrine diseases, as well as some musculoskeletal disorders - chronic degenerative joint rheumatism.
For those suffering from hypertension or high cholesterol. It is also recommended for smokers, people with circulation problems and those who work at low temperatures. It is also known that moffeinar gas also has beneficial effects on potency, being recognized as a very good natural aphrodisiac (it boosts sexual potency in men through the process of vasodilatation).
Very interesting to mention is the fact that in the upper layers of the gases, the concentration of carbon dioxide is much lower, which stimulates the transportation of oxygen to the body tissues, including the brain, which leads to increased intellectual performance. Many famous writers and painters are known to have used gas baths because they gave them bursts of inspiration.
In contrast to the outside air, which is subject to daily and/or seasonal variations, therapeutic saline rooms are characterized by a microclimate with constant physical, chemical and microbiological parameters.
Inside salt pans, there are increased amounts of CO2 and H2S and no air pollutants.
Administration:
The body is exposed to the saline atmosphere for about 30-60 minutes a day, depending on the condition; the number of days of treatment is also determined according to the condition. Among the conditions that can be treated are bronchial asthma in children and adults, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis and rhinosinusitis.
Also, by exposure to the saline atmosphere, respiratory and ENT diseases are alleviated, colds and flu can be prevented, and the airways are cleansed of cigarette smoke particles. The immune system is improved, seasonal allergic reactions are diminished, mineralization and hydration of the cells takes place, and the digestive system is stimulated. Salines are also beneficial for the skin and reduce general levels of stress and fatigue.
Contraindications: Pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic decompensated pulmonary heart disease; heart failure; pulmonary neoplasm; inflammatory and degenerative rheumatism in acute exacerbation; infections; febrile patients; bronchial asthma in crisis.
Phytotherapy is a branch of naturopathic medicine that uses plants and herbal preparations as a means of treating diseases. Herbs are used both internally (juices, teas, decoctions, tinctures, powders) and externally (baths, poultices, enemas). In Romania, there are medical clinics that offer phytotherapy as a way of treating various diseases of patients, providing personalized therapies.
In certain regions of the country, climatic factors make it possible to cure certain diseases.
Via Alpine climate, where the air has an appropriate structure (Arieseni - Alba; Stana de Vale - Bihor; Sangeorgiu de Mures - Mures; Paltinis - Sibiu;), can be treated conditions such as hyperthyroidism and Basedow's disease, secondary anemia, chronic upper respiratory tract influences, bronchial asthma, pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis with evolution towards cure, rickets and chronic infections in children, neurovegetative dystonia of adolescence and menopause, asthenia, pulmonary sequelae, benign hyperthyroidism and overwork.
Administration: physical exercise or "spot cure" (it has a lasting effect on the body through changes in blood composition, gas and mineral metabolism, increased respiratory volume, pulse rate and blood pressure).
Contraindications: high high blood pressure, uncompensated heart, lung or kidney failure, infectious diseases, even banal states of malnutrition.
Subalpine climate (Baile Tusnad - Harghita, Borsa - Maramures; Durau - Neamt; Cheia - Prahova; Valcea - Voineasa; Balvanyos - Covasna; Campulung Moldovenesc - Suceava) is recommended in convalescence after pulmonary tuberculosis, namely for pleurisy, chronic bronchopulmonary inflammation, pulmonary emphysema, compensated cardiovascular diseases or neurasthenic mental states.
Administration: exposure to climatic factors, outdoor exercise.
Walks and physical exercises in strongly ionized air (over 2000 ions per cubic centimetre; in Baile Herculane - Caras-Severin; Geoagiu Bai - Hunedoara; Oglinzi - Neamt) help us to improve the general state of the body. Aeroions can act on the body in two ways: either by entering the lungs with the inhaled air or by acting directly on the skin.
Aeroionization has also been shown to be helpful for people suffering from endocrine disorders, migraines or migraines. insomnia.
The marine climate treats and prevents chronic inflammations in the ENT sphere, lung diseases, chronic rheumatic diseases, chronic gynecological diseases, rickets and debility in children, as well as depressive states.
Contraindications: cardiac and renal insufficiency, latent infectious diseases, psychoaffective agitation, states of weakness or chronic fatigue.
Update 2025:
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