“For too long, thermal medical treatments have been perceived as a superfluous practice but it is time to review this image”, said Fausto Bonsignori, president of the Italian Association of Thermal Medicine and scientific coordinator of the Master in Thermal Medicine at the University of Pisa.
“We need to overcome the fear that comes from contaminating health actions with well-being: spas have a great therapeutic value for many diseases and many scientific studies demonstrate this. Spa treatments are therapies, often without side effects, widely used for decades for the treatment of chronic diseases, for example inflammatory and rheumatic disorders, recognized as valid also by the World Health Organization. Furthermore, in recent years there are more and more studies and research that are gradually demonstrating the scientific foundations of spa treatments.
Bonsignori added: “Thermal treatment courses can represent an alternative to hospitalization, especially for people suffering from chronic diseases, they allow the reduction of the use of drugs and, finally, they are an excellent prevention tool by strengthening, also through psychophysical well-being, the body’s defense capabilities. Of the 317 thermal establishments present in Italy (2023 data), over 90% are accredited with the National Health Service: structures that have great importance for the economy of some territories and that at the same time represent an important resource for the health of the population”
