Spa treatment – what is it, treatments, indications, contraindications. How to use?

Spa treatment is a form of therapeutic therapy in spa centers offering treatments, spa facilities, specialist care and health education. This form of treatment is recommended for patients who need continuation of treatment in order to further improve their health or rehabilitate them. When is it possible to take advantage of the spa treatment? How to apply for them and what treatments can you take advantage of?

Spa treatment – what is it?

Spa treatment is a complementary treatment intended for people who should continue treatment previously carried out in a hospital or outpatient clinic. This type of therapy may be provided by insured persons upon receipt of an appropriate referral. As part of the spa treatment, therapeutic procedures prescribed to the patient are carried out. In addition, during the stay, the patient enjoys the natural qualities of the area in which the center is located, rests and uses natural methods of strengthening the body.

1. Queue to the sanatorium – how long does it take to stay with the National Health Fund?

Spa treatment time it depends on what kind of therapy we are dealing with. In the case of spa outpatient treatment, 6–18 days may be designated for this purpose. For 21 days, we will take advantage of spa treatment for adults and children, and spa hospital treatment for adults. In the case of spa inpatient treatment of children aged 3-18, the duration of treatment is 27 days. Adults can also count on spa rehabilitation in a spa sanatorium or spa hospital for 28 days.

Spa treatment – treatments

As part of the spa treatment, a variety is available healing and rehabilitation treatmentswhich are to accelerate the recovery process or alleviate disease symptoms. Among the treatments that can be recommended by a doctor during your stay at the spa, we can find:

1. medical massage;
2. water massages, Scottish shower, showers;
3. cryotherapy;
4. ultrasounds;
5. laser therapy;
6. magnetotherapy;
7. electrotherapy;
8. heat- and light therapy;
9. wraps and wraps;
10. inhalations;
11. drinking cures;
12. gymnastics.

Usually, spas also use mineral waters, mud, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, kinesiotherapy and climatotherapeutic stimuli to support the treatment. Other aspects of spa treatment concern the possibility of using the advantages of the location of the health resort, e.g. graduation towers, pump rooms of mineral waters, thermal pools, walking paths and parks.

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Who is the spa treatment recommended for?

Spa treatment is recommended for patients after accidents, illnesses, and those struggling with occupational diseases. Among the indications for spa treatment, there are health problems such as:

1. rheumatological diseases, e.g., juvenile arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis;
2. cardiological diseases, including hypertension, as well as chronic ischemic heart disease, late rehabilitation after a heart attack, heart transplant, or surgery for aneurysms, coronary vessels or valve defects;
3. respiratory diseasesincluding asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
4. neurological diseases, e.g., demyelinating diseases, paralytic syndromes, nerve plexus and spinal root disorders;
5. orthopedic problems and injuries, e.g. the consequences of fractures, sprains, injuries of joints, ligaments, muscles or nerves.

Also read: Nałęczów Health Resort – a Mecca for people with heart diseases

Spa treatment – contraindications

A physician may not qualify a patient for spa treatment for a number of reasons. It is important that the patient is physically fit and sufficiently independent in order to get to the center and use the forms of treatment available there.

Contraindications may also be specific diseases or complications that accompany themeg acute phases of diseases such as infectious osteitis and systemic connective tissue diseases, advanced organ changes due to rheumatoid diseases, epilepsy with frequent seizures, severe conditions or diseases such as tuberculosis during the active period. Before qualifying a patient for spa treatment, a specialist analyzes the full spectrum of potential health conditions that may preclude treatment at a given moment.

How to get spa treatment?

The spa treatment is available to people who have received an appropriate referral from a doctor from the National Health Fund. Such a referral is issued on the basis of a physician’s assessment of the patient’s health. It is necessary taking into account indications and contraindications for spa treatmentand how it can affect your health. It happens that in some diseases, stimulus therapy exacerbates the symptoms, instead of helping.

After obtaining the referral, it is necessary to submit it to the provincial branch of the National Health Fund for approval. At this stage, it will be approved or rejected (if the specialist decides that the spa treatment is not recommended for the patient) – the decision is made by a doctor who deals with medical rehabilitation or balneoclimatology and physical medicine.

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