Mud therapy also helps with cellulite
Interview with Dr Antoaneta Grozeva from 24-07-2014 for the “Chernomorski Far” newspaper
Dr Antoaneta Grozeva is a senior assistant professor at the Medical College in Burgas and also works as a mud therapy consultant for various hotels and treatment centres in Pomorie. For 30 years she has been studying the properties and qualities of Pomorie mud.
In her words, when the mud is applied sensibly, according to the rules and by well-qualified specialists, it has proven therapeutic properties. If, however, it is not used correctly, it can do considerable harm to the body. For this reason people should be careful where they undergo their treatment – whether at a reputable health establishment with good health professionals, or somewhere along the shore, where the risks are many. We spoke to her live on Power FM radio during the Power FM–Faragency.bg Summer Tour 2014.
– Dr Grozeva, which illnesses and complaints does Pomorie mud help with?
– The mud helps against many conditions, the largest group being all disorders of the musculoskeletal system – osteoarthritis and arthritis, which almost everyone complains of at some point. The other large group covers the various diseases of the peripheral nervous system, radiculitis and plexitis. Pomorie is no less well known for the treatment of infertility in couples – various problems in men and women that make conception impossible. These also respond well to Pomorie mud. Last but not least, the mud is increasingly used for cosmetic purposes too, since it has a beneficial effect on the skin and hair. Recently we have observed that it boosts the metabolism, and this in turn has a very good effect on problems such as cellulite. There are many conditions that respond to therapeutic mud, provided it is applied by specialists.
– Is there any difference between Pomorie and Burgas mud?
– In principle, the mud found by the sea is liman mud, so the differences are minimal. There is such mud to the north, even in Romania, as well as at Shabla, Balchik, near Rusalka and in Varna Lake. Pomorie mud, however, is famous because here we have good treatment centres with good specialists.
– Which conditions is the mud beneficial for, and for which is it contraindicated?
It depends on the method applied. We specialists, for example, work with different temperatures, different durations and different intervals between procedures. With coxarthrosis, for instance, the slow method is preferred, avoiding high temperatures. The mud is beneficial, but it must be applied by specialists. Indiscriminate soaking in the mud carries risks, especially in summer when the sun is strong: if the body stays in a highly saline solution for more than 20 minutes, serious problems arise in the body’s haemodynamics and this can lead to a heart attack or other serious complications.
– Since your work involves consulting patients, what do people most often come to you for in connection with mud therapy?
– Patients, especially Russian tourists, greatly value our mud therapy, and what we have observed over the past few years is that they use it preventively as well – not only for themselves but for their children too. This is not so typical of Bulgarian patients. They come for treatment only as a last resort. Recently we have seen very good results in children suffering from tonsillitis, sinusitis and otitis. It is the Russians in particular who insist on being advised by a specialist.
– Since the mud also helps in the fight against cellulite, can it help us avoid the scalpel?
– Of course. Mud applications have a very good effect on cellulite and in weight-loss programmes. They stimulate the processes in the fatty tissues, get the lymph moving and relieve congestion in those tissues, and the effect is very good. This is not only our observation. I recently attended a world congress in Japan. There the Italians also presented very good results on the use of mud for weight loss and anti-cellulite treatments.
– What effect does the mud have on the face; is it recommended for cosmetic procedures?
– The mud has an excellent cosmetic action. After a mud treatment the skin becomes soft as velvet. We have many years of experience in treating acne scars, psoriasis, eczema and other conditions. That is precisely where the good cosmetic action of the mud comes from, since it also helps with hair loss and with various skin diseases, and its effect is very good.
– What are the latest developments in cosmetic products made from mud?
– Precisely because mud cannot retain its therapeutic properties, a number of cosmetic products with Dead Sea mud have been created worldwide. In Bulgaria, however, such products are not yet manufactured, since the very use of the mud for such purposes requires a permit from the Ministry. On the other hand, there are numerous products based on lye, because lye does not lose its therapeutic qualities over time. Many products are made from Burgas lye and Pomorie lye, such as massage gels, massage oil and others.
– And to what extent does extracted mud, which some people take home for personal use, lose its properties?
– Mud is a very complex physical and chemical product with many components, enzymes and biologically active substances, most of which oxidise on exposure to air. In such a case the therapeutic properties of the mud are halved within just a few days. That is why mud baths are recommended at the places where the mud is extracted. Good mud is black with a slightly greyish tint, which shows that it is not oxidised and is fresh. The mud found on the shore of the lake, which patients coat themselves with, has been exposed to the air for varying lengths of time and is contaminated. That is why it is not beneficial to apply it to the body.
– How often should we undergo such procedures in order to feel our best?
– As a rule it is good to undergo mud therapy twice a year, with a minimum of 10–12 procedures for it to be effective. As you can appreciate, over the past 20 years, for various reasons, people have not had this opportunity. As a result the effect of mud therapy has declined sharply, since people come for one week and want to achieve what should take 20 days. With a serious diagnosis and serious problems, it is good to have a course of mud therapy twice a year with at least 10 procedures, or one course of 10–12 procedures combined with appropriate physiotherapy, therapeutic exercise and massage – and then the results are very good.
– The Russians are known for their obsession with healthy living, which is why they favour Pomorie. Is this trend of theirs rubbing off on Bulgarians?
– In Bulgaria we have a great many mineral springs, but unfortunately Bulgarians do not value what they have. That is why they come to us only as a last resort. The Russians, although they do not have the natural resources we do, value natural methods of treatment. Even so, in the 21st century people are turning more and more to natural methods of treatment, turning their backs on antibiotics and standard treatments, going back to nature and seeking health in nature.
Source: faragency.bg, interview with Dr Antoaneta Grozeva, 24-07-2014.
