Contents
“Thalassos” in Greek means sea. Thalassotherapy, or sea therapy, is a treatment method that uses seawater, sea air, sand and sun. Seawater is far richer in minerals and trace elements than fresh water and has a beneficial effect on circulation, metabolism, immunity and hormonal balance.
In brief
- Sea therapy includes bathing in the sea, sunshine, dry hot sand and sea air.
- It helps with skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, as well as allergies and respiratory ailments.
- Walking in the shallows is ideal for varicose veins.
- There are serious contraindications — see them below and consult a doctor.
How seawater works
Hippocrates himself, the father of medicine, noticed that seawater healed the injured hands of fishermen and began recommending it to his patients for pain relief. The sea contains minerals in the form of salts and dissolved gases — nitrogen, oxygen, helium — as well as microplankton. Its constituents penetrate the skin by osmosis and benefit the entire body.
- The skin — minerals make it smoother and more resilient and help with eczema and psoriasis.
- The airways — the air above the sea foam holds countless tiny droplets; when inhaled, they clear the nose, throat and bronchi.
- The veins — walking along the shore in the shallows is ideal for varicose veins.
- Metabolism — seawater affects the nervous system, normalises carbohydrate and fat metabolism and the function of the adrenal glands.
That is why many resorts in Bulgaria and around the world offer seawater baths, and a seaside holiday is among the most highly recommended for your health.
Sun, sand and sea air
The sea climate acts on the body in a comprehensive way — through the warmth, the chemical composition and the radiation of the air and water. Sea therapy is based on bathing in the sea and contact with dry hot sand. Together, the sun, clean air and water have a powerful physiotherapeutic effect.
When sea therapy is contraindicated
Absolutely: malignant conditions, skin cancer, active tuberculosis, recent heart attack, persistent arterial hypertension.
Only after consulting a doctor: arrhythmia, thrombophlebitis, advanced atherosclerosis.
Follow the rules for sun exposure — this way the effect will be at its best.
The sea — nature’s own treatment centre
Balneotherapy and mud therapy in Bulgaria
Since the dawn of humankind, water has been both an inspiration and a healer — of body and soul alike. Bulgaria is rich in mineral springs of varied origin and composition. In the mountain and seaside resorts, balneotherapy is combined with climate therapy. Since ancient times, towns have grown up around the springs — Augusta (Hisarya), Desudava (Sandanski), Pautalia (Kyustendil), Serdica (Sofia) — and today these are modern resorts.
Mud therapy is also well developed — in Pomorie, Pavel Banya, Hisarya, Kyustendil and Sapareva Banya. Mud baths hydrate the skin, relieve pain, halt inflammatory processes and aid tissue recovery. Read more about mud baths.
Thanks to a combination of natural phenomena, a favourable climate and an enormous variety of leisure options, the balneotherapy, spa and wellness resorts offer a full range of programmes for relaxation, recovery and improved health. Mineral water — varying in origin, degree of mineralisation and chemical composition — benefits both body and mind.
Spa and wellness therapy helps you achieve physical and mental balance through a combined approach: water and cosmetic treatments, restorative and therapeutic care, sport, active leisure, anti-stress treatments and healthy eating. Mud and water baths, sauna, jacuzzi, steam bath, massage, therapy with music, colour and aroma — proven methods that restore your sense of wellbeing.
Mud baths are a popular way to relax completely and restore your energy. Peat and therapeutic mud strengthen the immune system and saturate the tissues with oxygen.
In balneotherapy resorts, the treatment comes from the mineral waters and therapeutic mud; in spa centres — from anti-stress programmes, drinking mineral water and aromatherapy. You can also choose a massage with honey, chocolate, seaweed, essential oils or volcanic stones. The wellness setting adds music, aromas, air and the energy of the earth, all brought together as one.
The sea at home
If you cannot get to the seaside, you can bring a piece of it home: baths with Black Sea lye contain the minerals of seawater in a many times greater concentration.
Source: prirodo-lechenie.blogspot.bg
About Luga.bg
Maker of natural products with Black Sea lye and liman mud from Pomorie. We have been writing about lye, mud and sea minerals since 2015 — with doctors, physiotherapists and our own experience.
