As many of us already know, Romania is one of the European countries with a remarkable spa and health potential. Here are about 1/3 of Europe's mineral and thermal waters. Out of approximately 8000 springs, only 2000 are used, according to data from the World Travel Council report, a body belonging to the World Tourism Organization.

Spa resorts, climatic and balneoclimatic, true centers of health and well-beinghave developed around natural therapeutic factors: mineral, thermal waters, lakes, springs, muds (mineral, sapropelic, peat), natural therapeutic gases (skunk) or salt pans. All these factors can be found either on the coastal beaches (245 km) or in mountainous or rural areas.

The role of resorts spa is to harness the extraordinary potential of natural healing factors, in the form of therapeutic and recovery spa cures, with a very important role in prophylaxis and in maintaining health and quality of life.

Among the natural curative factors, mineral waters have a special therapeutic potential, which can be administered in the form of crenotherapy (internal drinking cure), both for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.

The only one entitled to prescribe the use of mineral water in the form of crenotherapy (dosage, mode of administration) is the medical rehabilitation doctor in the spa resort.

General rules regarding the technique of crenotherapy:

- In the resort, mineral water must be drunk at the spring;

- The prescribed dose of water will be taken in small, repeated sips at a rate of 2-3 per minute;

- Water is usually administered at its natural temperature. Pre-warming is indicated in spastic digestive and biliary forms; atonic constipation and diuresis cures involve the use of cold water;

- The dosing schedule is correlated with mealtimes, generally using three doses per day. The first dose is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, the second before lunch and the last before dinner;

- The recommended dose in 24 hours must be related to the patient's weight; according to the Nièvre (Vichy) formula, the amount of water prescribed in milliliters in a 24-hour period is the patient's weight in kilograms multiplied by 10.

Romania's spa potential is known both at home and abroad. Perhaps we should better realize the therapeutic value of these mineral waters, especially since Napoleon Bonaparte himself asked to be brought to him mineral waters from Caciulata, for the gastric condition he suffered from.

Dr. Gabriela Dogaru

Primary Rehabilitation Physician

Doctor of Medical Sciences

Clinical Hospital of Recovery Cluj-Napoca

U.M.F. "Iuliu Hatieganu" Cluj-Napoca 

The article was published in SPA & Wellness Magazine - September 2014 edition.