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The study was based on thermal spring water at the Avène Hydrotherapy Center in France WATER WAY M
ainly practised in Europe, hydrotherapy can be used to treat diseases such as lower back pain and osteo- arthritis. It also helps to
combat skin disorders – which can have a major impact on the quality of life of suff erers (see below) – and the Avène Hydro- therapy Center in south France is a example of a facility that is dedicated to this. Every year, more than 2,200 children and
adults are referred to the centre, where natu- ral 25.6˚C thermal spring waters (TSW) are used to treat serious skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and burns. T e water at Avène is rich in silicate and trace elements which calm and soſt en the skin; has a low mineral salt content that doesn’t dry out the skin; and has a pH of 7.5 that won’t burn wounds. Now a new study at the centre*, the largest
of its kind, proves just how effi cacious der- matological hydrotherapy can be.
An eight-year study on more than 10,000 people shows that hydrotherapy signifi cantly reduces the severity of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis
THREE-WEEK PROGRAMME
T e study analysed just over 10,000 patients who went to the Avène centre for a three- week treatment programme between 2001 and 2009. T ese included 5,916 atopic der- matitis suff erers and 4,887 with psoriasis. T e patients were representative of people
in the general population who suff er from the diseases. T e average age of those with atopic dermatitis was 18.7 years and there was an even gender split. Psoriasis patients had an average age of 55 years. Hydrotherapy treatment was adminis- tered on six days of the week, with one day
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH SKIN DISEASES
Itching, burning sensations, the appearance of lesions, treatment odour and complex- ity, and the time spent seeing doctors are all characteristics of skin diseases that can impact patients’ quality of life (QoL). However, a 2010 study on 174 adults
and 212 children with atopic dermatitis and psoriasis shows that hydrotherapy
can help. T ey all went on a three-week programme at Avène, France (see above); and a QoL questionnaire focused on patient symptoms, daily activities, per- sonal relationships and treatment. T e QoL had “signifi cantly improved”
in all patients both three and six months aſt er the treatment.
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of rest, for three weeks in total. T e basic programme comprised 20-minute baths at 32˚C, being sprayed with TSW and drinking it. More severe dermatosis lesions were also treated using TSW-based cream – Avène retails its skincare products around the world – localised TSW showers, compresses soaked in TSW and underwater massages.
SIGNIFICANT RESULTS
T e symptoms of atopic dermatitis and pso- riasis was measured at the start and the end of the three-week programme using clinical tools: SCORAD and PASI, respectively. At the end of the programme, the sever-
ity of symptoms was reduced signifi cantly in both sets of patients – by 41.6 per cent in atopic dermatitis suff erers and by 54.4 per cent in people with psoriasis. In fact, dryness and redness of the skin
– which were the most acute problems for atopic dermatitis patients at the start – had decreased signifi cantly by 42.9 per cent and 56.3 per cent, respectively, following the three-week hydrotherapy programme. In addition, 64.3 per cent of psoriasis
patients showed a 50 per cent improvement of the dermatosis at the end of hydrotherapy treatment and 19.5 per cent had a impres- sive 75 per cent improvement. ●
*Merial-Kieny, C et al. Clinical effi cacy of Avène hydrotherapy measured in a large cohort of more than 10,000 atopic or psori- atic patients. JEAD (February 2011).
SPA BUSINESS 4 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
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