ABSTRACT
Evidence has been provided for acute and long-lasting effects of climatotherapeutic rehabilitation of atopic diseases (neurodermatitis, asthma bronchiale) in moderate altitudes. However, to sustain the climatotherapeutical evidence of psoriasis and non-allergic asthma treatment, controlled studies are required, especially for long-lasting benefits. For other indications of climatotherapy in moderate altitudes (heart and circulatory diseases, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome) the results demonstrate an acute effect. At North Sea and Baltic Sea, the climatotherapeutic effects remain uncertain, especially for the well-known indications such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma. There is evidence for the acute beneficial effects at Canary Islands and long-lasting remissions of Dead Sea climatotherapy and thalassotherapy.
Subject(s)
Altitude , Chronic Disease/rehabilitation , Climatotherapy/methods , Evidence-Based Medicine , Adult , Asthma/rehabilitation , Cardiac Rehabilitation , Child , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Metabolic Syndrome/rehabilitation , Neurodermatitis/rehabilitation , North Sea , Osteoporosis/rehabilitation , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anthroposophic medicine offers a variety of treatments, among others the oil-dispersion bath, developed in the 1930s by Werner Junge. Based on the phenomenon that oil and water do not mix and on recommendations of Rudolf Steiner, Junge developed a vortex mechanism which churns water and essential oils into a fine mist. The oil-covered droplets empty into a tub, where the patient immerses for 15-30 minutes. We review the current literature on oil-dispersion baths. METHODS: The following databases were searched: Medline, Pubmed, Embase, AMED and CAMbase. The search terms were 'oil-dispersion bath' and 'oil bath', and their translations in German and French. An Internet search was also performed using Google Scholar, adding the search terms 'study' and 'case report' to the search terms above. Finally, we asked several experts for gray literature not listed in the above-mentioned databases. We included only articles which met the criterion of a clinical study or case report, and excluded theoretical contributions. RESULTS: Among several articles found in books, journals and other publications, we identified 1 prospective clinical study, 3 experimental studies (enrolling healthy individuals), 5 case reports, and 3 field-reports. In almost all cases, the studies described beneficial effects - although the methodological quality of most studies was weak. Main indications were internal/metabolic diseases and psychiatric/neurological disorders. CONCLUSION: Beyond the obvious beneficial effects of warm bathes on the subjective well-being, it remains to be clarified what the unique contribution of the distinct essential oils dispersed in the water can be. There is a lack of clinical studies exploring the efficacy of oil-dispersion baths. Such studies are recommended for the future.
Subject(s)
Balneology/methods , Baths/methods , Oils, Volatile/administration & dosage , Arthritis/rehabilitation , Autistic Disorder/rehabilitation , Child , Child, Preschool , Chronic Disease , Diabetes Mellitus/rehabilitation , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Neurodermatitis/rehabilitation , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Polyneuropathies/rehabilitationSubject(s)
Chronic Disease/nursing , Nursing, Team , Patient Education as Topic , Pediatric Nursing , Quality of Life/psychology , Asthma/nursing , Asthma/rehabilitation , Child , Chronic Disease/psychology , Chronic Disease/rehabilitation , Combined Modality Therapy , Humans , Neurodermatitis/nursing , Neurodermatitis/psychology , Neurodermatitis/rehabilitation , Patient Care TeamABSTRACT
Health related quality of life (QoL) is a relevant criterion to understand well-being and function in children with chronic health conditions. Approaches to assessing quality of life are presented, based on a revision of the German KINDL questionnaire in the course of rehabilitation in three groups of chronically ill children (with diagnosis of asthma, atopic dermatitis or obesity), aged 8 to 17 years. Psychosocial and sociodemographic characteristics prior to, at the end and 12 months after rehabilitation were also assessed. At baseline, gender-, age- and diagnosis-specific impairments in QoL were found. Over time children improved, most clearly in children with obesity. Psychosocial predictors of QoL one year after rehabilitation were identified. The study shows that QoL assessment in children with chronic conditions is feasible and that children profit from rehabilitation programs. To further assess the QoL benefit in paediatric rehabilitation more studies are needed.
Subject(s)
Asthma/rehabilitation , Neurodermatitis/rehabilitation , Obesity/rehabilitation , Quality of Life/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Asthma/psychology , Child , Chronic Disease , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Neurodermatitis/psychology , Obesity/psychology , Sick Role , Sickness Impact Profile , Surveys and QuestionnairesSubject(s)
Asthma/rehabilitation , Mother-Child Relations , Neurodermatitis/rehabilitation , Rehabilitation Centers/organization & administration , Rooming-in Care/organization & administration , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Germany , Health Resorts , Humans , Infant , Infant, NewbornABSTRACT
Local natural factors, used at a seasonal hospital, are a highly effective means of rehabilitation therapy of children suffering from neurodermatitis, as evidenced by clinical observations and the time course of the immunity and nonspecific defense parameters. A relationship between the efficacy of heliothalassotherapy and the HLA classification of the patients has been revealed.
