The organisation of research on The organisation of research on thermalism in Europe –thermalism in Europe –

The situation in eastern Europe The situation in eastern Europe and Turkeyand Turkey

MM. . ZZeki eki KARAG KARAGÜÜLLELLEDepartment of Medical Ecology andDepartment of Medical Ecology and

HydroclimatologyHydroclimatologyIstanbul Medical FacultyIstanbul Medical Faculty,, Istanbul Istanbul UniversityUniversity

35th Congress of International Society of Medical Hydrology and

Climatology 6-10 June 2006 Istanbul, Turkey

In 1938, the first Medical Hydroclimatology Department has been founded in Istanbul

University

Department of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology of Istanbul

Medical Faculty

• geological and chemical researches on thermal mineral water springs

• clinical and physiological studies in balneology

Department of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology of Istanbul

Medical Faculty• Postgraduate School of Medical

Hydroclimatology.• Medical specialization in Medical Ecology and

Hydroclimatology; a training program of 3-4.5 years of duration including clinical and theoretical training

• Master of Science and PhD programs of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology for MDs, physiotherapists, biologists and meteorologists and so on.

• The balneological treatments in Turkey are mostly indicated for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

• Almost 90% of the Turkish patients, who visit spas by a required prescription or by traditional way, are rheumatic patients.

Balneotherapy and Spa Therapy of Rheumatic Diseases in Turkey: A Systematic ReviewM.Z. Karagülle, M. Karagülle

Research in Complementary and Classical Natural Medicine 2004;11:33-41

Balneotherapy and Spa Therapy of Rheumatic Diseases in Turkey: A Systematic ReviewM.Z. Karagülle, M. Karagülle

Research in Complementary and Classical Natural Medicine 2004;11:33-41

• In these studies the effectiveness and efficacy of different balneological and spa therapies on a variety of rheumatic diseases such as– Osteoarthritis – Rheumatoid arthritis– Fibromyalgia – Ankylosing spondylitis and – Low back pain

could be shown

Atatürk Balneotherapy and Rehabilitation Center, Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey

Atatürk Balneotherapy and Rehabilitation Center, Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey

• Altan L, Bingol U, Aslan M, Yurtkuran M.

The effect of balneotherapy on patients with

ankylosing spondylitis. Scand J Rheumatol. 2006 Jul-Aug;35(4):283-9.

• Yurtkuran M, Yurtkuran M, Alp A, Nasircilar A, Bingol U, Altan L, Sarpdere G.

Balneotherapy and tap water therapy in the

treatment of knee osteoarthritis.Rheumatol Int.

2006 Nov;27(1):19-27.

National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest, Hungary

• Balint GP, Buchanan WW, Adam A, Ratko I, Poor L, Balint PV, Somos E, Tefner I, Bender T.

The effect of the thermal mineral water of Nagybaracska on patients with knee joint osteoarthritis-a double blind study. Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Nov 7; [Epub ahead of print]

• Balogh Z, Ordogh J, Gasz A, Nemet L, Bender T.

Effectiveness of balneotherapy in chronic low back pain -- a randomized single-blind controlled follow-up study. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2005 Aug;12(4):196-201.

Institute "Niška Banja“, Serbia

• Natural factor (thermomineral water, mud, and climate) highly educated, scientific stuff and the contemporary medical equipment make the Institute "Niška Banja" the unique institution for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of rheumatic and cardiovascular diseases.

Institute "Niška Banja“, Serbia

• B N STAMENKOVIC, AM STANKOVIC, JM NEDOVIC, DB DJORDJEVIC, BK LOVIC, AN DIMIC, SK STOJANOVIC: Decreased C- reactive protein in ankylosing spondylitis during the balneotherapy

Chair and Department of Balneology and Metabolic Diseases, L. Rydygier Medical

University in Bydgoszcz, Poland

Conclusions

• Most research has been carried out in Turkey and Hungary that has been published in internationaly indexed peer-rewied journals

• There is a need to reach the results of the studies of other east European countries that have been published in their own journals and language

Perspectives

• We must encourage the east European researchers to publish their studies in international peer-reviewed journals

• We should create an Europoean (international), multilingual data base in Balneology, Medical Hydrology and Climatology