Hot springs have been used by humans around the world for thousands of years. From the earliest days, and even into the modern world, there have been many beliefs around the amazing health benefits of soaking in mineral springs.
From a general point of view, soaking in hot water is known for being incredibly relaxing as well as therapeutic for unwinding tight muscles. But what does the science say?
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1) Pain
In a study from 1997, 91 people, with either lumbar spine, knee, or hip osteoarthritis, took part in spa therapy for 3 weeks. 6 months after soaking in mineral water, the 91 people studied showed improvement in pain, functional impairment, quality of life and they had reduced their intake of pain killers!
This shows that hot springs therapy could be beneficial for osteoarthritic pain! Not only will the hot water unwind tight muscles, it has the potential to unwind the pain from bone-on-bone inflammation.
2) Stress
Another study from 2018 looked at the results from all studies in three databases on balneotherapy (the treatment of disease by bathing in thermal mineral waters) and its effects on patients. They found 8 studies showing a significant change in cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in patients that took part in hot springs therapy!
This supports the age-old understanding that soaking in these hot springs is beneficial to relaxing the mind, as well as the body.
3) Wound Healing
A recent study from 2022 found that when guinea pigs were soaked in hot springs after being wounded (science can be brutal), their wounds healed faster than the guinea pigs that bathed in regular hot water!
The researchers concluded that,
“the wound healing effect of hot springs could be achieved by suppressing inflammation, improving blood flow in the affected area, and supplying abundant amino acids from circulating blood.”
This caveat to this study is that hot springs can be home to dangerous bacteria, such as E. Coli. Do not go into a hot spring with open wounds in the hope that it will heal you quickly, you could be opening the door to a potentially nasty infection.
Before you go into a hot spring, check out this resource for an overview of things to be aware of: Hot Springs – Risk and Safety Tips
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