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Diseases that can be treated at Herculane!

What are the most important natural healing factors of the resort?

The main therapeutic factor consists of mineral waters, indicated for both external and internal treatment. Besides these springs, there are also boreholes in the resort through which deep thermal waters are brought to the surface. From a chemical composition perspective, the waters are chlorinated-sodium, calcareous, saline, sulfurous, and have a low level of radioactivity, which is very beneficial in treatment. The climate of the resort is continental-moderate, and due to the local conditions – being situated in the Cerna Valley, between the Mehedinți Mountains and the Cerna Mountains, at an altitude of 160 meters – it has Mediterranean influences, being on the same parallel as Venice and Nice. Within the local climate, the negative ionization of the air plays a significant role. It has been established that negative ions have multiple beneficial effects on the body: they quickly restore respiratory and circulatory parameters disrupted by effort; they increase the body’s resistance to effort and stress; they induce a state of biological comfort. At Băile Herculane, air cures and sunbaths are also practiced, all of which positively influence any ailment. Additionally, terrain cures can be undertaken, recommended especially for locomotor diseases, on trails with different slopes and level curves, which are indicated to patients based on their condition and its stage.

What therapeutic indications do these natural healing factors have?

Considering the profile of your magazine and the large readership, among which there are many doctors, I would like to take this opportunity to broadly publicize the diseases that can benefit from effective natural treatments at Băile Herculane, noting that this medical information is not available elsewhere and it would be a shame for it to be lost.

Diseases of the Locomotor System

Inflammatory Rheumatism

  • Arthralgia after acute articular rheumatism, without clinical and biological signs of evolution
  • Secondary infectious rheumatisms (after the sanitation of the focus and with ESR below 30)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (outside acute periods, with ESR below 30, in stages II and III, biologically stabilized, classic forms with moderate inflammatory activity, especially in early stages, in remission phases, without irreversible articular deformities)
  • Ankylosing spondylitis (with normal temperature and ESR below 30, without signs of acute evolution and systemic complications)

Degenerative Rheumatism

  • Arthrosic diseases of the lower limbs and the sacroiliac girdle
  • Arthroses of the hands and the scapulohumeral girdle

Degenerative Diseases of the Spine

  • Cervical spondylosis and cervical discopathies in the form of syndromes
  • Dorsal and lumbar spondyloses and discopathies

Inflammatory or Degenerative Abarticular Rheumatic Diseases

  • Abarticular suffering of the lower limbs: foot tenosynovitis, bursitis, plantar aponeurosis, talalgia, painful foot deformities, flat foot, hollow foot, hammer toes, hallux valgus, metatarsalgia
  • Articular suffering of the upper limbs: scapulohumeral periarthritis, painful shoulder, acute hyperalgic painful shoulder, mixed shoulder, blocked shoulder, pseudoparalytic shoulder, tendinitis
  • Abarticular suffering of the spine (cervicobrachial neuralgia, intercostal neuralgia, vertebral sciatica)

Post-traumatic Conditions

  • Post-traumatic joint stiffness or after immobilization, operated hip, post-traumatic algodystrophy, post-traumatic arthroses of the hip or shoulder, post-traumatic peripheral nerve injuries, suffering after tendon injuries, circulatory and trophic disorders after healed fractures, post-traumatic vertebral sequelae without medullary injuries, vertebral pain from various causes (capsulo-ligamentous discopathy, radicular, osteoligamentous, muscular), limited mobility, vertebral insufficiency due to muscle deficit or imbalance.

Nervous System Diseases

Peripheral Neurological Disorders

  • Post-traumatic paralysis and paresis of the limbs, polyneuritis of various causes (after the acute phase), polyradiculoneuropathies in the sequelae phase, “horse tail” syndrome, late sequelae after poliomyelitis.

Central Functional Neurological Disorders

  • Cured asthenic neurosis, for relapse prophylaxis.

Postural Defects in Children and Young People

  • Head tilted forward, shoulder blades distant from each other, from the spine or rib cage, rounded back, drawn shoulders, pelvis tilted forward, prominent abdomen, tendency to flatten the arch of the foot. All these conditions should be addressed before the formation of permanent deformities.

Associated Diseases

In addition to major indications, in many cases, patients simultaneously suffer from associated diseases, which can benefit from treatment at Herculane.

  • Convalescence after acute and chronic diseases
  • Diseases of the digestive tract and associated glands: chronic hypoacid gastritis, chronic duodenitis, functional constipation, chronic functional diarrhea, chronic colitis, biliary tract suffering after chronic epidemic hepatitis (clinically and biologically cured), chronic hepatitis, hepatoses after mercury, lead, etc. poisoning, biliary dyskinesia, sequelae after biliary tract surgery
  • Urinary tract diseases: functional renal disorders – albuminuria, chronic cystopyelitis, urinary stones, sequelae after urinary tract surgery
  • Cardiovascular diseases: arterial hypotension, states after thrombophlebitis (6 months after onset, with normal ESR and temperature)
  • Dermatological diseases: chronic eczema, acne, pruritus, prurigo, keloids, urticarial syndrome, pityriasis, pyoderma, folliculitis, scalp seborrhea, Quincke’s edema
  • Endocrine diseases: thyroid, ovarian, pituitary, testicular, adrenal, parathyroid hypofunctions
  • Gynecological diseases: chronic vaginitis, chronic colpitis and cervicitis, chronic metroadnexitis, chronic parametritis and perimetritis, chronic pelviperitonitis, female genital trichomoniasis, functional menstrual disorders (amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, polymenorrhea, hypermenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, hypomenorrhea), pelvic neuralgia, premenstrual syndrome, sterility caused by moderate genital hypoplasia, with moderate hormonal disorders
  • Nutritional diseases: obesity, type II diabetes, gout, ochronosis, alkaptonuric rheumatism
  • Respiratory diseases: chronic tracheobronchitis, tonsillar hypertrophy, chronic sinusitis, chronic allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, chronic pharyngitis and laryngitis
  • Articular manifestations after prolonged medication treatments (synthetic antimalarials, local corticosteroid therapy, tuberculosis chemotherapy, etc.)
  • Occupational diseases: pneumoconiosis (silicosis, asbestosis, anthracosis – uncomplicated forms, in early stages), sequelae after professional heavy metal poisoning: mercury, lead, arsenic, manganese; occupational diseases caused by vibrations, mechanical tremors, microtraumas, etc.

For what diseases are the waters indicated for internal cure?

Few people know that the waters of the Igeea spring have a composition similar to the springs of Olănești, used for curative purposes for kidney diseases. I would also like to highlight the valorization by the National Mineral Water Company of the Domogled spring, which was used even by the Romans. Following research conducted by doctors from Băile Herculane on the therapeutic effects of the water, it was found that due to its very low mineralization, it can be used internally for pyelonephritis conditions, as it achieves a washing of the urinary tract. Patients suffering from kidney stones are positively influenced by the flat water cure of the Domogled spring. Similarly, those with hypertension benefit: it reduces sodium levels and, consequently, blood pressure. It is also indicated for biliary dyskinesia and stomach disorders. The water cannot be contaminated as it comes from a deep source that cannot be influenced by rainwater, for example. It is microbiologically pure water, with a high flow rate, which can ensure bottling and marketing. The spring is captured in sterile conditions and is marketed under the name Herculane Mineral Water.

Is it recommended to repeat these cures for certain diseases?

Yes, the treatment is repeated annually. To consolidate the effects of the cure, medical practice recommends three consecutive years. After that, a break of up to five years can be observed.

Although Băile Herculane no longer looks like it once did, it still has highly valuable therapeutic resources that it would be a shame not to take advantage of. Ignore the disinterest of those who should take care of preserving these inestimable natural riches and go to Băile Herculane for your body and soul.

Source: Interview with Dr. Iancu Gogăltan, www.formula-as.ro