Dermatite atopique : impact de l’hydrothérapie sur la qualité de vie

Therapeutic patient education: the Avène-Les-Bains experience

Originally developed to improve the management of serious chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, asthma and as aftercare following oncological treatments, therapeutic patient education (TPE) has been extended to other situations, including chronic dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the development, implementation and evaluation of TPE at the Avène-Les-Bains Hydrotherapy Center, France.

The Role of Thermal Water in Chronic Skin Diseases Management: A Review of the Literature

The benefits of thermal water in different diseases have been known since ancient times. Over the past decades, a re-assessment of the use of mineral water for the treatment of several pathologic conditions has taken place around the world. Today, water therapy is being practiced in many countries that have a variety of mineral springs considerably different in their hydrogeologic origin, temperature, and chemical composition. Thermal water and balneotherapy offer several advantages: this approach needs no chemicals or potentially harmful drugs; there are almost no side effects during and after treatment, and there is a low risk to the patient’s general health and well-being. However, it is difficult to evaluate the efficacy of this therapeutic approach in clinical practice due to the complexity of molecular mechanisms underlying its efficacy. Here we review the current knowledge of the chemical, immunological, and microbiological basis for therapeutic effects of thermal water with a specific focus on chronic inflammatory skin diseases. We also describe recent evidence of the major dermatologic diseases that are frequently treated by balneotherapy with a remarkable rate of success. Moreover, we discuss the potential role of balneotherapy either alone or as a complement to conventional medical treatments.