Staying Healthy
Take a soak for your health
The benefits of tub baths are more than skin deep. Bathing regularly can help ease pain and potentially benefit your heart.
You know that sinking into a warm bath at the end of a long day can help you relax and unwind, but did you know it might also be good for your health? Research shows that using baths as a form of medical therapy, sometimes referred to as balneotherapy (see "Balneotherapy, or bath therapy"), can bring health benefits — among them, easing certain types of chronic pain, helping your skin, and potentially even improving heart health.
Balneotherapy, or bath therapyThe name balneotherapy is derived from the Latin word balneum, or bath. Today, balneotherapy may refer to the use of a typical bath (warm or cold) as a treatment for an illness or condition. However, the term historically and sometimes still refers to mineral baths or mineral-rich mud packs to coat the body. Some medical professionals also consider saunas or steam baths as balneotherapy. |
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