Overview of spa and wellness procedures

David Becher, Jean de Carro and other prominent physicians can be credited for balancing the spa therapy. Today's Karlovy Vary treatments involve pleasant walks through the spa colonnades and forest roads, the use of water directly at the sources, special diet and of course the various procedures that are often used in various wellness programs too.

Below you will find a brief description of selected curative and wellness procedures. You will also learn something about the development of Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) treatments and about the early, sometimes drastic curative procedures.

“Let your worries drift away”

Actually it was Charles IV who was the first to take the baths shortly after the discovery of the first hot spring. Since then and over the next 200 years, the Karlovy Vary thermal water was used exclusively for this purpose. Such a medieval bath involved up to ten hours of soaking the body or its parts. The intent was to crack the skin in order to “wash out the pollutants” from the body. These drastic methods lasted until the 16^th century.

The 21st century baths usually last for about half an hour. The baths use only thermal spring water (72 °C), which for the purposes of baths is cooled to about 40 °C. Other sources are used for the drinking cures.

“The Becher drinking cure”

Water began to be taken internally only in the 16^th century. Credit for that goes to Dr. V. Payer, who described this method in his book on the Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) treatments. The drinking cure used to be carried to the extremes. The recommended daily dose was often more than five litres. Dr. David Becher, who can be credited with balancing the spa treatments, has put an end to that.

Since that time the spa guests drink no more than 1 litre a day. The drinking cure is based on 12 springs. The so-called 13th spring - Becherovka should be consumed at your discretion, but always in moderation.

Ten rules of the Karlovy Vary drinking cure

The Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water is a complex, highly concentrated mixture of natural substances. It is not suitable for continuous or uncontrolled use.

• It is recommended that the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water is consumed only after consultation with a spa physician with the necessary qualification.
• To achieve the highest therapeutic effect, it is recommended that you consume the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water in the vicinity of springs.
• It is also recommended to drink the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water from the traditionally-shaped porcelain or glass cups.
• The therapeutic cure should not be combined with alcohol drinking or with smoking of tobacco products. The passive inhalation of tobacco smoke is harmful also.
• The drinking cure should also include exercise. Therefore it is recommended that you drink the water while walking at the slow pace.
• The drinking cure should proceed with the peace of mind, without a hurry and in a complete relaxation.
• It is recommended to repeat the drinking cure according to the schedule prescribed by your physician.
• The drinking is a small celebration during which you must not disturb other clients.
• Mineral water can’t be used to water plants around you and it should not be poured on the floor in the colonnade area.
• Due to the health reasons you should not touch the spring stand and outflow pipes when you are taking the water from the spring vase.

“H₂O – what a powerful molecule!”

The other procedures you will come across in Karlovy Vary make use of the pressure and temperature of water in the liquid and gaseous state.

“Relax please!”

Massages are a commonly used method in the balneology. It is a suitable supplement for the treatments of locomotor and lymphatic system. It also has beneficial effects on the nervous system. Massages promote overall body relaxation.

“Recharge your body again!”

This spa therapy uses the beneficial effects of electricity on the human body. Using special electrodes, the electric current is supplied to the body in short impulses. There is nothing unpleasant about this method, it has a relaxing effect and what is the most important, it cures.

And God said “Let there be light!”

When the doctor will prescribe you therapy with light, perhaps you may feel sceptical a bit. But these feelings are definitely not correct. This therapy uses the light of different wavelengths or the parts of its spectrum.

“Warm up your joints!”

A pleasant warming of your body parts has a positive effect on the locomotor system.

“Weightlessness will improve your health”

The spa hotels provide modern and time-tested treatment methods. Some of them are based on the new medical knowledge. Therapeutic factor is in the specific movements, oxygen, special additives or the temperatures well below freezing. Others are based on administering the mineral water “through other body openings”.