Thermal muds: perspective of innovations

Pelotherapy is the application of thermal muds ("peloids") for recovering muscle-bone-skin pathologies; more recently such old practice has received applications also for wellness and relax purposes. Thermal muds are hydrothermal or hydrothermalized pastes produced by primary or secondary mixing of clayey (geo)materials with salty thermo-mineral waters, accompanied by organic materials produced by the biological-metabolic activity of microorganisms growing during the so-called "maturation" process. Many spa-centres have been using peloids occurring in-situ, but natural reserves are going exhausted; therefore, thermal muds are currently prepared by maturation of tailored clayey raw ("virgin") materials mixed with salty thermo-mineral waters gushing out in-situ. Various factors are ruling the quality of a peloid: virgin clay, thermo-mineral water and maturation procedure. Nowadays pelotherapy is being more-and-more focused on specific pathologies and treatments; such innovative health applications need a "certification" of the peloids suitability. Worse applications of thermal mud could produce non-beneficial effects. or cause relapse. It is suggested to set up a Network of specialized laboratories for the certification after standard criteria of the quality and suitability of peloid muds, and to appoint an European Master. Degree for assisting the physicians in selecting the peloids in view of treatments focused on different pathologies. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.