SPA – TECHNOLOGIES IN RESTORATIVE MEDICINE AND BALNEOLOGY: STATE AND FUTURE TRENDS OF DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

1. presence of maritime climate, seawater and other products drawn from sea or created on the basis of seawater, seaweed, mud.
2. all health-improving and therapeutic thalassotreatments should be prescribed and controlled by experienced personnel namely by physiotherapist, rehabilitologist, if it’s necessary – by diet – doctor, trainer in remedial gymnastics, psychologist;
3. location of centres using thelassomethods should be not further than 1000 m from the sea shore.

Maritime climate is the main therapeutic factor of thalassotherapy. According to researches of Russian and foreign scientists the quantity of sea air ions that form microclimate decreases within the distance from 1000 m to 2000 m. Hypoallergic maritime air according to European criteria should be guaranteed by the absence of industrial areas and other air polluting objects. First of all natural solar radiation should be used. All the programs of thalassotherapy foresee the usage of climatetherapy and kinesitherapy. Diettherapy in European thalassotherapy centers includes wide range of seafood, vegetable, fruit dishes. SPA-centers  introducing this program or taking the status of thalassotherapeutic centers use sea salt, seaweed, mud, sand for carrying out of SPA treatments. The above given criteria are European standards which can be completed in Ukraine by different methods taking into account specificity of the center and climate peculiarities.

Another perspective for our resorts SPA trend is landscapetherapy. This is a health improvement by the influence of nature beauty, murmur of the forest, noise of the sea. Thus, for example, unique abilities of landscapetherapy of Crimea peninsula are integral zest of SPA-industry of the region.

Winetherapy is one of the brightest, the most exclusive SPA trends in Ukraine. Winetherapy as SPA trend is a French invention. Usage of vine derivatives (vine leaves, wine yeast, wine-stone oilgrape cover, grape extract, juice, wine) is in its basis. At the end of the last century it was proved that vine products have unexcelled anti-oxidant action, improve immunity and protective skin functions. Winetherapy influences vascular permeability, carries prophylaxis of atherosclerosis, has bactericidal and antiviral action. Nowadays “Caudalie”, France is the center of winetherapy although abilities for creation and prosperity of winetherapeutic SPA-centers in South regions of Ukraine exceed potential of European centers. It is connected not only with variety and richness of vineyards of the region, presence of winemaking traditions but also with the possibility of winetherapy on the basis of multiple-discipline sanatorium-and-spa institutions and SPA-centers, applied together with other natural factors of the region.

Nowadays aromatherapy is the most popular all over the world. Effect spectrum of essential oil is wide and varied but first of all antiseptic actions and ability to maintain psychical equilibrium and keep fit are distinguished. Efficiency of aromatherapy is determined by a great range of factors: quality of essential oil, its accurate selection in every individual case taking into account individual peculiarities of organism and specific features of disorders, method of the usage.

The majority of SPA treatments are combined with aromatherapeutic ones. Aromatreatments for SPA-programs themselves and are used in integrated cosmetological and health improving SPA as well. A new trend neuroaromatherapy is created.

Apitherapy is a trend of SPA-industry where honey and products of apiculture are used. Originality of effect of apitherapy on human organism and pleasure from taking SPA – treatments with the usage of honey determine undying popularity of this SPA trend. In general, honey, royal jelly, wax are used in apitherapeutic treatments. Programs and treatments of apitherapy are used for correction of somatoform disorders and depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, cure of diseases of peripheral nervous system, adiposity, rejuvenation and improvement of skin properties.

Stonetherapy is a promising trend of SPA-industry in Ukraine. Specific features of natural resources of regions allows using various types of worked up and non worked up stones for stone-massages, stone-therapy, baths with hot stones.

Galotherapy is a favourable influence of microclimate of salt caves on the human organism. Relaxation programs (audio psychoemotional correction) can be additionally used, their usage is based on the usage of volumetric light and dimensional sound.

SPA-technologies don’t have direct negative effect on the human organism especially if it is one time visit. They are well combined with way of life of practically every person. However, SPA is first of all a health care. That’s why it’s important that patient is supervised by the doctor who is responsible for working up of SPA complexes, combinability of treatments with each other and consecution of their prescription. It is especially important with course treatment. Exactly such approach allows benefiting from SPA, having the best result no harming the health state.

In native physiotherapeutic literature one can find descriptions of analogues of many kinds of modern SPA-equipment: hydromassage bath, different shower bath units, SPA-capsule is one of the exceptions. SPA-capsule has health-improving and cosmetic properties, can combine in itself functions of infrared camera and sauna with functions of aromatherapy, hydromassage, vybrotherapy, ozone therapy, chromotherapy, music therapy. Besides, it allows taking thalassotherapy that includes wrappings with seaweeds, fangotherapy and etc. Supplement of SPA-programs with physiotherapeutic treatments permits to improve efficiency of SPA and prolong the received result.

Kinesitherapy is a treatment with the help of kinesis (a patient does the same movements many times and makes them perfect influencing system of muscle, ligaments, and joints). Kinesitherapy is SPA method permitting to discover and exclude psychoemotional cause practically of any psychosomatic disorder, relieve organism quickly and effectively from consequences of experienced stress but kinesitherapy is nothing else but a variant of complex application of curative and respiratory gymnastics, hydrokinesitherapy.

Music therapy, art-therapy, autotraining, dance, color therapy belong to methods of psychotherapeutic influence applied in SPA. Music therapy is a psychotherapeutic method based on curative effect of music on psychological state of the person. By passive treatment patients are proposed to listen to different compositions with the purpose to achieve definite emotional, including aesthetic, pain that should stimulate person’s deflection from these or those problems. Color therapy is based on the fact that any of biologically active zones of organism reacts on one of the colors. Influence of definite color allows resolving of functional state of organism. Application of art-therapy and dance is more effective with patients suffering from adiposity, psychosomatic disorders and people of elderly age.

The usage of holistic approach is one of founding SPA principles. Both useful materials that are in natural medication and positive impulses, which we perceive via organs of sense, are equally important for health state. Holistic cares in SPA are aimed at the fact that recovery processes and revitalization are accompanied by immediate perception by organs of sense of positive information. Holistic approach is a total conception of health, natural way to productive life. Holistic SPA – cares combine in themselves traditions of ancient healing and modern technical achievements, traditions of East and West. Holistic techniques are united by one common idea: a man is a single whole. This approach is applied not only by prophylaxis but also by diagnostics. Nowadays holistic methods of health-improving are distinguished in one trend - the latest world tendencies in development of beauty and health industry prove the fact that holistic methods enter confidently the philosophy of well-being or wellness that is typical for SPA.

Any of SPA methods that influences human organism naturally should have its indications and contraindications. Many methods used in SPA are of holistic character and are addressed to different functional systems of organism in their close integration. However, the majority of used in SPA methods are not scientifically grounded. Nowadays in Ukraine there are no descriptions and standards of preparations of natural origin for SPA-treatments and the main principles of their effective combination with ready made medications, physiotherapeutic methods and resort factors of the regions. The absence of standardization deliberately decreases the possibility of using SPA-treatments complex and their efficiency.

The leaders of Ukrainian SPA-institutions face the problem of acute shortage of qualified specialists, absence of staff training standards, methodological recommendations, legal documents, valid methods of combinations of SPA-treatments. European and Eastern standards of SPA-treatments aren’t adapted to the majority of used in Ukraine means, our set of mind and material and technical basis of the institutions.

Nowadays within the limits of creation and development of SPA-system in Ukraine the basic tasks are:

• integration of criteria of European association of resorts into regulatory basis of Ukraine;
• development of standards of conformity of quality, storage conditions and usage of natural means, preparations, consumable materials, requirements for equipment for SPA-treatments;
• working up of regulations for SPA-rooms;
• development of methods of SPA-treatments application, indications and contra-indications, standards of compatibility of SPA-treatments, SPA-programs;
• working up of programs of staff training for carrying out of SPA, and also doctors training for working in SPA-rooms and centers;
• grounds for carrying out and usage of health-improving and cosmetological methods in SPA;
• creation of control system of patient’s health state in SPA;
• implementation of quality standards of giving SPA services and carrying out of treatments.

• creation of medical and (or) cosmetic SPA-rooms on the basis of patient care and sanatorium-and-spa institutions;
• organization of SPA-zone (harmonious, relaxing, ethnic and etc.) within the limits of patient care institution;
• creation of SPA-institution (cosmetic, health-improving or (and) aesthetic) within the limits of resort, therapeutic zones.

Only organization of SPA-zone and creation of SPA-center allows realizing conception of SPA in full measure, at the same time the available sanatorium-and-spa centre is the guarantee of high level of Medical SPA.

Health rest – health resort tourism is useful for everybody without exception and presumes first of all stay at resorts being under prophylactic and therapeutic treatments according to medical indications. It has become a necessity and indispensable wish to go even once a year to Germany for thermal treatment or be under drinking treatment in Czech Republic for those who really take care of their health. SPA-tourism, of course, has its specificity: besides high-quality hotel service, tourist service, rich excursion program the client is interested in highly-proficient medical service. The ability of high – quality medical rehabilitation within the limits of SPA-programs is the promising advantage of our resorts.

One of the possible new work forms of resorts is weekend tour. Health-improving, relaxing or aesthetic SPA- package for some days won the popularity at the European market of SPA-services long time ago. This form of work of resort is attractive for clients regardless from season. Contemporary SPA-programs allow solving the problems of supporting of health reserves. On the basis of available material and technical basis and chosen trend it is necessary to work out SPA programs taking into account treatment combinability and potentiating action of SPA-factors for presentation at inner as well as outer market of SPA-tourism. There is a necessity of creation in Ukraine competitive sanatorium-and-spa institutions. Orientation of the programs of diettherapy only on treatment of definite diseases, the absence of proposals on diet and SPA food in weigh correction, on health food programs are perspective for resorts in Ukraine. Implementation of aesthetic technologies into practice of health resort treatment that will let keep to holistic approach in SPA and provide correspondence of SPA resorts to European standards is relevant as well. Domestic travel exceeds greatly outbound tourism in capacity. More and more Ukrainians want to combine rest with health-improvement and beauty care. Mental loyalty and aspiration to natural methods of treatment and preservation of health are formed in Ukraine. Resorts, winter and summer tourism are being developed. The idea of SPA as a possibility of natural health – improvement fit well into stereotypes and needs of our nationals. The right choice of conceptions and technologies of health-improvement, originality of propositions will help sanatorium and spa institution to withstand growing competition.

SPA-resort is ideally balanced and adjusted resort ‘body’ on the basis of which conception is achieving physical and mental harmony.

Yezhov V.V., Gozhenko E.A., Buchynskyi S.N., Dushkin I.Ph.