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Integrated Thermal Rehabilitation: A New Therapeutic Approach for Disabilities

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Trends in Biomedical Research

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((CLEXBI,volume 1251))

Abstract

A mutual link between somatic and visceral neural pathways is known in medicine. This study addresses therapeutic effectiveness of an integrated rehabilitative approach of thermal aquatic environment, combined with neuromuscular manual stimulation, on activation of afferent sensory visceral and somatic efferent neuronal motor pathways in different pathologies of neuromuscular motor and respiratory systems. The study included 63 patients subjected to a protocol consisting of hydroponic treatment, hydrokinesitherapy associated with ozonized vascular pathway, and mud therapy associated with cardiorespiratory treatment performed in aquatic environment and aided by neuromuscular manual therapy. The therapeutic protocol consisted of rehabilitation sessions 5 days a week for 2 months. The outcome measures were spirometry tests and the following evaluation instruments: Tinetti Gait and Balance assessment scale, Functional Independence Measurement, visual analogue scale, and the EQ-5D-5 L instrument. The tests were applied before and after the protocol completion. The findings demonstrate a general increase in patients’ everyday living autonomy and quality of life, with a particular improvement in respiratory function tests. We conclude that the integrated thermal approach holds promise in therapeutic rehabilitation of disabilities.

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Conflict of Interest

This research received no external grants or funding. The authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Oral Sciences and Biotechnologies, “Gabriele d’ Annunzio” University Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Giovanni Barassi

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Jaen University, Jaen, Spain

    Esteban Obrero-Gaitan

  3. Thermal Medicine Center of Castelnuovo della Daunia, Foggia, Italy

    Giuseppe Irace, Matteo Crudeli & Francesco Palano

  4. Department of Health, Social Wellness and Sport Promotion, Puglia Region, Bari, Italy

    Giovanni Campobasso

  5. Rehabilitation Department, Local Health Unit of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

    Leonardo Trivisano

  6. Local Health Unit of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

    Vito Piazzolla

Authors
  1. Giovanni Barassi
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  2. Esteban Obrero-Gaitan
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  3. Giuseppe Irace
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  4. Matteo Crudeli
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  5. Giovanni Campobasso
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  6. Francesco Palano
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  7. Leonardo Trivisano
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  8. Vito Piazzolla
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanni Barassi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Opole Medical School, Opole, Poland

    Mieczyslaw Pokorski

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Barassi, G. et al. (2020). Integrated Thermal Rehabilitation: A New Therapeutic Approach for Disabilities. In: Pokorski, M. (eds) Trends in Biomedical Research. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology(), vol 1251. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2019_465

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