The waters of Monticelli Spa. The benefits for your health

Dr. Gianfranco Beltrami, Medical Director, tells us about the healing power of the waters of Terme di Monticelli, which are used by thousands of people every year for the treatment and cure of various diseases.

For nearly a century we have believed
in the power of thermal waters,
in nature as the principle of well-being,
in the importance of research,
in people’s smiles

Borrini family

Thermal waters: what they are, classification, therapeutic indications

An ancient practice, a ritual appreciated at every latitude the use ofthermal water for hydrotherapy has been known since ancient times.
This is evidenced by archaeological findings, literary and scientific evidence.
Today as then, thermal waters are used to relax the body and mind and relieve aches and pains: the spa is an elixir of health and beauty.

Thermal waters are classified on the basis of: geographical location, dissolved mineral elements and temperature at which they flow.
Each type of mineral water, by virtue of all these characteristics that differentiate it from others, has specific therapeutic activities.

Once looked upon with suspicion by traditional medicine and considered an alternative practice, today the value of spas in human health is recognized by science.
Even the WHO (World Health Organization) has given them a license of validity, listing them under traditional and complementary medicine.

Monticelli's thermal waters: where they originate, types, properties

Monticelli’s thermal history began in 1924, when its thermal springs were discovered thanks to the Borrini family: first a salsobromoiodic aquifer more than 64 meters deep, then a sulfurous one, completing the underground pharmacopoeia.

Since that time, the small town has been named “Monticelli Terme.”

After nearly one hundred years, thesulfur andbromine and iodine-salt thermal water of Monticelli Spa still gushes out rich in valuable elements and is very effective for the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of our bodies.
Let’s find out about them in detail.

Sulfur water

It is valuable in the inhalation and dermatological fields, also useful to the digestive system.
Classified as a medium-mineral, it contains sulfides, sulfates and hydrogen sulfide.
This particular mix of gases and valuable minerals makes it a water of choice in the treatment of many widespread chronic diseases affecting the respiratory tract (upper, middle, and lower), ear, joints, and skin.

It has a mucolytic, decongestant and antiseptic effect: studies have shown, in fact, that inhalation or irrigation with thermal sulfur water decreases the viscosity of nasal secretions, making them more fluid and facilitating mucus elimination.

Water is also indicated for the treatment of dermatological problems, such as acne and psoriasis.
It also performs an important balancing action on the neurovegetative system, intervenes in the health of articular cartilage, metabolism of urea, lipids (especially cholesterol), creatinine and sugars.

Salso-bromo-iodine water

Thehigh bromine content and salt concentration, three times that of the sea, confer unparalleled relaxing and stress-relieving effects.
The main beneficial actions of bromine-bromine-iodine thermal water are both local and general.
Locally it has anti-inflammatory effects as well as being antiseptic.
It is important for the reactivation of venous stasis.
On a general level, thanks to the absorption of iodine and bromine compounds, it activates organic defenses.
It also has a“regularizing” action on ovarian function and stimulates the thyroid gland.

“Monticelli’s bromine and iodine-salt water has a powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, stimulates skin microcirculation, is disinfectant, antioxidant, activates the endocrine system and, by promoting cell turnover, also cicatricial processes,” explains Dr. Gianfranco Beltrami, Health Director of Terme di Monticelli.
“Thanks to its properties, thermal cures at Terme di Monticelli are effective for numerous diseases of the respiratory and otolaryngological systems, as well as for osteoarticular and rheumatic diseases, vascular problems and gynecological disorders.”

Studies and research on the thermal waters of Monticelli

The benefits of the sulfur waters and bromine and iodine-salt waters of Monticelli Spa are attested by research and studies, and their therapeutic role in treatment and rehabilitation is recognized by the Ministry of Health.́

“Today the spa is, to all intents and purposes, a medical facility where technological progress and scientific research guarantee truly effective treatments to prevent and fight many rheumatic, respiratory, and gynecological ailments, as well as metabolic and hormonal dysfunctions, in a natural way,” Dr. Beltrami points out.
“Hippocrates already talked about it, and the feedback is daily: every year patients come back on time.”

The Thermal Pools

Large windows, natural light and greenery all around: the Terme di Monticelli, set in a centuries-old park amidst the countryside and hills around Parma, has four indoor thermal pools, the ideal place to recover psychophysical energy and find yourself.

The benefits of thesalso-bromo-iodine thermal water and temperatures between 30 and 34 large make these indoor pools a place for sports, care and relaxation that not only maintain the water’s natural healing properties, but also make them ideal for prolonged bathing.
Skin will be revitalized, muscles relaxed and circulation reactivated.
In fact, the wellness path includes whirlpools, small waterfalls, and jets that amplify the beneficial properties of the water.
The chromatic and aromatic showers, on the other hand, provide a sensory experience that can stimulate deep relaxation.
Thearea of heat and steam baths, with sauna and tepidarium are useful, on the other hand, for purifying the body and invigorating the body, offering deep and rejuvenating relaxation.

A day at the spa is the best way to devote time to your health. “The ideal is to alternate moments of immersion and relaxation, hot water and cooler water, interspersing immersions and whirlpools for 2-3 sessions,” advises Dr. Beltrami. “

Thermal cures at the Monticelli Spa

Every year, thousands of people of all ages consider Monticelli Spa to be the correct choice for effectively and concretely solving health problems.
In fact, they stand out in the Italian spa scene for their therapeutic role in the treatment and rehabilitation of many diseases.
Thanks to their healing and relaxing properties, the sulfur and bromine and iodine-salt waters of Monticelli Spa improve the lives of those who use them.

Balnotherapy: what it is and for whom it is indicated

“The patient bathes in pools of warm thermal water, the duration of the bath is usually about 15 minutes, after which the patient must rest for another 15 minutes, a time known as the ‘reaction time,'” Dr. Beltrami indicates.

“During the reaction phase, the body completes a series of vascular adaptations that allow theelimination of water, waste and toxic substances in the body.
Theaction is detoxifying and stimulating for the neurovegetative system.
The temperature of the thermal waters and movement in the water also promote skin vasodilation and blood circulation, helping muscles to relax and decreasing blood pressure.
Not only that.
Monticelli’s thermal water has ananalgesic action on pain of the chronic arthrorheumatic type.”

It is also important to use the whirlpool of swimming pools by combining the benefits of saline-bromine-iodine thermal water and movement with mechanical action.

Mud therapy: the benefits of thermal mud baths

The mud, after long maturation in thermal water, is applied to the part of the body to be treated, yielding moisture-free heat.
Thermal mud can be applied hot, at about 40 degrees, or at room temperature, taking care to leave the most delicate areas, such as the chest and throat, free.

It is an effective means of regenerating the skin and eliminating dead cells; in fact, mud therapy allows the skin to regain its radiance and hydration.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it is particularly useful for relieving osteoarticular disorders and relieving pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis and neuralgia

Inhalation cures: spas to improve breathing

L’inhalation of thermal waters represents an excellent remedy for the respiratory tract.
They include several treatments, each with a different medium: from inhalations toaerosols, from pulverizations to nasal showers.
Depending on the doctor’s indications, applications that act on “upper tracts” may be useful
(sinusitis, otitis, allergic rhinitis)
“middle ways” (coughs, tracheitis, pharyngitis) and “lower ways” (chronic bronchitis).

Vaginal irrigations: natural therapies for women's health

They are a therapeutic treatment with salso-bromo-iodine waters indicated for chronic affections of the female genital system.

Due to their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, decongestant and cleansing functions, they help combat chronic vaginal and cervical inflammatory processes.
They also stimulate the restoration of the environmental balance of the vulvo-vaginal mucosa.

Excellent results are found in the treatment of vaginitis, cervicovaginitis, and leucorrhea, as well as in the prevention of menopause-related symptoms and post-surgery phenomena.

Physiokinesiotherapy in thermal water for rehabilitation

Immersion in warm thermal water allows for smoother movements.
The decrease in weight and the effects of the water medium on the body immersed in the thermal water (by virtue of its greater density) allow the therapy to be more effective in any form of rehabilitation; added to this is the beneficial effect of the thermal water.

Alsoread .

Recommended articles to explore topics related to health, wellness, lifestyle and travel.

water and health, wellness and lifestyles

11 June 2024

Pollution and smog: how to counter its effects with spa treatments

Air pollution poses a growing threat to respiratory health. Learn how spa treatments can help counteract the negative effects of particulate matter and improve airway wellness.

water and health

18 April 2024

Vasculopathies and cellulite: treat and prevent them at the spa.

Vascular disorders and cellulite can also be prevented and treated naturally with spa treatments. How? We discuss this in this article with Dr. Moana Manicone of Monticelli Spa.

wellness and lifestyles

24 January 2024

Sleep tourism: the vacations of good sleep.

Sleep problems affect the attention, energy and health of more than 12 million Italians. “Sleep tourism” emerges as a solution, with facilities offering peaceful environments and solutions for restorative rest.

The waters of Monticelli Spa. The benefits for your health