Dead Sea treatments have been used since ancient times for many health and beauty treatments. The water of the Dead Sea contains high levels of salt and the mud at the bottom of the sea is full of minerals such as calcium, bromine and potassium, all of which are believed to be beneficial to health. Dead Sea treatments are reputed to help treat arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. They are also used for beauty treatments in soaps, bath salts, moisturizers and facial treatments.
Dead Sea Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The National Institutes of Health analyzed the results of a double-blind, two-week study to determine whether Dead Sea bath salts were helpful in treating rheumatoid arthritis. The study compared the use of Dead Sea bath salts to sodium chloride. The NIH found a "statistically significant improvement (p less than 0.01 or p less than 0.05)" only in the group treated with the Dead Sea salts. The improvement peaked at the end of the treatment with Dead Sea salts and remained effective for up to one month.
Dead Sea Treatments for Psoriasis
Treatment at the Dead Sea was found effective in a study of 1,448 patients with psoriasis, according to the National Institutes of Health. The psoriasis was found to disappear at rates of 80 percent to 100 percent in 88 percent of the patients. Also, 58 percent of patients had complete eradication of the psoriasis. Thus, Dead Sea treatment was found in this study to be an excellent and easy to use treatment for psoriasis.
Dead Sea Mud Pack Treatments
Mud pack therapy (pelotherapy) with the mineral-rich mud from the bottom of the Dead Sea is helpful for arthritis, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The heated mud helps enervate blood circulation and the salt on the skin aids healing. This treatment is simple to administer and offers significant improvement for arthritis.
Dead Sea Thermomineral Baths
Thermomineral baths (balneology) involves taking several baths a day that contain mineral waters from the Dead Sea with added sulfides. This practice is helpful for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis according to the IMFA. Bathing with Dead Sea water is an easy way to help eradicate the pain of various kinds of arthritis.
Bathing in the Dead Sea
Bathing in the Dead Sea is called thalassotherapy. The body will float on the sea because of the high salt content of the water. Bathing in the Dead Sea is believed to be beneficial to the health, reports the IMFA. The high salt concentration of the water is healing and the minerals in the water also benefit health.
Dead Sea Air is a Health Treatment
The air of the Dead Sea is full of oxygen. Patients with lung disease and asthma find that the high levels of oxygen in the air at the Dead Sea increases the oxygen levels in their bloodstream, according to the Israeli Ministry.
Dead Sea Beauty Treatments
Beauty treatments made with the salt and minerals of the Dead Sea also abound. They are reputed to have beneficial health effects on the skin. As far back as the time of Cleopatra, the elements of the Dead Sea were used in beauty treatments.
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