2023.10.06
As Europeans celebrate increasingly substantial birthdays, experts start to highlight another important aspect – we should not only be enjoying increased life expectancy but also its lasting quality. Which is inseparable from our physical and emotional well-being. When moving towards a better quality of life, not only advanced treatment methods but also disease prevention practices are gaining more and more importance. Druskininkai – the oldest resort in the country, is definitely in tune with the current needs.
Therapy for the body and the mind
For more than 200 years, Druskininkai has been renowned for its unique gifts – astonishing nature, pleasant climate, and abundance of mineral water fountains and therapeutic mud.
Due to their immeasurable benefits to people, all these sources have become an integral part of wellness and beauty procedures – today the long-standing traditions of resort wellness are nurtured in parallel with the most significant medical and technological achievements.
Although different procedures may have varying effects, their common goal is to stimulate the body’s counter-reactions that train it to adapt to ever-changing conditions, and at the same time activate recovery processes, increase resistance to diseases, and help to slow down the aging processo.
„All of the procedures that we provide are designed to restore our relationship with nature and strengthen the connection between a person’s mind and body. Therefore, their effects extend not only to the motor skills and physical body but also to thoughts, feelings, and sensations”, said Arvydas Balčius, the medical director of Draugystė health resort.
Proud of the saltiest water
One of the unique features of Draugystė health resort is that it is the place where the saltiest mineral water in Druskininkai is extracted. The mineralization in one liter of this water is about 60 g. which makes it very beneficial for various healing purposes, mainly in therapeutic baths.
„One of the differences between fresh and mineral water baths is that in the latter case, the body receives 1.5 times more heat. In addition, salt components have a calming effect on the nerve endings of the skin and inhibit pain receptors. Peat mud treatments have a similar effect – we also mix it with mineral water and successfully use it for applications,” said the interviewee.
In addition to mineral water and mud procedures, the wellness programs also include therapeutic workouts, various therapies, and massages. The health resort also has state-of-the-art physiotherapy equipment that is effective for relieving pain, improving blood circulation, stimulating muscle growth, etc.
According to A. Balčius, elderly patients favor therapeutic exercises in the swimming pool, high mineralization baths, as well as the flotation capsule.
Popular medical rehabilitation program
According to Kęstutis Ramanauskas, the head of the Druskininkai health center of Druskininkai Health and Recreation Center AQUA, older people often suffer from chronic illnesses, so the most important task of the facilities of the wellness resort, is to help with existing ailments and at the same time ensure a longer quality life.
„Our health centre offers a range of rehabilitation services, including mineral and mud baths, physiotherapy, massages, and other procedures. Our goal is to provide people with comprehensive treatment and preventative care,” the interviewee says.
According to K. Ramanauskas, the elderly patients at the center frequently opt for exercising in the mineral water pool. The water in the pool is heated to 32-33 degrees Celsius, which is 4-5 degrees higher than the standard hygiene standard for swimming pools. In a warmer pool, muscles and ligaments relax faster, the range of motion increases, and it becomes easier to perform stretching exercises.
The interviewee stated that in recent years, the Druskininkai health resort has observed a trend wherein there has been a notable rise in clients arriving for a 10-14 day medical rehabilitation program. After such intensive wellness programs, patients can enjoy truly effective results.
A lasting effect
“Our domain is damage to the movement support apparatus, nervous system, blood circulation, digestive system, endocrine diseases. Doctors pay extra attention to patients suffering from such ailments, because in case of concomitant illnesses, certain procedures may not be recommended therefore the course of treatment is individualized”, the interviewee pointed out.
The manager of Druskininkai health resort was happy that more and more people are discovering the benefits of resort wellness programs – regular customers come at least once a year: “After undergoing treatment in the health resort, patients report feeling more energetic and rejuvenated, with decreased pain. Scientific research also confirms that such periodically performed procedures provide a long-term effect, help to fight ailments and reduce the use of pharmaceutical drugs.”
Eglės sanatorija medical spa representatives agree with K. Ramanauskas. A significant part of older guests there are long-term customers, and most seniors come to the medical SPA not only two or more times a year, but also for a longer period of 5-7 days of wellness treatments.
The appreciation of the power of nature
While speaking about the relevance of resort healthcare, particularly for the elderly, Dr. Kęstutis Skauminas, the medical director of Eglės Sanatorija medical SPA, emphasized that people desire not just to live longer but to live healthier and more active lives. As a result, they seek professional advice, assistance, and a comprehensive range of services.
“More and more often, people want to find ways to solve problems not by resorting to drugs and surgeries, but by using natural means. Resort treatment that is based on natural factors and ancient traditions, integrated into modern medicine, offers exactly such solution,” says the interviewee.
Resort treatment programs in Eglės sanatorija medical SPA are personalized according to the state of individual’s health. “First of all, the client receives a doctor’s consultation. They discuss the client’s issues and choose the right procedures and Eglės sanatorija medical SPA offers over a hundred of them. Long-term experience shows that this method allows to achieve the best results”, says K. Skauminas.
According to the interviewee, guests highly value the resort’s peat mud which has been lovingly called the resort’s gold, and mineral water, which have been used for treatments for over 50 years. “Clients feel the effect of these natural factors very quickly and appreciate the power of nature in the process of strengthening the body”.
For more information call tel. +370 313 51 777, e-mail information@druskininkai.lt or visit Druskininkai Tourism information office at M. K. Čiurlionio g. 65, Druskininkai.
Druskininkai Tourism and Business information centre