More than three decades after the closure of the Balneological Research Institute in Mariánské Lázně in 1993, a major milestone for Czech spa treatment is approaching. The Karlovy Vary Institute of Spa and Balneology is launching the first ever clinical study focused on objectifying the effects of comprehensive spa rehabilitation care, which will be carried out in cooperation with the Mariánské Lázně Medical Spa.
The study focuses on nephrological and urological diseases and aims to obtain hard, scientifically based data that will objectively evaluate the benefits of comprehensive spa rehabilitation care
on the health and quality of life of patients. The research study is planned to be carried out and data collection is scheduled to begin during the first quarter of this year. The research will include more than 100 patients with indications of urinary tract disease. The patients' initial and final health and quality of life indicators will be compared before and after the start of comprehensive spa rehabilitation care.
"This is the first study of its kind ever conducted in the Czech spa industry, and it has the potential to make a significant contribution to the professional debate, strengthen the confidence of both experts and the general public, and support the long-term sustainability of balneotherapy as an integral part of preventive healthcare," says Ladislav Špišák, MD, PhD, chairman of the Council of the Institute of Spa and Balneology and professional guarantor of clinical research.
The significance of the study goes beyond the research itself. It responds to the long-established practice of spa treatment without sufficient data support and, at the same time, aims to strengthen the professional significance of Mariánské Lázně as a center where traditional spa treatment is combined with modern research and evidence-based medicine.
"We are proud that here in Mariánské Lázně we can once again claim the tradition of systematic spa research, which was represented here by the Balneological Research Institute. This clinical study is not an isolated project for us, but a natural continuation of our long-term cooperation with the Institute of Spa and Balneology, including studies already conducted on the treatment of post-COVID patients and the ONKOFIT-SPA project. We see research as an integral part of modern spa care, based on the work of a multidisciplinary team of medical and non-medical experts, and at the same time as part of the long-term strategy of the Ensana brand, which systematically supports evidence-based medicine, innovation, and new trends in balneology," says Karel Kalivoda, CEO of Léčebné lázně Mariánské Lázně.
The research study is being conducted as part of the Spa Research Center project, supported by funds from the Just Transition Operational Program.
