Spruce needle bath

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In the field of balneotherapy , the spruce needle bath is one of the baths with herbal additives, in this case with the addition of spruce needle extract or spruce needle oil . The mostly industrially manufactured bath products used for balneotherapy are often referred to as spruce needle baths.

History and products

In Germany, spruce needle baths and inhalations were used as early as the 19th century to treat rheumatism and chronic bronchitis.

In the past, the spruce needle extract was freshly prepared for the spruce needle baths. The extract used was produced by boiling needles, twigs and the resinous cones of the spruce trees. Half a cup to one cup (approx. 150 g) of this extract was added to a full bath. For many decades, industrially manufactured extracts or finished preparations in the form of spruce needle bath oil or bath milk have been preferred.

In the industrial production of spruce needle bath additive, the essential spruce needle oil is first extracted from the chopped up plant parts by steam distillation. Then the extractive substances are obtained by boiling with hot water and thickened by evaporation. With the addition of certain amounts of the essential oil you get the so-called full extract. In addition to the spruce needle baths with full extract, more and more bath additives that only contain essential spruce needle oil or mixtures with other essential oils and other substances have come to the fore.

Some industrial spruce needle bath products, especially from the Black Forest, have been available since the beginning of the 20th century. Since there was no drug law in Germany until 1961 , they were simply products for medical use. These products were later approved as medicinal products and came under the heading of traditional herbal medicinal products . These products can now be found on sale almost exclusively as cosmetic products.

Mode of action

In addition to the influences on the circulation, metabolism and heat regulation, which are caused by the physical factors of the bathing water, the spruce needle bath has other effects.

When there was not enough knowledge about the mode of action of the spruce needle bath, an irritant effect from the tannins in the extract was in the foreground. A distinction was therefore made in the products to be used between spruce needle full extract baths with 15-16% tannins, lohtannin baths with 26-28% tannins, and spruce needle baths with small amounts of essential oils. Such a discussed irritant effect caused by the tannins cannot be justified pharmacologically on intact skin.

It is now known that the effectiveness of the spruce needle bath for the indicated indications is due to the effects of the essential spruce needle oil.

Thanks to the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes it contains, spruce needle oil has an antimicrobial and locally hyperaemic effect . A bronchosecretolytic effect could be shown. A positive monograph by Commission E of the BfArM is available on the external use of spruce needle oil in rheumatic or neuralgic pain conditions .

Indications

Due to the effects listed under mode of action, the spruce needle bath is used for the following indications:

  • For the supportive treatment of acute and chronic diseases of the airways
  • For the supportive treatment of diseases of the rheumatic type in the non-acute stage

Historically, the spruce needle bath was assumed to have many healing effects. There were other, unsecured areas of application such as B. in states of exhaustion, climacteric complaints, sleep disorders, convalescence or neurovegetative disorders.

Dosage & combinations

Recommendations of the German Society for Bathing for Physical Therapies indicate that at least 5 g of essential spruce needle oil should be used per 200 L bath.

Often, the spruce needle baths with spruce needle oil were also given purified turpentine oil or α-pinene to support the hyperaemic effect of the baths.

literature

  • Helmut G. Pratzel, Wolfgang Schnizer: Handbook of Medical Baths , Karl F. Haug Verlag GmbH & Co., Heidelberg 1992, ISBN 3-7760-1228-5
  • Otto Gillert, Walther Rulffs: Hydrotherapy and Balneotherapy , Pflaum Verlag, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-7905-0586-2

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Theodor Gottfried Husemann (1833–1901). Handbook of the entire pharmacology. 2nd ed., Volume II, Springer, Berlin 1883, p. 546. Digitized
  2. ↑ Josef Kowarschik: Physical Therapy , Springer Verlag, Vienna 1957, p. 87
  3. ↑ C. Jänicke, J. Grünwald, T. Brendler: Handbuch Phytotherapie , Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart 2003, p. 154, ISBN 3-8047-1950-3
  4. ↑ C. u. U. Brüderlin: The physical therapy a guide for doctors and users , Verlag Jungjohann, Neckarsulm 1985
  5. ^ JH Kaiser: Kneippsche Hydrotherapy - General and special balneotherapy , Sanitas Verlag, Bad Wörishofen 1968, p. 144