Treatment at the Ein Bokek (Dead Sea)

On the border of the Syrian-African rift, at the lowest point on earth, 404 metres below the sea level, is the Israeli resort of Ein Bokek and its Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is an endorheic salt lake 74 km long, 17 km wide and 350 m deep, and the only river flowing into it is the Jordan. The Dead Sea basin is surrounded by the Judaean Mountains to the west and the Moab Mountains to the east. The combination of unique natural healing factors and the highest level of medical infrastructure makes it possible to effectively treat dermatological, musculoskeletal and respiratory diseases.

Preparing for treatment at the Dead Sea

The main method of treatment in Ein Bokek is the use of natural healing factors of the resort: Dead Sea water, mud, climatotherapy and thalassotherapy elements, the effect of which is supplemented by a complex of individually selected procedures. It is important to immediately specify the Dead Sea treatment period recommended by the spa physicians: a week may be enough for general recovery, prevention and treatment of neurological lung diseases, with chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal apparatus it takes 2-3 weeks of stay at the resort, and for the treatment of dermatological diseases, especially psoriasis, doctors recommend coming for 3-4 weeks - this period will allow achieving sustainable remission. For the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases it is recommended 21 days of stay, which will increase the period of remission to 6-12 months, it is strongly recommended to repeat the treatment twice a year.

Ein Bokek at the Dead Sea is considered a year-round resort, but a certain seasonality is still present. The optimal season is from late March to early June, and from early September to late November. The heat is easier to tolerate due to low humidity at this time of year, and the pleasant temperature of the water in the sea contributes to a comfortable passage of procedures. In summer, treatment is also good, especially to treat skin diseases, but it can be very hot, people with II and III stages of arterial hypertension should consult with their doctor. In winter, the sea temperature drops to 20-22 °C and may seem cool, but this is compensated for by the presence of heated Dead Sea pools in hotels. There are also rare rainy days in winter. On hot days, doctors recommend drinking up to 3 litres of water and wearing a headgear to avoid heatstroke.

The question of the possibility of treating children at the Dead Sea is very popular. The head doctor of "Dead Sea Clinic", where our customers are examined, inspected and receive all procedures, does not recommend coming for treatment with children under 6-7 years old. Hypersaturated Dead Sea saline can cause unpleasant effects if it enters the respiratory tract or mucous membranes of the body. Children over 6-7 years old can be explained the dangers of careless behaviour in water and its possible consequences. The clinic has special procedures for children: dermatological, limited physiotherapy, therapeutic massages, thalassotherapy, mud treatment - everything is prescribed individually after examination by a doctor.

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How is treatment at the "Dead Sea Clinic" organised

All treatment packages sold by sanatoriums.com include checkups, examinations and procedures at the "Dead Sea Clinic", headed by an experienced doctor, MD, Professor Michael Rivkin, who has been practicing at the resort since 1996. The clinic is accessible to and from the hotels by free transfers. "Dead Sea Clinic" is a world famous clinic, considered one of the best in psoriasis treatment. Although natural factors are the basis of treatment at the resort, the clinic's capabilities allow significantly speeding up and intensifying the effect of treatment. The Clinic offers:

• More than 100 kinds of procedures: thalassotherapy, physiotherapy, various types of massage, inhalation, therapeutic and aesthetic cosmetology, body care procedures
• Location on the Dead Sea coast, well equipped beaches
• Special solarium for patients with psoriasis - a fenced beach divided into male and female parts, where you can sunbathe without bathing suits in the open air
• Carrying out a full examination for an additional fee, laboratory facilities
• Consultation of dermatologist, cosmetologist, orthopedist, osteopath, physiotherapist, therapist, nutritionist.

The package of procedures is compiled after the anamnesis and the initial examination, depending on the indications and contraindications. Patients with degenerative spine diseases are recommended to bring the results of CT and MRI, you can bring them on the disc, you can take regular pictures. It is desirable for all patients to have a doctor's report and a spa card, which will save time on additional examinations and tell the doctor of the clinic about the diagnosis, previous treatment and medications taken.

The course of procedures is formed individually: the patient with a disease of the musculoskeletal system prescribed massages, physiotherapy, mud treatment. If there are problems with the skin, then appointed thalassotherapy, balneotherapy, mud treatment. Patient, who came to the treatment of the respiratory system, will be useful complex inhalation with minerals of the Dead (sea) and oils, massage with elements of breathing exercises, diaphragm massage, physiotherapy, mud wrapping of the chest. If there are complaints and wishes regarding the procedures, the doctor is always on hand. The clinic uses advanced equipment for carrying out physiotherapeutic procedures: electrocurrent, shortwave, laser and phototherapy, balneotherapy, every few years the clinic updated equipment.

Therapeutic factors in Ein Bokek resort at the Dead Sea

Dead Sea water

Dead Sea water is brine, a hypersaturated salt solution, the concentration of salts in some layers reaches an astounding 342 g/L, on average - 310 g/L. Because of its high density (1.234 kg/L) it is difficult to swim in such water, the ejection force is so great that it allows you to simply lie on the water, experiencing the effect of weightlessness and maximally relieving the musculoskeletal system. In case of skin diseases, water affects the body through the receptor apparatus, expanding vessels and increasing blood flow in the pathological focus. The Dead Sea mineral water is a transparent, oily liquid that saturates the intercellular liquid and plasma with necessary ions, restoring the electrolyte balance. This water relaxes muscles, improves the balance of redox reactions in the body, saturates tissues with oxygen.

Dead Sea brine contains 22 chemical elements, differs in composition from other salt lakes, first of all, high mineralization and high bromine content. Solutions with minerals from the Dead Sea water are used for inhalations in case of frequent colds. The Dead Sea water is not used for gynaecological irrigation, let alone for drinking treatment. For comparison, the salinity of the Dead Sea is 7 times higher than the salinity of the Mediterranean Sea, 14.5 times higher than the Black Sea, and 40 times higher than the Baltic Sea! Table of chemical composition of the Dead Sea water:

Biologically active element	Content in water, g/L
Chlorine	227,545
Magnesium	43,345
Sodium	39,158
Calcium	17,127
Potassium	7,956
Brom	5,920
Sulfuric acid ions	0,540
Carbon dioxide ions	0,240
Rubidium	0,060
Total:	341,891

Excessive contact with salt water can have an irritant effect on the skin, causing an etiologically similar rash to sweat. This is explained by the high acidity of the Dead Sea minerals (pH=8.5-9), which risks chemical burns to the skin and mucous membranes. When bathing in the Dead Sea and taking baths/pools with Dead Sea water, a few simple rules should be followed:

• You can't stay in the water for more than 15-20 minutes at a time.
• Do not swim more than 3 times during the day, always taking breaks between 30-40 minutes.
• It is strictly forbidden to splash or dive, as getting water on the mucous membrane (in the eyes, nose, mouth) is dangerous for life!
• After bathing you must rinse under the shower, all beaches are equipped with shower cabins.

Mud treatment at the Dead Sea

On the Dead Sea coast, highly mineralized (up to 300 g/L) silt sulfide muds with high content of bromine, iodine and hormone-like substances are extracted. The mud is extracted from under a layer of salt up to 1.5-2 meters deep, mills are cleaned and packed, then transferred to the clinic. The main indications for mud treatment at the Dead Sea - skin and musculoskeletal system diseases. Muds are used in the form of local applications, general wraps, and in cosmetic products.

Local mud is recognized as the most mineralized in the world, it contains more than 80 g of minerals per 1 kg of dry matter. Biologically active substances give the mud aseptic properties, peloidotherapy has a positive effect on intracellular metabolism, promotes cell rejuvenation, cleanses and stimulates the skin, eliminates swelling, relaxes muscle tone, stabilizes the psycho-emotional state of the patient, has a positive effect on hemodynamics and blood vessels, has analgesic effect. Lecithin, which is part of the mud, is involved in the formation of the nerve envelopes, on which the rate of transmission of impulses through the nerve fibers depends. Also, local muds stabilize the production of chondroptinsulphate, responsible for the growth of new cartilage zones and, as a result, the restoration of articular cartilage. Mud treatment at the Dead Sea is one of the main methods of spa and wellness treatment of the peripheral nervous system (lumbosacral, cervical and thoracic radiculitis), musculoskeletal system and skin.

The Dead Sea muds have good bactericidal properties due to their high content of sulfide groups, magnesium ions, bromine and zinc. Regenerating and cleansing effects make local mud irreplaceable in the treatment of dermatological diseases, when the mud is applied even to open wounds. Mud has antioxidant properties, contribute to tissue detoxification - reducing the toxic effects and active removal of free-radical oxidation products from the body, and thus peloidotherapy at the Dead Sea slows down the aging process.

Another advantage of the Dead Sea curative mud is its high thermal conductivity, which promotes deep warming of the tissues (muscles, ligaments, joints). The mud wrap has a complex therapeutic effect: it purifies and stimulates all layers of skin, relaxes muscles and ligaments, normalizes the emotional state and depth of sleep. Mud wrapping improves blood circulation throughout the body, reduces joint pain, significantly increases the volume of movement in the joints, spine in osteochondrosis and other degenerative spinal diseases.

Climatotherapy

The Ein Bokek resort has a sharply continental climate, desert, with an average of 330 sunny days per year and only 50 mm of rainfall. The atmospheric pressure is 800-810 mm Hg and the oxygen content in the air is 15% higher than normal, which creates the effect of a natural baroque chamber. As a result of active evaporation of the Dead Sea water, there is a continuous layer of aerosols above the resort, and the high content of various minerals and trace elements in the water (including bromine salts) and the low content of allergens in the air turn the coast into a natural inhalation area. Ein Bokek is a protected area, there are no polluters or factories here, treatment of respiratory organs and ENT pathologies is carried out mainly through climatology, complemented by inhalations, mud treatment methods, massages and physiotherapy. The high concentration of bromine ions has a calming effect on the nervous system and is a basic element of anti-stress therapy.

Month	Average temperature, °C		Average relative humidity, %	Average rainfall, mm
	Water	Air
January	21	15-20	46	11
February	19	17-22	46	9
March	21	20-25	42	7
April	22	26-29	37	2
May	25	28-33	34	0
June	28	30-37	34	0
July	30	33-38	34	0
August	30,5	33-38	36	0
September	31	30-35	40	0
October	30	26-32	41	1
November	28	22-27	45	8
December	23	17-22	49	8

Heliotherapy plays a leading role in the treatment of skin diseases at the Dead Sea. Thanks to an additional layer of the Earth's atmosphere and a layer of aerosols, hard ultraviolet radiation is filtered, which causes skin burns, excessive tanning and increases the risk of skin cancer. But necessary for the treatment of dermatological diseases medium wave ultraviolet rays radiation penetrates freely, and sunbathing can be taken for 5 hours or more, of course, after agreement with the attending physician. It should be noted that sunbathing is possible not only in the solarium near the "Dead Sea Clinic", but also on the rooftops of hotels, which are equipped with special terraces everywhere. Studies have shown that comprehensive treatment of dermatological diseases, including heliotherapy and bathing in the Dead Sea, is effective in 83% of cases.

Additional treatment methods

As it was said at the beginning of the article, "Dead Sea Clinic" offers more than 100 therapeutic and cosmetic procedures, which are selected individually. In case of diseases of skin, musculoskeletal apparatus and in programs of anti-stress therapy is often used bathing in small pools with water from the Dead Sea, saturated with 6-8% hydrogen sulfide. Innovative methods include shockwave therapy with the Swiss apparatus of EMS company, which provides guaranteed success in the treatment of many diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as severe arthrosis and spinal osteoarthritis. Spine traction on the computerized Chattanooga Triton DTS will relieve the hernia and prevent surgery. Fotona laser is able to get rid of varicose vessels on the body, permanently destroy the fungus on your nails and perform facial skin reconstruction. The NightLase treatment is highly effective in fighting snoring and improves the quality of sleep.

The clinic has departments of medical cosmetology, instrumental physiotherapy, laser cosmetology and dermatology, osteopathy, aesthetic correction, there are massage rooms, a dentist's office, laboratory tests are performed. The clinic employs an experienced dermatologist Elsa Shaminova, who has been practicing at the resort for more than 15 years. Under her supervision, phototherapy and PUVA-therapy are carried out according to a special method without using chemical preparations. Osteopath Alexander Kantsepolsky, Doctor of Science, is also a high level professional; he performs osteopathic correction of the spine and hardware traction of the spine.

Some hotels bring sulfide thermal waters from Ein Gedi resort by ion composition of sodium-magnesium chloride sulfate, containing 20.6 mg/L sulfides. This water is filled at a temperature of 37-40 °C and has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system and promotes general relaxation, but requires prior consultation with your doctor.

Indications for treatment

Dermatological diseases

• Psoriasis common and focal in a stationary or regressive stage
• Atopic dermatitis (neurodermatitis)
• Exema
• Vitiligo
• Parapsoriasis
• Erythroderma of any etiology
• Ichthyosis
• Red flattened herpes
• Pruritus, which accompanies non-infectious skin diseases
• Akne
• Seborrhea

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system

• Arthritis of various etiologies, including rheumatoid at the minimal activity stage
• Osteochondrosis
• Arthroses
• Post-traumatic and postoperative conditions, rehabilitation after endoprosthetics
• Vertebrogenic diseases (disc protrusion, disc herniations)
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Myopathy
• Osteoporosis
• Scoliosis

Respiratory diseases

• Bronchial asthma of all degrees, including hormone-dependent
• Chronic recurrent bronchitis
• Chronic recurrent, frequently recurring pneumonia
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Lung fibrosis
• Lung hypersensitivity
• Chronic bronchitis, including smoker's bronchitis

Nervous system disorders

• Borderline neurasthenia
• Sleep disturbances
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Stresses, depressions

Since the Dead Sea water is only used externally, there are no direct indications for treating the gastrointestinal tract in Ein Bokek. Gynecological and endocrine diseases - conditionally indicated.

Contraindications for treatment at the Dead Sea

• Summer forms of psoriasis
• Unstable angina pectoris
• Condition after myocardial infarction or hemorrhagic stroke earlier than six months after it
• Severe heart failure
• Uncontrolled arterial hypertension
• Kidney and liver failure
• Photodermatosis
• Cancers the treatment of which ended later than 2 years ago
• If the family history is burdened by melanoma and numerous nevus, a dermatologist-oncologist consultation is required.

The "Dead Sea Clinic" does not use hormonal treatment, so 1.5-2 months before the trip to the Dead Sea, doctors recommend to refuse or reduce the dose of hormonal drugs if possible, or to change steroid medications to other ones. Taking hormonal steroid drugs and phototherapy by the sun are incompatible, the reverse effect of treatment is possible. Or it may start withdrawal syndrome in case of abrupt refusal of medication.

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