A review of old baths and its benefit in maintaining health from the perspective of Persian medicine

Baths from the perspective of Persian medicine

Abstract

Introduction:  In Persian medicine (PM) references, the bathroom is not only important for body cleanliness. In this study, the applications and therapeutic effects of taking a bath are investigated.

Materials and Methods: This is a library study that searched the keywords of bath, taking a bath, and washing in the comprehensive traditional medicine library of Noor research center, PubMed, Google Scholar, and SID databases as well as other domestic and foreign articles.

Results:  From the PM’s point of view, taking a bath has many privileges and it is recommended for maintaining the health of normal people and the treatment of diseases in patients. The sages of Persian Medicine have written many papers about the benefits of bathing and therapeutic solutions in bath such as bathtubs, oil therapy, massage, and use of hot, cold, and mild types of baths. They have referred to various types of water in this treatment. In general, they have discussed the preventive and therapeutic uses of bathing such as relieving pain, anxiety, DM, enhancing sleep quality, and promoting the quality of life in cancer patients. Bath is not only a place for body cleansing, which is predominant in modern baths. In addition to the role of their architecture based on temperament, these are prescribed to prevent the disease and due to their therapeutic effects.

Conclusion:  From the point of view of PM, baths with different and appropriate conditions can have many applications for maintaining the health status of normal people or the patient's treatment and recovery.