AUTHOR'S NAME: ANTONELLA FIORAVANTI
New evidence on the mechanisms of action of Balneotherapy
ANTONELLA FIORAVANTI
Rheumatologist Siena (Italy); Vice-President of ISMH President of OMTh;
New evidence on the mechanisms of action of balneotherapy remains a debated and complex topic, due to limited knowledge and the great heterogeneity of mineral waters and thermal muds.
Three main questions guide this reflection:
Why is it so difficult to evaluate the mechanisms of action of balneotherapy?
How can we study them?
What do we know today thanks to research?
The difficulty arises from the complex composition of waters and muds – with organic, inorganic, and microbiological components – and from their great variability worldwide. The therapeutic effects are probably the result of a combination of non-specific mechanisms (related to mechanical and thermal stimuli) and specific mechanisms (linked to chemical and biological constituents).
Studies can be preclinical (on cell cultures or animal models) or clinical in humans. Preclinical studies have the advantage of isolating individual effects, but they do not always faithfully reproduce real-life conditions.
Available evidence shows that balneotherapy exerts several effects:
Analgesic, also explained by the “Gate Control” theory of pain.
Muscle relaxant and neuroendocrine, with a reduction in distress and salivary cortisol.
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CURRICULUM VITAE:
ANTONELLA FIORAVANTI
Personal Information
• Full name: Antonella Fioravanti
• Address: Via 24 Maggio 25, 53100 Siena (ITALY)
• Phone: +39 349 5533262
• Email: fioravanti7@virgilio.it
• Nationality: Italian
• Date of birth: October 22, 1953
• Gender: Female
Work Experience
From 1989 until February 2023, she held the position of First Level Manager at the Complex Operational Unit of Rheumatology at the “Le Scotte” Polyclinic in Siena. From 2004 to February 2023, she was also in charge of a Highly Specialized role in the diagnosis and treatment of degenerative rheumatic diseases at the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese.
She carried out clinical assistance and both clinical and basic research in rheumatology and medical hydrology. In particular, she focused on the evaluation of chondrocyte cultures to investigate new pathogenetic mechanisms and therapeutic approaches in osteoarthritis and other diseases involving joint cartilage damage. More recently, she conducted studies on the role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.
Her key areas of interest include clinical research on osteoarthritis and the use of balneotherapy in various rheumatic diseases.
Education and Qualifications
Education and Qualifications
• Scientific High School Diploma with honors (1972) – Scientific High School “Paolo Ruffini” of Viterbo (Acquapendente campus)
• Degree in Medicine and Surgery – University of Siena (October 27, 1980), summa cum laude (110/110 with honors)
• Degree in Medicine and Surgery – University of Siena (October 27, 1980), summa cum laude (110/110 with honors)
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