by Sussanna Czeranko, ND
All medicine is in the earth.
Paracelsus
Nature does not err; she is still the only one to teach
us what is right. Men who no longer listen to the voice of Nature become the
victims of a thousand different diseases and miseries.
Adolf Just, 1903, 4
It makes absolute sense as a human being is a part of Nature and comes to balance through natural biorhythms.… Pharmaceuticals use synthetic drugs and most of the time cause side effects. Mud therapy is non-toxic. It provides a highly effective treatment for a number of common conditions with inflammatory and dystrophic etiologies.
K. B. Kotenko, 2008
When we walk upon Mother Earth gently, we try to be conscious of her bounty and delicate balance, of the remarkable information, consciousness, organization, and energy in her essence; and all of this is, at once, complex and profoundly aesthetic. Sometimes, though, we are not so gentle and not as aware or respectful as we should be of her ancient healing gifts, even those just below our feet. There is simple, unconsolidated earth or soil, for example, with all its horizons of mineral and organic matter—the magic medium for land plants upon which humans, animals, birds, and insects all depend. Whether we study Mother Earth’s skin by detailing in our scientific journals the phosphate-sugar backbone and minutely organized organic bases of DNA or the mathematically elegant structure of the benthic community of microorganisms in our attempts to understand these marvelous mysteries, it behooves us to reacquaint ourselves with the medical richness of that simple earth. Along the way, we might be tempted to take shelter in theories about the 16S rRNA permutations of scientists cooking up their Urey-Miller biological soups, but then we risk missing the healing power of precious gifts like common moor mud or peloids. Whether we consider peloids for pain treatment, gynecology, topical skin treatment, mobility improvement, sports injuries, detoxification, or immunity boost, they are one of our newest, oldest medical marvels.
The variety and ubiquity of Mother Earth are abundant. Whatever the earth profile we are walking upon, from humus or organic materials, topsoil itself, or all the way down to bedrock, the soil, the earth, establishes life, whether by processing recycled nutrients or by acting as a living filter to clean precious water. Its nurturing and grounding imprint are vital to life on our planet. There are various types and layers of soil, infinitely variegated by water, temperature, air, and the large impact of relief. Whether we are contemplating the complexities of minerals, organic matter, or water, or seeking to understand the elements of ecosystems, the earth’s treasures, and among them, “earth” or soil itself, are timeless and primary.
Living plants that shout out the abundance of the life urge on our planet are rooted in the earth. These plants themselves and what is beneath their splendid greenery are an enormous repository of ancient healing wisdom, yearning to be rediscovered. “Earth cure,” in this regard, is a term popularized in the late 19th century to describe the different therapeutic applications of various types of earth or soil. Today we speak more specifically of “peloids,” understanding these remarkable materials from the earth to include organic and inorganic compounds. Petr provides a succinct etymology for the word. He writes: “Peloid is a term derived from the Greek word pelos – mud, and peloids are the mud-like materials employed in medicine for therapeutic purposes” (Petr et al, 2012, 94). The word “peloid” was actually first suggested by Dr. S. Judd Lewis and adopted by the International Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology (ISMH) as a designation to cover all forms of external applications of clay, sand, fango, parafango (paraffin wax and mud), peat, and related materials from the earth (ISMH, 1949).
Paracelsus and Adolf Just
The use of earth as a therapeutic compound has a long and vibrant history that has been largely lost in North America. Half a millennium ago, Paracelsus (1494-1541), famous for his contributions to alchemy and medicine, used peloids in the treatment of jaundice, disorders of the digestive tract, and speeding up convalescence after surgery (Paul, 1970, 19). He wrote a treatise on surgery, Der grossen Wundartzney (The Great Surgery Book),and was impressed by the great healing power of the peat peloids common in Austria where he lived.
Peloids encompass the often neglected earth element of Nature which includes organic and inorganic compounds obtained from the earth’s surface or excavated from its depths. Long before the inception of the ISMH and systematic study of the medical utility of peloids that arise in muddy carbonate-rich sediments, naturopathic doctors and their predecessors were on the case. In our era, ISMH medical professionals, including naturopathic physicians, globally study organic, therapy-grade, moor mud (sometimes called “balneo-peat”). Their interest is in the healing properties of this fascinating organic substance. The growing literature about peloids analyzes, among its other characteristics, the organic residue of herbs, mosses, and grasses. The literature of this field speaks to not only the presence of, but also the medical applications of, organic plant enzymes, bio-minerals, trace elements, amino acids, plant hormones, fatty acids, and vitamins. The prolific and growing literature considers the high humic acid content of so-called “moor mud,” its anti-inflammatory capabilities, its natural astringent properties, its detoxification uses, its value in addressing hormonal imbalances because of its rich sourcing of phyto-hormones, its post-surgery recovery use, its sports medicine applications, and many other uses.
These earth elements have been valued as important healing agents for centuries, as Paracelsus’ work indicates. More recently, natural medicine healers, such as naturarst Adolf Just, turned their attention to “earth cure.” Just’s 1896 book, Return to Nature, for example, left an indelible imprint upon the theory and practice of the emerging naturopathic movement in America in the early twentieth century. Just’s work helped shape the naturopathic armamentarium for decades. He embraced Nature and earth cure as essential to the healing process. Long before contemporary Stephen Sinatra’s “earthing movement,” Just had understood the importance of respecting Mother Gaia’s healing vibrations, counselling his patients to keep connected directly to the earth. His endorsement of earth cure occupied three chapters in his book and was both instrumental and indispensable for the early naturopaths as they systematically assembled their healing paradigm. This foundational work had its genesis in Europe and persists to the present era in the presence of peloid baths, wraps, compresses, and drinking cure in spa centers all over Europe. Just extolled earth’s virtues: “The successes achieved by this wonderful remedy, earth, in curing diseases in such an easy and agreeable manner are of such a nature as to call out the greatest enthusiasm and applause in behalf of earth applications” (Just, 1903, 128).
The confidence that Just placed in earth cure came from his own personal experiences. As a young man, he became very sick, describing his condition as “draining the cup of suffering to the dregs” (Just, 1903, 1). Having exhausted the efforts of the old-school physicians, he turned to the natural healers, who prescribed barefoot walking as well as “Kneipp douches, Kuhne baths, packs, steam baths, massage, vegetarian diet, etc” (Just, 1903, 2). He got some relief but wanted to attain even higher health outcomes and standards for himself. He turned to the Grande Dame herself, Mother Nature, deepening and broadening his observations. His investigations coalesced into the conclusion that all forms of life were connected and that the grand macrocosm of living beings was, by elegant, meticulous design and destiny, “a creature of Nature indeed, free from disease” (Just, 1903, 4).
An important part of his work was observing animals in their natural elements. For Just, their instinct and habits were consistently telling, ranging from their nutrition habits through to instinctive techniques for addressing wounds and other ailments, details of which he set out in his globally popular Return to Nature. Just concluded that the earth’s creatures and Mother Earth herself could teach us much about healing. However, he understood the wrinkle in this grand design that human kind, in particular, needed to be continuously attentive to the laws of Nature and not violate them in their busy lifestyles, which incrementally departed from Mother Earth’s laws and balance. The violations of the laws of Nature were intensely visible in Just’s society, the extraordinary new applications of technology and enterprise having seared and scarred Europe significantly by the beginning of the twentieth century. In our own time, these environmental challenges persist as do the habits of industrial society, ranging from the cumulative effects of sedentary work and leisure habits such as of sitting for prolonged periods in front of a screen in stuffy offices or watching TV, to overeating a diet of nutritionally diluted processed and fast foods, to the growing paucity of clean air and water, to the din and calamity of concrete, speed, and artificial environments, both physical and sensory. All of these rhythms and details of contemporary life propel entire societies toward high chronicity and environmental degradation. Natural medicine healers, such as Just and many before and after him, iterated loudly that it is only when we stop attending to the voices, design, and rhythms of Nature that dysfunction and disease become possible and pervasive.
Just established a health retreat center called the “Jungborn.” People from across Europe and beyond came by the thousands to restore their health, using the “earth cure” treatments that Just devised. Sleeping directly on the ground, for example, was quite popular. He exalted this practice: “Whoever has not himself tried it and convinced himself of it, can have no conception of how refreshing, vitalizing, and strengthening the effect of the earth is on the human organism at night during rest” (Just, 1903, 87-88). Referenced earlier, the contemporary work of Stephen Sinatra has re-introduced the concept of “earthing for earthlings.” Sinatra states, “direct contact with the earth feeds the body … and [restores] balance to the body’s multiple bioelectrical systems and reduces inflammation” (Ober, Sinatra, Zucker, 2010, p. i).
Just’s work a century earlier brought earth as a healing modality to the forefront. His fearless use of “earth bandages” and “earth compresses” was another highlight at the Jungborn. With total confidence, Just used earth on wounds, boils, ulcer, stings, animal bites, blood poisoning, all skin diseases, cancer, lupus, tetter (eczema, ringworm), dandruff, eruptions, leprosy, and broken bones (Just, 1903, 119-121). In fact, skin ailments of every description were treated with earth, accompanied by the complete certitude of the doctors and the patients themselves of achieving the desired results. Earth compresses, for example, were most effective in alleviating headaches, lung troubles, gout, and rheumatism (Just, 1903, 126). Having been influenced by the work of the ISMH and my readings of Just and others, I have had many occasions to use peloids (earth) on open cuts and wounds with stunning results. Lacerations and deep wounds heal quickly and often with minimal or no scarring or keloid presentation. Adolf Just recognized that the fear of bacilli would deter many from using earth bandages and compresses. Those who flocked to his Jungborn, though, and who experienced his and his colleagues’ confidence and previous successes accepted the treatments enthusiastically and experienced in due course excellent, documented results.
Seven decades later, Wolfgang Paul wrote one of the few books available on peloids in North America, entitled Healing Earth: Moor (1970). His focus was on the medicinal moor or peat peloids of Neydharting, Austria. Paul dispels the structural and ingrained concerns that we have of “dirt as dirty.” He recounts the work of Dr. Nissle, a prominent bacteriologist and hygienist who conducted research during WWI on the factors protecting soldiers against infectious diseases. Nissle experimented with peat and bacillus anthracis and discovered that peat did not destroy the rods of anthrax but rather provided an environment for the culture to flourish. Dismayed by the results, Nissle pursued his experiment further and injected mice with lethal doses of the peat-cultured anthrax. “The mice did not die … For the [peat] moor mud made the bacilli nonpathogenic, ineffective and harmless (sterile) and apparently removed their danger” (Paul, 1970, 67).
Peat Lands
Even though the medical professions, especially in North America, have in our
era virtually abandoned the works of Just and Paracelsus on earth therapies, in
other parts of the globe peloids have the attention of science and medicine to
verify their applications and restore health to the body with this simple
apothecary from Nature. In North America, our familiarity with peat is mostly
limited to our use of it to amend soil as we strive to create the right soil
blend for our gardens. Peat or sphagnum peat moss is fibrous, dry, and has the
capacity to retain moisture in our gardens. Most likely, the bag of peat
purchased for your garden came from Canada. Peat lands comprise a total of
three percent of global land area, of which 90% are found in the temperate
regions of the northern hemisphere. Canada has the largest peat lands amounting
1,114,000 km2 and uses only 15% of it for agriculture. This colossal area
yields 50 million tons of peat annually; however, only 800,000 tons are
excavated for agricultural use (IPS, 2008).
While in Canada there is an industry to excavate peat lands for the purpose of
agricultural peat moss, there is no industry to make available medicinal
peat largely because there is no such developed market in North
America. There is a huge difference between peat used for agriculture and that
used medicinally. The “von Post Scale” has been established to
determine the degree of decomposition of dry peat samples by examining the
plant residues. Agricultural peat is fibrous with recognizable plant structures
while medicinal peat is completely decomposed and, when squeezed in the hand,
appears as a paste that easily slides through the fingers (Pamasyuk et al,
1990).
40,000 Years of Biodegradation and Transformation
The constituents of peat peloids can be grasped much more easily if one were to
go to a swamp or bog and observe the hundreds of different plant species within
this unique ecosystem. I have visited several medicinal peat bogs in the Czech
Republic and in Hungary. These places are extraordinary herbal apothecaries.
What dances before your eyes are every imaginable herbal plant. No matter where
you look, there is a botanical peloid treasure. As a case in point, Paul
compiled a list of plants found in the Neydharting moor lands that total over
300 medicinal plants.
Three hundred plants may not seem impressive to us at first glance; however,
the nature of bogs and peat lands is that their formation may span centuries
and most often millennia. In the bog lands in Czech Republic, the age of the
peat can be over 40,000 years. Contemporary flora in the region of a particular
bog are one thing, and the geological changes that will have occurred in that
same area in four hundred centuries are another, inferring a rich history of
botanical species. For example, there are almost a thousand bryophyte (moss)
species alone in the Czech Republic. It is intriguing to imagine what botanical
and geological transitions and transformations could possibly have happened in
that time period. Plants grow, blossom, form seeds, and succumb to winter’s
cold and snow. The following year the seeds sprout and the same cycle ensues.
After many thousands of years of this ecological rhythm, the constituents found
in those precious herbal plants biodegrade with the aid of indispensable soil
bacteria and microorganisms forming medicinal peat which traditional healers
considered a panacea of elixirs with significant healing properties. The
literature indicates that tiny burrowing benthic and other soil organisms
contribute to soil structural development and to the synthesis of various plant
nutrients through the mediation of various biogeochemical cycles (Tate, 1985).
Without the presence of water and the benthic community, including meiobenthos
and microbenthos microorganisms, the production of peat peloids would be nearly
impossible. We may experience the appearance of algae and microbial colonies in
their sediment and dirt environments as unattractive, perhaps not realizing
that they represent by their filter and deposit feeding habits the chief factor
in the development of medicinal properties of peat (Bergel, 1). Thousands of
years are required to make a complex wetland ecosystem such as a peat bog.
Certain conditions are essential: acidic and stagnant water, poor soils, and a
habitat of distinct plants. Peat formation occurs in semi-anaerobic conditions
with a stable water table and abundance of vegetation, both plants and algae in
the presence of microorganisms.
Peloids used for therapeutic purposes come in different formats. Based upon how
they are formed, there are four types of peloids: silt, sapropel, peat, and
sopochny (clay) (Pamasyuk, 1990). It is very useful in considering the
potential of peloids as an exciting, “renewed” frontier to review
several Russian studies. The literature studied by my colleagues indicates that
the composition of peat is indeed complex and that there are great variations
among peat types dependent upon their place of origin, the plants of origin,
and a wide spectrum of environmental factors (Beer, et al., 2003). Medicinal
peloids are classified into organic (peat and sapropel), consisting of more
than 10% of decomposed organic substances and plant remains, and inorganic
(sulfide silt, volcanic, and clay) with less than 10% of organic compounds and
a higher mineral content. Peloids with a higher organic content, such as peat
and sapropel (fresh water and silt), have different properties than the class
of inorganic peloids classed as mud, clay, sulfide silt, sopochny (volcanic and
clay), and sand (Dilke et al, 2007).
Peat, having a high organic content, must be stored in a moist state to be
biologically and therapeutically active. Once peat dries, it is impossible to
re-hydrate making it inert with no medicinal properties. Peloids with a high
mineral content, such as clay, mud and sand, can be dried and still retain
their therapeutic activity.
The
principle humic substances (HS) responsible for peat’s therapeutic effects
include humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA). Humic acids are the most
widespread natural polymers derived from biological, chemical, and microbial
decomposition of organic matter (Vaškova, et al, 2011).
There is plenty of research in the area of HS; however, these are concentrated
in soil science and animal husbandry with fewer studies in human medical
applications. HS accounts for 80% of the total carbon in terrestrial media and
60% of the carbon dissolved in aquatic media (Peña -Médez et al, 2005). HA is
considered to be the most active and important factor in peat for human and
animal medicine with properties that include, “antiviral, profibrinolytic,
anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic activities” (Yamada et al. 1998). One of
my mentors, Finnish researcher Harry Uosukainen, attributes humic acid capable
of preventing viral and bacterial activity. The mediators of inflammation,
including leukotrienes, prostaglandins, and thromboxane have been shown
experimentally to lose much of their activity as a result of peat therapy
(Uosukainen, Pihlaja, 2006). The bulk of research on medicinal peat is
conducted in Russia, Finland, Germany, and eastern European countries and often
in their language, making peloid research difficult to access in North America
and in the English-speaking world.
Peat peloids are often administered warm and the thermal effects upon the body
are undeniable. The discussion arises: Did the heat cause the healing or was it
the peloids? Research examining this question has been conducted quite
extensively by many. There are numerous indications that the chemical components
in peat may contribute to the clinical success of cutaneous peat treatment
because several pharmacological effects have been found that cannot be
attributed to the well-established physical thermal effects (Beer et al.,
2003). And further, Beer and his colleagues have determined that water-soluble
peat substances pass transdermally in sufficient quantities to induce a
biological effect and that the “human skin possesses a selective
permeability for the water-soluble fulvic and ulmic acids and derivative
fraction isolated as peat extract” (Beer et al, 2003). The bacteriostatic
and bactericidal activities of humic acid have a positive effect upon mucous
membranes especially in the intestines and vagina (Kotenko, 2008).
Peloid therapy is renowned for its organic constituents, which are becoming of
great interest to researchers. Another property of peat is its “power of
sorption or of ion exchange of the peloid” (Hattori, 1963, 273). The
sorption on humic acid (HA) of metals especially heavy metals such as Hg, Pb,
and Cd has clinical implications in the role of detoxification of prevalent
body burden (Kerndorff, H et al, 1980). The concentration of humic/humine
substances in most therapeutic peat needs to be at least 30% and in most can be
above 50% (Uosukainen et al, 2006; Petr et al, 2012). The most significant
therapeutic components of the peat are these humic substances which contribute
very important therapeutic actions such as the following:
- Estrogenic activity which supports endogenous estrogen production (Klőcking et al, 2005, 5);
- Antiviral (Coxsackie, influenza A, herpes simplex, HIV-1 and HIV-2, cytomegalovirus, vaccinia) (Klőcking et al, 2005, 6);
- Elimination of rheumatic factors as observed by Stőber (1987) with the use of Carex peat due to the large content of humine;
- Modulates inflammation (Petr et al, 2012);
- Immunomodulating (Petr et al, 2012);
- Detoxicant (Suárez M et al, 2011);
- Analgesic (Suárez M et al 2011);
- Male and female infertility (Suárez M et al. 2011).
The
presence of peat lipids is “very complex since [the] lipids originate from
different plant species, their chemical transformations in the soil and from
microbial metabolism” (Uosukainen et al, 2006, 31). The list includes
plant-derived alkanes, fatty acids, ketones, sterols, cyclic terpenes, and
phenolic compounds (Uosukainen et al, 2006, 32-34). These lipids have a lengthy
list of biological activities impacting health that includes anti-microbial,
anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activity; and they reduce edema
(Uosukainen, 2006, 52).
Peat’s Thermal
Properties
The properties of peat peloids are fascinating. Their thermal properties enable
heat retention to be prolonged for a much longer time than tap water. The peat
cellulose structure is an essential factor in its thermal dynamics. Micropores
make up the structure of peat and the cellulose outer structure allows peat to
trap water within its cavity that maintains either hot or cold temperatures for
prolonged periods. The therapeutic benefits of thermal applications have been
well documented. High heat capacity, ability to retain heat, and low heat
conductivity mark peat as a valuable medium. An example of this thermal
property in peat is that a bath mixed with peat retains its temperature for a
longer duration, the penetration of heat is deeper within the tissues, and the
sensation of the temperature in a thermal peat or peloid bath feels warmer than
the actual temperature.
Russian Peloids and Gynecology
The temperature and duration of peloid therapies vary greatly and determine the
intensity of the treatment. Cooler temperatures are viewed as gentle, and the
higher temperatures are viewed as intensive treatment. With respect to the use
of peloids in gynecology, these factors are important. In this regard, allow me
to acknowledge several National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM)
colleagues who have focused on the use of peloids in gynecology: Dr. Alla
Nicolulis (an experienced medical doctor from the Ukraine and current NUNM
student), Tatiana Gorbacheva (current NUNM student), and recent graduate Dr.
Maria Rechkunova-Goodson. Collectively over the last three years, we have
sourced and they have translated Russian research on the topic of peloids and
gynecology. We are compiling this work for a forthcoming book from NUNM press
reintroducing this invaluable earth cure once again to the naturopathic
community. Their research helps demystify the remarkable domain of peloids in
that the preliminary data indicate that peat peloids present unique and
extraordinary properties pertaining to gynecology.
Women with gynecological
disorders who are beginning peloidotherapy are most often prescribed cooler
temperatures and shorter duration in their treatment plan. The benefits derived
from peloid procedures include normalized endocrine reproductive system,
stimulation of secretory activity of cervical and uterine glands, decreased
chronic inflammatory processes, and restoration of pH balance (Tsarfis,
Kiselev, 1990). Peloids have also been found to block microorganisms’ virulence
factors (anti-lysosome, anti-lactoferrin, anti-complement), thereby making them
prone to the host’s local defense factors (Vdovkin, 2007). Peloids are
bacteriocidal in vaginal pathogenic flora and have restorative effects for
exudative adhesions (Kolesnik, 1990).
Peloid therapy is justified in the following conditions: PID, chronic
salpingoophoritis, cervical erosion, bacterial vaginosis, atrophic vaginitis,
incontinence, pelvic adhesions, infertility, primary and secondary amenorrhea,
ovarian dysfunction due to low estrogen, and preparation for planned pregnancy
(Radzinskyi, 2011; Vdovkin, 2007).
In particular, gynecological disorders have responded favorably, and in some
cases exceptionally, to peloid applications to regulate and stimulate hormonal
function and restore functionality. The familiar application of peat used in
balneotherapy medical spas is generally in the form of a bath, a compress, or a
wrap. In studying the Russian research in patients with gynecological
disorders, we found that peloids bring favorable responses (anti-inflammatory,
antibacterial, immune effects, hormonal function, and improved circulation) to
the pelvic area. The numerous peloid applications include vaginal and rectal
tampons, “mud bras and mud underwear or briefs” applications, peloid
electrophoresis (galvanic, faraday currents and ultrasound), and baths. The
temperatures of the peloids that are used are completely dependent upon the
patient’s constitution, concomitant conditions, and the desired outcomes.
The peloid treatment is more often administered within a spa environment having
mineral and thermal water, which facilitates a long, extended stay (two to four
weeks). The Russian and European balneotherapy spas are usually located in
pristine natural environments where the abundance of Nature is available to
their clients. Clinical climatology encourages sun and air baths, which are
conducted after the peloid therapy. Facilities are available for patients to
sleep outdoors during the summer. Physical exercises such as excursions,
swimming, stretching, and strengthening abdominal muscles are available and
encouraged. Exercise improves blood circulation to the pelvic area and has
far-reaching benefits. Gynecological massages performed in conjunction with the
peloid treatments improve clinical outcomes.
Peloid “Bra” and “Underwear”
Peloid bra and underwear refers to the application of peat that covers the
breast or the pelvic area. Peloid applications (40° to 42° C/104° to 108° F)
placed on one or both breasts act reflexively to stop uterine bleeding that can
be especially useful during menorrhagia. The duration of treatment is 15 to 20
minutes (Kolesnik, 1990).
For conditions involving infertility, ovarian dysfunctions, and PID, the
temperatures used for the “peloid underwear” is 38 ° to 42° C/ 100° to 108° F. The duration of each
treatment is the standard treatment time of 15 to 20 minutes conducted every
other day for a total of 10 to 12 applications. For scars and post-surgical
adhesions, higher temperatures are used and peloids are heated to temperatures
42° to 46° C/ 108° to 115° F (Kolesnik, 1990). A typical treatment plan consists
of 12 to 14 procedures. In the first half of the treatment course, procedures
are performed every other day; in the second half, procedures are done two days
consecutively with the third day free from peloids. Although I have included
temperatures in this article, I have found that there are prescription
variations between clinics and sanitariums when administering peloids.
“Peloids are peloids are peloids” means that different temperatures
are used for different kinds of peloids. Peat requires different temperatures
than clay than parafango, etc.
Peloid Vaginal Tampons
For the treatment of gynecological disorders, peloid-filled tampons were
discovered by a group of Russian doctors at their Sergievskie Sanatorium in the
1920s (Vdovkin, 2007). In some of the European spas, a special applicator is
used for the peloid insertion. Another method that can be improvised with equal
results is using a piece of gauze [1″ x 3″ x 4″) and placing a
half of teaspoon of peat at one end and roll to form a tampon. This method, I
have incorporated in my clinical practice. The peloid tampon is inserted in the
evening and removed in the morning.
One Russian study cited the benefits of a peloid vaginal tampon to include
bactericidal action on pathogenic flora in the vagina and a reflexive action on
pelvic organs. The temperature of the peloid used for the vaginal tampon is 44°
to 48 ° C/111° to 118 ° F. The recommended protocol is to apply the vaginal
tampon every other day for a duration of 40 to 60 minutes with a course of
treatment consisting of 10 to 12 procedures (Kolesnik, 1990). Cervical erosion
and endocervicitis are treated with peloid tampons at relatively high
temperatures (46° to 52° C/115° to 126° F) along with topical peloid
applications (42° to 44°C / 108° to 111° F) to the pelvic area (“underwear
zone”). This peloid combination treatment reduces abdominal pain,
normalizes menstrual cycle, softens and dissipates fibrous adhesion, and
restores normal health (Tsarfis, Kiselev, 1990). Many of the Russian papers
indicated that peloid tampons worked more effectively when combined with peloid
“underwear” treatment. German research has demonstrated that
papilloma viral infections, which can represent the first stage of cervical
cancer, have been shown to be eliminated with 80% success by means of peat
tampons (Uosukainen, Pihlaja, 2006).
Electrotherapies and
Peloids
The use of electrotherapies in conjunction with topical peloids (“peloid
underwear”) and vaginal tampons are common practices in Russia. When
combining galvanic current and peloid therapy, gauze sacks are filled with
peloid preheated to 38° to 42° C / 99° to 108 F and used instead of the usual
hydrophilic pads. The rest of the procedure is identical to the galvanic
treatment (Pamasyuk et al, 1990). Galvanization stimulates regulation of
nervous and endocrine systems, and energy (Kotenko, Korchajkina, 2008).
Ultrasound used with peat increases circulation to the pelvic area and improves
lymphatic flow and thereby improving tissue repair. (Kotenko, Korchajkina,
2008) When using ultrasound with peloids, the active constituents in peat can
be absorbed better through the epidermal skin layer and their penetration is
deeper. Another alternative method of using ultrasound is to use peloid tampons
while administering the ultrasound on the lower abdomen.
The extraordinary breadth of the emerging literature about peloids and specific
applications, such as peloidotherapy and gynecology, give the contemporary
naturopathic physician and holistically inclined biomedicine professional pause
to reconsider these old, newly rediscovered tools from Mother Earth. Peloids
and especially peat are patiently waiting to be discovered in North America.
These precious natural earth ingredients under our very feet are important for
health outcomes in a synthetic era burdened by serious chronicity.
Peat Baths
There are many versions
of a peat bath from country to country. At one end of the continuum, the
Finnish bath might contain as much as 100 kg [220 lbs.] of peat in a bathtub
that closely follows the contours of a human body, intended to reduce the
amount of peat used. The consistency of mixture is correct if a pattern drawn
on the surface remains visible for one minute (Uosukainen, Pihlaja, 2006,
67).
The peat baths used in
Frantiŝkovy, Czech Republic, are at the other end of that spectrum, more
conservative, the consistency much like a typical water bath with the exception
that the color of the bath water is black and there may be some evidence of
plant material in the bath water.
In any case, peat baths are simple to prepare. The best peat source is
available from Torf Spa (torfspa.com) who import peat from the Czech Republic
and Hungary and will be soon importing sapropelic peloids from
Russia. I have travelled to the two European countries and have visited the
sites and companies who excavate the peat prudently and ethically. Although,
there are ample peat lands in North America, especially Canada, an industry has
not emerged here to produce a medicinal peat for healthcare providers.
After a day of stress and exhaustion, a peat bath is a wonderful way to end the
day. Simply run a warm bath [97 ° to 99° F / 36° to 37° C]. The most relaxing
bath is not hot, but rather a “neutral,” i.e. the same temperature as
the human body. To test the temperature of the water, place your hand in the
bath and the water will feel neither hot nor cold. For a first bath, use one
package of peat. It can be mixed into a bucket of warm water which is then
added to the bath tub turning the bath water black.
Immerse yourself into the water and stay in the bath for 20 minutes. During
your time in the bath, have some mineral water nearby for drinking. For many,
the experience of their first peat bath is a sensation of overwhelming heat,
and many perspire during their bath. Thus, having water nearby to drink is
important.
After the bath, without showering, put on a housecoat or wrap yourself in a
cotton sheet and rest in bed for about 20 to 30 minutes. If you are retiring
for the night, then follow your regular routine and fall asleep. The peat bath
is deeply relaxing, and sleep will come very easily. Enjoy!
Sussanna Czeranko, a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, has developed an extensive armamentarium of nature-cure tools and techniques for her patients. Especially interested in balneotherapy, botanical medicine, breathing and nutrition, she is a frequent presenter and workshop leader. As curator of the Rare Books Collection at NCNM, her present projects include a twelve-book series known as The Hevert Collection: In Their Own Words, which has been published by NUNM Press. This series restores the best of the early literature from the Benedict Lust Journals for the naturopathic profession. Sussanna is the founder of The Breathing Academy, a training institute for naturopaths to incorporate a scientific model of breathing therapy called Buteyko into their practice. Her next large project is to complete the development of her new naturopathic medical spa in Manitou Beach, Canada.
References
Beer AM, Junginger HE, Lukanov J, Sagorchev P. (2003). Evaluation of the permeation of peat substances through human skin in vitro, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, (2003) 253:169-175.
Bergel R. Biology and physics of peloids. Available at http://www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/rehabilitacion-bal/biology_and_physics_of__peloids.pdf
Dilke, G. B., Kira, E. F. (2007). Clinical applications of the Dead Sea salts and mud to treat chronic conditions of female and male reproductive organs. Moscow.
Hattori I. Peleotherapy. In Medical Hydrology. Edited by Sidney Licht. Baltimore; Waverly Press, Inc.:1963.
Hill MJ. (1997). Intestinal flora and endogenous vitamin synthesis, Eur J Cancer Prev, Vol. 6 (suppl), pp. S 43-45.
International Medical Hydrology Conference in Dax, ISMH, 1949.
International Peat Society [IPS]. Peatlands and Climate and Change, International Peat Society, Jyvaskyla, Finland.
Just A. Return to Nature, Benedict Lust Publishing, New York, 1903, 309 pp.
Kerndorff H et al. (1980) Sorption of metals on humic acid, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 44, # 11, pp. 1701-1708.
Klöcking R et al. (2005). Medical Aspects and Applications of Humic Substances, Biopolymers for Medical and Pharmaceutical Applications, Edited by A. Steinbüchel and R. H. Marchessault WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Kolesnik E. (1990). Treatment of female patients with gynecological conditions, Zdorovie, Kiev, pp 50-57.
Kotenko KB, Korchajkina NB. (2008). Modern methods of Tambukan mud application in clinical practice, Burnazin Federal Medical Biophysical Center. (#FSP 2008/03455)
Ober C, Sinatra ST, Zucker M. (2010). Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications Inc.
Pamasyuk EN, Fedorov YN, Modylevsky VM. (1990). General physiotherapy and Balneotherapy, Lvov, Svit publishing.
Paul W. (1970). Healing Earth: Moor, Metropolitan Press, Portland, Oregon, 160 pp.
Peña-Méndez EM, Havel J, Patočka J. (2005). Humic substances-compounds still unknown structure: applications in agriculture, industry, environment, and biomedicine. Journal of Applied Biomedicine. 3: 13-24.
Petr P, Verner M, Kalová H, Janečková B, Vačkářová O, Zezulková I. (2012). Humic substances in balneology: Contemporary situation and perspectives. Biomedicina,.98-94 .pp ,1# ,14 .Vol
Radzinskyi V. (2011). Peloidotherapy, realistic possibilities and alternative uses in gynecology, Vice-president of Russian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Moscow.
Tate RL. Microorganisms, ecosystem disturbance and soil formation processes, Soil reclamation processes (Tate, R. L. and Klein, D.A. eds.) Marcel Dekker, New York, 33 pp.
Tsarfis PG, Kiselev VB. (1990). Healing peloid and other natural heat carriers, Vyshaya Shkola, Moscow.
Uosukainen H et al. (2006). Peat in balneology and therapy, Terraviva Oy Publishers, Kempele, Finland, 96 pp.
Vašková J, Viliká B, Pilátová, Kron I, Vaško L. (2011). Effects of humic acids in vitro, In vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. – Animal (2011) 47:376-382.
Vdovkin AA. (2007). Treatment and rehabilitation of gynecological disorders in sanatorium, Sanatoria “Sergievskie Mineralnye Vody”, e-mail kud238@yandex.ru
Yamada E, Ozaki T, Kimura M. Determination and behavior of humic substances as precursors of trihalomethane in environmental water. Analytical Sci. April 1998; 14: 327-332.