BENEFITS OF THE AREA'S NATURAL RESOURCES

Mud and salt water from Lake Techirghiol

The first written records of the use of mud and salt water from Lake Techirghiol for healing purposes date back to the 1800s and there are already over 120 years of recognition of Lake Techirghiol in balneology and its therapeutic properties.

THE LEGEND OF LAKE TECHIRGHIOL

Legend has it that in the 8th century, an old crippled and blind man called Techir arrived with his wounded donkey at the edge of the lake that today is called Techirghiol and got stuck in the smelly slime on the shore. The animal went into the water and the old man struggled for hours to get him out, but when he came out he found he could see the light again and his feet began to listen to him. When news of this happened, people came to the lakeshore to bathe and smear themselves with mud to heal. Because it was Techir and his donkey who discovered the miraculous benefits of the lake, it was given the name Techirghiol which means "Techir's Lake".

THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF MUD AND WATER FROM LAKE TECHIRGHIOL

It differs fundamentally from the other lakes in its physical-geographical aspects, even though its genesis is the same (fluvio-marine boundary). The average water temperature is generally close to that of the air. Due to its high mineralisation, the water temperature of Lake Techirghiol can drop below 0°C without freezing. The invertebrate fauna inhabiting Lake Techirghiol is dominated by the crustacean Artemia salina, which together with the alga Cladophora cristalina provides the raw material for the production of sapropelic mud with active mineral components that give it particular therapeutic value.
The sludge is found in sediment form on the bottom of the lake, in certain areas of the lake, over a total area of about 98 ha, in a layer about 0.6 m thick. Silt is a chemically complex substance formed by a process. Black, shiny and unctuous, it has a characteristic odour (hydrogen sulphide) and physical properties that make it extremely useful in the treatment of various ailments; it is unique in every respect. Mud has the property of spreading and moulding to the surface of the body (it is plastic); it absorbs water like a sponge and is also able to mix very well with it (it is hydropexic); it absorbs heat easily (it is thermopexic) when heated and gives it off with difficulty to our body (it has a low thermoconductivity); therefore, when applied hot to the skin, it feels less hot than a bath with water at the same temperature.

BENEFITS OF MUD AND SALT WATER

Named 'Black Gold', the sapropelic mud from Lake Techirghiol has miraculous health benefits. Known since Roman times, peloidotherapy, or peloid or mud therapy, is multifactorial and acts through complex mechanisms. The beneficial effects occur immediately and over time, by modifying the body's general adaptive capacity. They act on the cardiovascular, central nervous, vegetative, immunological and endocrine systems.

Stimulates peripheral circulation
Detoxifies and exfoliates through massage, as well as purifying and moisturising the skin
Relieves back and joint pain
Reduces muscle contractions
Eliminates fatigue, increases mental tone and vitality

With a high salinity of 80-90 grams/litre, the water in Lake Techirghiol is extremely rich in minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, bromine, calcium, potassium, manganese and boron. The water is very salty and can therefore only be used in external cures, for cold or hot baths. Water exerts its therapeutic effect through its temperature and chemical composition, stimulating thermoregulatory mechanisms and adaptive reactions. The high density of lake water results in a higher archimedetic force than plain water, with a pronounced sensation of unloading the weight of the body immersed in it. This characteristic gives it important benefits in the recovery of various muscle and joint conditions through water exercise programmes.