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Often associated with alternative medicine, spa treatment benefits from a positive image on the part of the French. This is in any case what emerges from a survey carried out by Harris Interactive, for the National Council of Thermal Establishments, the CNETh.
A practice that has existed for several centuries, hydrotherapy remains a sector that is fairly well known to the French: almost one in two say they have a fairly precise idea of it and 600,000 French people undergo a cure each year. The sector also benefits from a very good image, since more than 9 out of ten respondents say they have “a good opinion of the activities offered in the thermal establishments“.
Nearly three out of four French people find the thermal establishments “accessible”
Although not all French people live in the immediate vicinity of a thermal establishment, three quarters of them find that they are numerous and accessible in the area. Moreover, for more than 9 respondents out of 10, thermal medicine is perceived as beneficial for health.
“The thermal cure establishments bring a real improvement in the state of health of the curists” says Adeline Guérard, general manager of the Chaîne Thermale du Soleil. “This improvement relates to their pain, their functional disorders, etc. Which, when they improve, greatly affect their quality of life.“.
Spa treatment, complementary to medical treatment
For 82% of respondents, spa treatment even appears to be one of the first solutions recommended to a loved one suffering from chronic pain in parallel with conventional medical treatment. “The spa treatment, which is carried out over a period of three weeks, has residual effects over the following six to nine months. adds Adeline Guérard.
Results which are to be nuanced according to the pathologies. But generally speaking, spa medicine is considered a medical practice that “is self-sufficient” by 26% of respondents and as a “medical practice that complements other care“for 67%.
Spa treatment: treatments that have a cost
To be able to benefit from a spa treatment, it is necessary to have a medical prescription. “The coverage is then 65% by Medicare and there is a remaining charge of 35% on care. Not to mention the housing and life on site part outside treatment, for patients who do not live in near a thermal establishment. A few years ago, the total cost had been quantified and it amounted to around 1300 euros for a cure, for which less than 400 euros will be reimbursed” figure Adeline Guerard.
A brake for the most modest? “Not necessarily” according to the General Manager of the Chaîne Thermale du Soleil. “We see a lot of people from the middle class“. However, only 47% of respondents believe that a spa treatment is accessible for their budget.
To reach as many people as possible, spa establishments are increasingly focusing on workshops on health themes, such as balanced diet, healthy lifestyle, sedentary lifestyle, etc. “There is a certain know-how in establishments to make patients actors in their health and it is important for us to take part in it” concludes Adeline Guerard.