Phytobalneotherapy with Graminis flos (hay bath) - a low-side-effect alternative to hyperthermia?

Reflecting the present-day increasing significance of complementary medical treatments, phytobalneotherapy with Graminis flos (hay bath), is being use d ever more frequently in the areas of prevention, clinical treatment and r ehabilitation, and may be regarded as a current form of treatment. Experime ntal and clinical studies investigating the effects of the hay bath are, ho wever, few and far between. In a prospective cross-over study we randomized zwolf illness-free ("health y") test subjects to two groups, each receiving one hour of treatment in ei ther a traditional hay bath or a "hot bath" (hyperthermia), The two groups were then investigated for differences in cardiovascular parameters (blood pressure, heart rate and sublingual temperature), subjective well-being, qu ality of sleep, and tolerability. Twelve male test subjects having an average age of 25.2 (+/- 3.3) years wer e included in the study. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographic data. Nor did the objective or subjectiv e parameters reveal any significant differences between the groups. Side ef fects were documented for the hay bath group. When using the hay bath, potential side effects must be taken into account. In view of the increasing use of Graminis flos in phytobalneotherapy, inve stigations involving large groups of patients with defined illnesses are ne eded in order definitively to establish the effectiveness and risks of the hay bath.