近年來因養生風氣盛行，休閒保健更成為國人生活日益重視的一部份。媒體及一般業者皆大肆報導浸泡溫泉的健康效益，民眾皆肯定浸泡溫泉有舒緩壓力及促進健康的效果然而有關使用溫泉的治療效果或預防疾病之相關科學研究實為不多。
由於溫泉為含有複雜化學成份及物理特性(溫熱、水壓)的水資源，為瞭解這些化學成份及物理特性對生理的影響，本研究採用相同溫度的熱水來做為與溫泉進行浸泡實驗，比較浸泡溫泉與一般熱水之差異，本研究目的在於探討溫泉泉質對於體表溫度之影響。研究以針對20位18 至30歲自願者，分別浸泡在溫泉及熱水中，浸泡部位為全身浴方式，水溫控制分別為40℃，浸泡結束後20分鐘，比較浸泡一般熱水與溫泉體表溫度隨時間之變化，受測者溫泉浸泡前、後耳溫、血壓、紅外線測量溫度變化。結果發現浸泡硫磺泉後比一般熱水體表溫度下降較為緩和，顯示含硫酸鹽之浸泡溫泉具有保持體表溫度之作用，本研究結果可提供溫泉浴療對於促進血液循環功效之參考，可作為未來推廣溫泉健康促進之科學證據。 The effects on health and medicine have been certified for soaking hot spring including relaxing the mental stress and reducing physical fatigue etc. However, there are only few previous studies that focused on the therapeutic and health benefits of hot springs. In general, hot springs are characterized by the water pressure and temperature, as well as their special chemical composition of salts (bicarbonate, sulfurous, bicarbonate chloride).
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of hot spring water on the surface body temperature. A control group, composed of 20 volunteers of age 18-30 years old, was soaked in hot spring water and general hot water respectively at the temperature of 40�C for 20 minutes. After soaking the changes temperature of the body were assessed by measuring the body temperature (via ear thermometer) An infrared thermometer was utilized as well to monitor the temperature change of the body surface. The finding of the study is the body temperature declined slower for soaking sulfate hot spring than for soaking general hot water. Therefore, this study confirmed that spa treatment using hot spring waters with sulfate could keep the body temperature and promote the blood circulation.
