台灣溫泉資源開發利用，已超過百年以上歷史，但大都以觀光遊憩型態來利用溫泉資源，國外有溫泉之國家如日本、德國、匈牙利等，早已廣泛應用，不僅讓該國民眾充分享受溫泉健康效益，其溫泉衍生產品的利潤，也為當地經濟創造成長，儼然溫泉資源的應用已于健康產業重要的一部份。本計畫蒐集有關溫泉中所含主要與微量元素對健康促進之影響及泉質特性之文獻，由初步文獻結果整理指出，大部分國外在溫泉健康療養使用上，是以「溫泉浴療」為主，並以溫泉以外之輔助(如飲食、運動及環境等因子)來達到溫泉對生理及心理於健康上的幫助。而國內溫泉的健康理療才剛起步，過去無實際的臨床試驗資料，且台灣的溫泉設施及周圍景觀規劃不夠完善，及缺乏真正的溫泉浴療醫學，參考國外之溫泉健康應用之許多文獻及實例，建議國內在健康療養應用上應提升溫泉研究品質，進而將溫泉浴療運用於預防保健及復健療養上。 Taiwan hot spring has been utilized and developed more than hundred years; however, most of the use of hot spring only emphasized on tourism and recreation. Other countries such as Japan, Germany, Republic of Hungary, which own the hot springs have broadly utilized this resource in various applications. Their people have received the health benefits directly from hot springs, and profits from the by-products, which have facilitated their economic development. The application of hot springs resources in health care industries has been focused to be an important topic. This study has collected the literature discussing the effect of hot spring water characteristics including major or minor chemical elements on health promotion. Based on the preliminary review, the method of most abroad utilizing hot spring on health promotion is balneotherapy in combination with other methods such as diet, exercise, and environment to improve physical and mental health. In contrast, to date in Taiwan no clinical experiment has supported the effect of hot spring on health promotion. The facilities and surrounding planning of hot springs are insufficient, and lack of scientific medicine of balneotherapy. Referring to the international literature and evidence proving the effect of balneotherapy, the current study has suggested that in Taiwan to improve the quality of experimental study is the first priority of utilizing hot spring on health promotion. Based on the results of those studies balneotherapy is able to be used on disease prevention, health care, and rehabilitation.
