[Venous insufficiency and varicose disease. Sequelae of lower limb thrombosis. The role of crenotherapy].

The writers reminded that a consensus on Classification of veinous diseases, necessary to build up homogeneous samples, was being set up. Now, they are introducing a thermal nosology that is as useful. Next, the history of spas, the characteristics of Thermal Springs and thermal practices as well as their results are described. The writers present a standardization of the observation and control parameters of the therapeutic effects. The rigorous and scientific process was defined by an interdisciplinary scientific process was defined by an interdisciplinary scientific Council and it is based on the creation of a Computerized Laboratory of Research and a Thermal University. It has become an example in the field of thermalism. According to the results and the modern indications, the water cure has to be prescribed at an early stage. The practitioner must think about it and insert the water cure in the arsenal of veinous diseases. According to the hydrogeologists' estimates, BARBOTAN les thermes, the first European spa with about 22,000 patients is thought to possess enough water to allow from 40,000 to 60,000 people to be treated yearly. A thermal environment is the ideal place for an efficient vascular rehabilitation and functional re-education. In phlebology, more than one million people should benefit from a water cure yearly ... Only 70,000 follow this treatment. Everyone has to wonder about this situation, which, to those who do not benefit from a thermal cure in phlebology, is as astonishing as prejudicial.