Naftalan sitz bath

In a naftalan sitz bath the body is immersed only to the waist. The effect is concentrated in the pelvic area while the overall heat load stays well below that of a full-body bath. For that reason the sitz bath is chosen both for targeted gynaecological and urological programmes and where a full bath is not advisable. The oil itself is drawn here, at Naftalan in Azerbaijan, from the only industrial field of its kind in the world.

How a naftalan sitz bath is taken

The guest sits in a dedicated bath with the naftalan oil reaching waist level and the upper body and chest clear of it. Temperature and session length are set by the physician, and the number of sessions follows from the examination and the tests taken on arrival. Afterwards the oil is washed off in a dedicated shower and a short rest follows, so the body settles after the load.

What a sitz bath does in the pelvic area

The anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving action of naftalan hydrocarbons, and their effect on tissue repair, are directed at the pelvic organs and the lower back. The sitz form gathers all of it into a narrow area:

Its effect on the pelvic area

• Less chronic inflammation in the pelvic organs
• Easing of pain in the lower back and sacrum
• Better circulation in the lesser pelvis
• Relief of the complaints of chronic prostatitis
• A minimal load on the cardiovascular system
• Better tolerance than a full-body bath

When a sitz bath is chosen over a full bath

The sitz bath is often prescribed as part of the gynaecological and urological programmes, though it is also given on its own. In every case the programme is drawn up after an examination and, where needed, laboratory tests. Where a full-body bath is not suitable — blood pressure, or sensitivity to heat load — this is the form chosen instead. Once the course begins the physician keeps watching and adjusts the schedule against the readings.

Naftalan sitz bath in Naftalan — Sun City Hotel & Spa

The bath is given in the treatment wing, inside the hotel's own building: after a procedure you are back in your room without going outside. A sitz bath rarely stands alone — it is planned together with physiotherapy, local naftalan applications and, where it helps, massage, as a single programme.