Kangal Hot Spring for the Treatment of Psoriasis
The Kangal Hot Spring with Fish, located in a green valley surrounded by a barren countryside, has been sought out by sufferers of various ailments, most particularly psoriasis, ulcers, rheumatism and St. Anthony’s fire. The Kangal Hot Spring’s water is 36 degrees C. (96 F), the same as normal body heat, with a ph of 7.3. The water contains iron aluminate, anions, sulfate, hydrocarbonate, metasilicic acid, nitrate, calcium, magnesium sulfate, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, and millions of “doctor fish,” which suck out the scaly red patches on the skin in a curettage-like fashion.
Two different types of fish, members of the Cyprinidae family, live in the pools. One type, called “strikers” are Cyprinion macrostomus, and immature “strikers” are called “jabbers.” The Kangal Spring is most famous for its purported curative powers for psoriasis, which affects over 6.4 million Americans. Psoriasis, commonly called “plaque psoriasis,” is a noncontagious skin disorder whose different types display characteristics such as pus-like blisters, severe sloughing of the skin, drop-like dots and smooth inflamed legions. When sufferers of skin disorders enter the Kangal Spring water, the thin, brown, gray, and beige fishes surround them. There is a scarcity of natural food in the pool, therefore human skin is accessible for the fish. The “strikers,” “jabbers,” and “lickers,” then begin the treatment process.
First, the fish attack the skin and remove the hardest layer. Next, the fish pluck the swollen scabs, which are softened by the 36-37 degrees C (96 F) water. Finally, the fish use slow sucking movements to clean the skin until it becomes smooth. A secretion on their tongues stops the bleeding. Patients must adhere to the following strict rules: 1. Drink at least 3 glasses of water before breakfast on an empty stomach 2. Enter the pool after breakfast 3. Enter the pool twice a day for eight hours per day 4. Do not consume alcohol or medication 5. Continue the therapy for 21 days In addition, it is recommended that patients drink one or two glasses of the heated water in the morning on an empty stomach. Also, drinking one or two glasses of the water in the mornings on an empty stomach and then immersing in the bath is recommended for sufferers of rheumatism, nervous disorders, ulcers and kidney ailments.
Although the National Psoriasis Foundation is skeptical of the Spring’s ability to cure skin diseases, many sufferers report that the Kangal fish offered them relief. Michael Shortt, from Belfast, suffered from psoriasis and visited the Spring to give the cure a try. He said of his experience in London’s Daily Mail: “The first day I went into the indoor pool with the strikers. You can’t see them when you get into the water, but suddenly they flock to you and start picking at you to eat the scales of skin. There must have been 30 or 40 on me. It was a weird sensation, like being pecked by tiny birds or pricked with a cocktail stick five times a second. The next day I went into the outdoor pool with the jabbers, who puncture the skin making tiny pinpricks, and the lickers, who then seal the holes by secreting something from their mouths. There were times when I hated them, but now I’m incredibly grateful.” Ayten Ozcelik from Turkey visited the Spring and talked with some of the visitors, whose experiences she documented in Image Magazine. Ayten reported: “Fatma Akdeniz, a 20-year-old woman from Marmaris, had suffered for ten years from psoriasis. She lost count somewhere along the way of the number of doctors she had been to, but knows that nothing they did was of any help. We saw her as she was about to leave after a 21-day course of treatment in the pools. Incredibly, those tiny fish had succeeded where medical science had so completely failed. Three weeks before, her body right down to the scalp, had been covered with agonizing sores. Now she seemed absolutely healthy.”
In June of 1993, medical doctors and scientists from around the world, held a national symposium at Kangal Hot Spring to study its curative powers. According to the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, “The health-giving properties of Turkey’s natural hot springs have been renowned since antiquity. Many doctors and clinics throughout Turkey have recommended their patients try the Kangal thermal waters as a curative.” In 2000, Dr. Sedat Ozcelik and colleagues published the results of their study of the curative powers of the Springs in The Journal of Dermatology. For 21 days, 87 patients with psoriasis were evaluated by a dermatologist. Results of the study revealed that after treatment at the Kangal Springs, 57.14% of the patients completely recovered and 42.85% of the patients partially recovered. The pools of the Kangal Spring can presently accommodate 1,500 persons per day. Two other thermal spas are located in Sivas Province near Kangal, Sicak Cermik and Soguk Cermik, both are famous for their therapeutic treatments of rheumatism, nervous conditions, and digestive disorders. The Turkish Tourism Office recommends visits in April, May or October.
