The beneficial action of thermal spa waters on a certain number of illnesses has been recognized since earliest times, as testified by the documents we have available from the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. More recently the Greeks and Romans constantly resorted to therapies based on thermal springs and muds. Vichy, as with many other thermal spa centres in France, prides itself on its Gallo-Roman origins.

Through the centuries, the confidence in the virtues of thermal springs has not diminished. The treatable problems, particularly with medical progress, have evolved. They are often linked to the problems of modern life as well as the sometimes unfortunate secondary effects from certain modern therapies.