## 2 Therapeutic Methodologies  
### Pelotherapy  
Since ancient times, mankind has empirically used clays, muds, or clay soils for therapeutic purposes, through ingestion or topical application in the form of poultices or mud baths. The physicochemical properties of clay minerals can be fundamental in maintaining health, but in certain circumstances, their excess or deficiency can be a factor that potentiates diseases [13]. Several authors have characterized the main mineralogical and chemical components of clays and compared them with the desired composition of peloids usually used in pelotherapy [7; 12; 13; 14; 15]. Clays are distinguished by their geological formation (residual and sedimentary) and their complexity and variability are due to the quantitative and qualitative variation of the clay and non-clay minerals (such as quartz, feldspars, and other accessory minerals) forming them, to the variation in the dimensional distribution of the mineral particles (namely the actual content of clay fraction) and to their textural characteristics. Clays are used in pharmaceutical formulations, spas and aesthetic medicine as active ingredients or excipients. When introduced into the formulations as excipients they allow the organoleptic characteristics of the formulation to improve, such as taste, smell, color, or the physical-chemical properties (e.g., viscosity). They can also be an adjunct to make the preparation of the formulation easier and can promote the disintegration of the formulation \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l} \hline \hline  & **Pelotherapy** &
\begin{tabular}{l} **Electotherapy** \\ **(Montophoresis)** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
1. Health Area & Medical Hydrology &
\begin{tabular}{l} Physical Medicine and \\ Rehabilitation \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
2.Treatment vehicle & Skin & Skin \\ \hline
3.Type of treatment & Noninvasive & Noninvasive \\ \hline
4.Therapeutic substance & Medicinal or cosmetic peloid & Drugs or cosmetics \\ \hline
5.Transdermal delivery & Passive & Active \\ \hline
6. Energy source & Heat & TENS 1 \\ \hline
7. Localized physiological & \
\begin{tabular}{l} Vasodilation \\ Local hyperemia \\ Local analgesia \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{l} Vasodilation \\ Local hyperemia \\ Local analgesia \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
8. Average reference treatment & 20–45 min & 20–45 min \\ \hline
9. Most common treatments & \
\begin{tabular}{l} Rheumatism \\ Musculoskeletal pain \\ syndromes \\ Dermatosis \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{l} Rheumatism \\ Musculoskeletal pain \\ syndromes \\ Dermatosis \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
10. Local and systemic effect & \
\begin{tabular}{l} Anti-inflammatory \\ Increased muscle tone \\ Analgesic \\ Wound healing \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{l} Anti-inflammatory \\ Increased muscle tone \\ Analgesic \\ Wound healing \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline
11. Scientific reports & Empirical evidence & Experimental evidence \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Identification of convergence points between the two therapeutic modalities. when administered orally. Clay's therapeutic action, as an active ingredient, is used in pharmaceutical formulations administered orally (e.g., gastrointestinal protectors, laxatives, antidiarheals) or topical applications (e.g., dermal protectors and cosmetic). Its use in spas is related to the therapeutic activity of clay minerals and in aesthetic medicine, in cleaning the skin and combating lipodystrophies, acne and cellulite [14]. The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry uses clays in their formulations, being subject to prior control before being used. Clays are used in pharmaceutical products, as excipients or as active substances, due to their high retention capacity, colloidal and expansive properties, useful for modulating the release of drugs in the body [14], chemical inertia and low or no toxicity to the patient [15].