We found silver level evidence ( www.cochranemsk.org ) concerning the beneficial effects of mineral baths compared to no treatment .
Of all other balneological treatments no clear effects were found .
BACKGROUND Balneotherapy ( or spa therapy , mineral baths ) for patients with arthritis is one of the oldest forms of therapy .
One of the aims of balneotherapy is to soothe the pain and as a consequence to relieve patients ' suffering and make them feel well .
In this up date we included one extra study .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of  balneotherapy  for patients with osteoarthritis ( OA ) .
Effect on osteoarthritis of spa therapy at Bourbonne-les-Bains.
OBJECTIVES Several studies suggest a beneficial overall effect of spa therapy in chronic musculoskeletal diseases . The present open controlled study investigated the effects of spa therapy at Bourbonne-Les-Bains , France , in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis or low back pain . PATIENTS AND METHODS In 1998 , 102 men and women older than 50 years were included in the study . All had low back pain or lower limb osteoarthritis , and none had contraindications to spa therapy .  Quality of life was assessed three times at intervals of 4 weeks , twice before and once immediately after 3 weeks of spa therapy , using the Duke Health Profile ( five dimensions and five dysfunctions ) . RESULTS Mean age was 66.4 years , and 67 % of the patients were women .  Quality of life was markedly decreased as compared to the population at large ( 1996 , CFES ) . The two pretreatment evaluations produced similar quality -of-life scores .  Spa therapy was associated with significant improvements in overall quality of life ( P=0.004 ) , self-esteem ( P=0.009 ) , and pain ( P=0.01 ) . CONCLUSION These findings support those of other studies conducted in France and in other European countries . They indicate that patients report meaningful improvements in their quality of life after spa therapy
We found silver level evidence ( www.cochranemsk.org ) concerning the beneficial effects of mineral baths compared to no treatment .
Of all other balneological treatments no clear effects were found .
BACKGROUND Balneotherapy ( or spa therapy , mineral baths ) for patients with arthritis is one of the oldest forms of therapy .
One of the aims of balneotherapy is to soothe the pain and as a consequence to relieve patients ' suffering and make them feel well .
In this up date we included one extra study .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effectiveness of  balneotherapy  for patients with osteoarthritis ( OA ) .