We found no statistically significant differences in pain on the McGill Question naire or in physical disability ( very low level of evidence ) between balneotherapy and the other interventions .
Overall evidence is insufficient to show that balneotherapy is more effective than no treatment , that one type of bath is more effective than another or that one type of bath is more effective than mudpacks , exercise or relaxation therapy
BACKGROUND No cure for rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) is known at present , so treatment often focuses on management of symptoms such as pain , stiffness and mobility .
Treatment options include pharmacological interventions , physical therapy treatments and balneotherapy .
Balneotherapy is defined as bathing in natural mineral or thermal waters ( e.g. mineral baths , sulphur baths , Dead Sea baths ) , using mudpacks or doing both .
Despite its popularity , reported scientific evidence for the effectiveness or efficacy of balneotherapy is sparse .
This review , which evaluates the effects of balneotherapy in patients with RA , is an up date of a Cochrane review first published in 2003 and up date d in 2008 .
OBJECTIVES To perform a systematic review on the benefits and harms of balneotherapy in patients with RA in terms of pain , improvement , disability , tender joints , swollen joints and adverse events .
Immediate and delayed effects of treatment at the Dead Sea in patients with psoriatic arthritis
Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and delayed effects of balneotherapy at the Dead Sea on patients with psoriatic arthritis ( PsA ) . A total of 42 patients with PsA were treated at the Dead Sea for 4 weeks . Patients were r and omly allocated into two groups : group 1 ( 23 patients ) and group 2 ( 19 patients ) . Both groups received daily exposure to sun ultraviolet rays and regular bathing at the Dead Sea . Group 1 was also treated with mud packs and sulfur baths . Patients were assessed by a dermatologist and a rheumatologist 3 days before arrival , at the end of treatment , and at weeks 8 , 16 , and 28 from the start of treatment . The clinical indices assessed were morning stiffness , right and left h and grip , number of tender joints , number of swollen joints , Schober test , distance from finger to floor when bending forward , patient 's self- assessment of disease severity , inflammatory neck and back pain and psoriasis area and severity index ( PASI ) score . Comparison between groups disclosed a similar statistically significant improvement for variables such as PASI , morning stiffness , patient self- assessment , right and left grip , Schober test and distance from finger to floor when bending forward . For variables such as tender and swollen joints , and inflammatory neck and back pain , improvement over time was statistically significant in group 1 . Addition of mud packs and sulfur baths to sun ultraviolet exposure and Dead Sea baths seems to prolong beneficial effects and improves inflammatory back pain
We found no statistically significant differences in pain on the McGill Question naire or in physical disability ( very low level of evidence ) between balneotherapy and the other interventions .
Overall evidence is insufficient to show that balneotherapy is more effective than no treatment , that one type of bath is more effective than another or that one type of bath is more effective than mudpacks , exercise or relaxation therapy
BACKGROUND No cure for rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) is known at present , so treatment often focuses on management of symptoms such as pain , stiffness and mobility .
Treatment options include pharmacological interventions , physical therapy treatments and balneotherapy .
Balneotherapy is defined as bathing in natural mineral or thermal waters ( e.g. mineral baths , sulphur baths , Dead Sea baths ) , using mudpacks or doing both .
Despite its popularity , reported scientific evidence for the effectiveness or efficacy of balneotherapy is sparse .
This review , which evaluates the effects of balneotherapy in patients with RA , is an up date of a Cochrane review first published in 2003 and up date d in 2008 .
OBJECTIVES To perform a systematic review on the benefits and harms of balneotherapy in patients with RA in terms of pain , improvement , disability , tender joints , swollen joints and adverse events .