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 .
The Change of Well-Being Associated with Spa Therapy
Objective : The present exploratory study sought to examine the changes of well-being associated with 3 weeks of resort based spa therapy . This is a traditional form of health enhancement incorporating balneotherapy , physical therapies , and health education in an inpatient setting . Patients and Method : Subjects were spa patients ( n = 153 , mean age 58 years ) with chronic pain and other age related complaints of moderately higher than normal prevalence . The well-being variables were vegetative complaints , pain , fatigue , positive and negative mood , and health satisfaction assessed at the beginning and end of spa treatment as well as 5 weeks and 12 months thereafter . Results : Well-being improved significantly in all variables during spa therapy , the improvement continuing with a slight deterioration at 5 weeks after the stay . After 12 months , vegetative complaints and fatigue had again reached pre-spa levels , whereas pain , positive and negative mood as well as health satisfaction remained improved . Both patients with high and low levels of pain increase their well-being , although pain patients showed greater improvements in some of the measures . Subjects not responding to spa therapy were older and showed less health satisfaction . Conclusions : The results suggest that spa therapy may be a powerful tool in enhancing well-being in progressed middle aged adults with common health impairments
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 .