Balneological therapy for osteoarthritis – new research

Balneotherapy is the treatment of disease by bathing. It can involve hot or cold water, relaxation, stimulation and massage through moving water. A research group recently compared the effects of balneological treatments applied at consecutive and intermittent sessions in 50 people with knee osteoarthritis and published their findings in the International Journal of Biometeorology.

All of the participants were given 10 sessions of balneological treatment (hydrotherapy and mud pack therapy).

They were split into groups. Half received consecutive treatment for two weeks, while the other half received intermittent treatment for five weeks.

Results

Both groups experienced significant clinical effects and had improved quality of life scores. Three months later, some of their improved wellbeing continued but many of the positive changes in terms of reduced pain and higher mental health scores had disappeared.

Implications

Balneological therapy could be useful for people with knee osteoarthritis as an ongoing therapy.

The researches conclude that: “Our study suggests that traditional and intermittent balneological therapies have similar efficacy in patients with knee osteoarthritis”.

Click here to read the original research.

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