Peloid therapy may reduce symptoms of hand osteoarthritis says new small study

Peloid – mud or clay – therapy improves hand function and reduces pain in people with hand osteoarthritis, says research in the International Journal of Biometeorology.

Peloid is mud or clay used in balneotherapy or therapeutic bathing.

A research team investigated the effects of peloid therapy on pain, functional state, grip strength and quality of life in 33 people with hand osteoarthritis. The volunteers had five sessions of peloid therapy for two weeks in addition to a home exercise programme. They were compared to 30 other people with hand osteoarthritis who only had the home exercise programme.

Those in the peloid therapy group were found to have greater improvements in hand grip strength, pinch strength, reduced pain and increased quality of life. The authors comment:

“This study demonstrates that peloid therapy might be an effective and confident treatment modality in the management of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hand and may provide effective pain control and improvements in the hand functions, quality of life, and grip strength.”

Click here to read the original research.

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