Study on mud and balneotherapy for knee osteoarthritis

Deniz Evcik et al.

November 2006

Fango treatment

Rheumatism / Joints / Arthritis / Arthrosis

The study by the Turkish School of Medicine looked at the effectiveness of mud therapy and balneotherapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

80 participants aged between 39 and 78 were divided into three groups. The first group (25 people) received balneotherapy, the second group (29 people) received mud packs and a third group (26 people) received hot packs. The duration of treatment comprised 10 sessions with one treatment of 20 minutes per session on 5 days per week.

The participants were tested for pain, joint functionality and quality of life using VAS and WOMAC as well as the NHP questionnaire. The distance the participants could walk without pain was also evaluated. The examinations took place before the study and three months afterwards.

A significant reduction in pain and an improvement in joint functionality was observed in all three groups. An increase in quality of life was only demonstrated in the patients treated with mud and balneotherapy, while there was no change in those treated with hot packs.

The study confirmed the statement that mud and balneotherapy is an effective therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Osteoarthritis
Institution: Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Afyon, Turkey
Title: Study on the effectiveness of mud and balneotherapy for knee osteoarthritis
Brief description: The study shows that mud and balneotherapy relieve pain and improve joint function and quality of life in knee osteoarthritis.
Original title: The efficacy of balneotherapy and mud-pack therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17223602/