A fango pack is placed on the client's back

Study on the treatment of atherothrombotic symptoms with mud

S. Basili et al.

December 2001

Fango treatment

Peat & healing mud

The hypothesis that mud packs may have a direct anti-inflammatory effect led to speculation that this may counteract the heat stress-induced effects on platelets and endothelial cells often observed after thermal spa treatment.

In this study, mud packs were applied to healthy people over 12 days to see what effects this had on bio-humoral inflammatory markers, platelets and/or endothelial cells. Blood samples were taken before and after the first treatment and then again at the end of the 12 days. Each time, plasma cytokines (TNF-alpha-IL1 beta and IL 6), the adhesion molecules sP-selectin, sE-selectin and sVCAM as well as hematocrit were measured and a complete and differentiated blood count was performed.

The evaluations revealed no changes in the sP-selectin, sE-selectin and sVCAM values. Similarly, IL1 beta and TNF levels remained unchanged. In contrast, IL-6 levels were significantly reduced after a 20-minute treatment with a 47 °C warm mud pack.

It can therefore be concluded that mud pack therapy can be treated relatively safely for people with an atherothrombotic clinical picture.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Atherothrombosis
Institution: Department of Medical Therapy, University of Rome La Sapienza, Viale Del Policlinico, 155 00161 Rome, Italy
Title: Study on the treatment of atherothrombotic symptoms with mud
Brief description: The study shows that mud packs lower IL-6 levels without negatively affecting other inflammatory markers or blood platelets.
Original title: Effects of mud-pack treatment on plasma cytokine and soluble adhesion molecule levels in healthy volunteers
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11718697/