Mud pack is pressed onto the hands of a client

Study on the effectiveness of mud packs for hand osteoarthritis

Shlomi Codish et al.

January 2005

Fango treatment

Rheumatism / Joints / Arthritis / Arthrosis

The study investigated the effectiveness of mud compresses that patients suffering from hand osteoarthritis can treat themselves at home.

45 patients with diagnosed hand osteoarthritis took part in the study; the treatment group (22 people) received real mud compresses, the control group 2 (23 people) received mud compresses with an attenuated effect. The treatments were carried out for 3 weeks on 5 days each at the patients' homes. For the evaluation, the values were measured before the start of treatment, immediately after the three weeks, one month later and again three months later.

As a result, joint swelling had decreased by 30% or more in the patients in the treatment group; overall, there was a 20% reduction in conditions and a reduction in pain intensity. In the control group, there was no improvement in joint swelling or overall conditions.

It can therefore be concluded that mud pack therapy for hand osteoarthritis relieves pain and reduces joint swelling and can therefore complement conventional drug treatment very well.

The most important information on the study at a glance

Indications: Osteoarthritis
Institution: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Title: Study on the effectiveness of mud packs for rheumatoid arthritis
Brief description: The study shows that mud packs can relieve pain and reduce joint swelling by 30% in cases of hand osteoarthritis.
Original title: Mud compress therapy for the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Link to the study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14618372/