Study on balneotherapy for chronic back pain

A variety of treatments are used for patients with chronic back pain, with frequent episodes reported in very high numbers. Although balneotherapy is considered effective for this condition, well-designed studies are lacking. The aim of this study under Nur Kesiktas et al. was to investigate the effectiveness of balneotherapy compared to physiotherapy in patients with chronic back pain.

Sixty patients with chronic back pain were randomly divided into two groups. One group received physical therapy in combination with exercise, while the other group received balneotherapy in combination with exercise. Both groups completed ten treatment sessions. Various parameters were measured before treatment, at the end of therapy and three months afterwards, including pain intensity at rest and during exercise, paracetamol consumption, lumbar muscle strength, lumbar spine flexibility (modified Schober test), the Oswestry Disability Index to assess functional impairment and health-related quality of life using the Short Form 36 questionnaire.

Both groups showed significant improvements within their respective form of therapy. However, the balneotherapy group achieved superior results in terms of back muscle strength, flexibility of the lumbar spine, functional impairment and quality of life, particularly in the areas of energy, social functioning, physical limitations and general health.

The results show that the combination of balneotherapy and exercise therapy is superior to the combination of physical therapy and exercise, especially in terms of quality of life and flexibility in patients with chronic back pain.