Study on Dead Sea bath salts for knee osteoarthritis

26 patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into 2 groups of 13 patients each, with a similar distribution of age, gender, duration and severity of the disease. All were treated daily with baths at 34-35 °C for 20 minutes containing either Dead Sea bath salts (Group I) or sodium chloride (Group II). The study conducted by S. Sukenik et al. was double-blind and lasted 2 weeks.

Patients were evaluated by a rheumatologist before, at the end of treatment and 1 month later. The clinical parameters evaluated included the severity of osteoarthritis, the patient's assessment of disease severity, knee range of motion, soft tissue swelling, effusion and crunching.

At the end of treatment , there was a significant improvement in the severity of osteoarthritis in both groups. 1 month later, the improvement in group I remained significant. The patients' assessment of the improvement at the end of the treatment period was only significant in group I. There was no statistical improvement in the other parameters assessed in either group.

The bath with Dead Sea bath salts showed a significant improvement in the symptoms of patients with knee osteoarthritis, particularly in the patients' assessment and in the severity of the disease.