NCT06702514

Balneotherapy in Hand Osteoarthritis

Effectiveness of Balneotherapy in the Treatment of Hand Osteoarthritis: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 50 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

There are a limited number of studies in the literature on the effectiveness of balneotherapy in hand osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of balneotherapy on pain, manual skills, functionality and quality of life in patients with hand osteoarthritis who have undergone balneotherapy.

Detailed description

Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and disabling disease that can cause pain and functional limitations. The estimated radiological prevalence of hand OA is approximately 54-67% in the adult population aged 55 years and older. This prevalence is expected to increase as the number of elderly people increases. Current guidelines strongly recommend exercise as a nonpharmacological approach to the treatment of hand osteoarthritis, while thermal treatments and paraffin therapy are conditionally recommended. Balneotherapy is defined as a natural mineral water bath and is one of the most widely used nonpharmacological complementary treatments for different rheumatic diseases in many European countries, Turkey, Israel and Japan. In the last decade, related advances have made it possible to understand the therapeutic effects of balneotherapy in some musculoskeletal disorders. The effectiveness is achieved through a combination of mechanical, thermal and chemical effects. Warm stimuli increase the pain threshold and provide analgesia in nerve endings. The EULAR task force's recommendation for hand OA, which suggests local heat application (e.g. paraffin wax, hot pack) as a useful treatment, also draws attention to the effect of heat. Spa treatment triggers a series of neuroendocrine reactions and particularly induces the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, prolactin and growth hormone (GH). Thermomineral water baths have a small effect on pain, a moderate effect on symptoms related to other musculoskeletal diseases and up to 3 months of pain relief; it is considered to be more beneficial than tap water or no treatment for the improvement of symptoms related to musculoskeletal diseases. Even a single balneotherapy procedure can provide pain relief. There are a limited number of studies in the literature on the effectiveness of balneotherapy in hand osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of balneotherapy on pain, manual skills, functionality and quality of life in patients with hand osteoarthritis who have undergone balneotherapy.

Conditions

• Hand Osteoarthritis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Exercise	After their treatment, both groups will be given a daily exercise program (15 minutes of range of motion, 15 minutes of strengthening exercises) once a day, accompanied by a physiotherapist.
OTHER	Paraffin	It was planned to apply paraffin treatment to both hands for 20 minutes, five times a week for 4 weeks, using one session per day for a total of 20 sessions.
OTHER	Balneotherapy	The balneotherapy group will receive 20 minutes of paraffin and 20 minutes of balneotherapy on both hands, five times a week for 4 weeks, one session per day for a total of 20 sessions. The spa treatment will be given in the form of a 20-minute full body bath in the pool in each session. The spa water temperature will be 38-40 degrees Celsius.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-12-15
• Primary completion: 2025-11-15
• Completion: 2025-12-15
• First posted: 2024-11-25
• Last updated: 2024-11-25