The efficacy of peloid therapy in management of hand osteoarthritis: a pilot study

Abstract

Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with pain, reduced grip strength, loss of range of motion (ROM), and joint stiffness, leading to impaired hand function and difficulty in performance of daily living activities. Mud bath therapy has been reported to play a primary role in the prevention and management of OA. Thus, we planned to conduct a study aimed at investigating the effects of peloid therapy on pain, functional state, grip strength, and the quality of life and performing a comparative analysis of the outcomes of peloid therapy. In this randomized, controlled, single-blind, pilot study, patients (n = 33) underwent peloid therapy over 2 weeks, 5 sessions a week, for a total of 10 sessions and home exercise program in group 1. Patients in group 2 (control, n = 30) received only the same home exercise program as in group 1. Patients were evaluated just before, and 2 and 6 weeks after the start of the study with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index (AUSCAN), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), hand grip strength (HGS), and pinch strength (PS). Statistically significant improvements were observed in all parameters assessed at week 2 and week 6 in the group 1 (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed in HGS scores in the group 2 at week 2 and in AUSCAN scores at week 6 (p < 0.05). Intergroup comparisons of the scores revealed significant differences between the peloid therapy group and control group in VAS, HAQ, AUSCAN, HGS, and PS scores at week 2 and week 6 (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that peloid therapy might be an effective and confident treatment modality in the management of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hand and may provide effective pain control and improvements in the hand functions, quality of life, and grip strength.

Efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatment for hand osteoarthritis: a systematic literature review informing the 2018 update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis

“… 43 The studies comparing balneotherapy to another active intervention or to usual care all report positive effects of balneotherapy on pain, function and hand strength compared with the chosen control group. 38–40 43 However, balneotherapy (mud application or mineral thermal bath) was not convincingly better than a sham intervention. 41 42…”

“… 31 Three studies (high RoB) focused on different forms of manual therapy in elderly, severe CMC patients with OA (mean age 81.4 years) and showed positive effects on pain sensitivity and hand strength in the intervention group compared with control, both in the treated, symptomatic hand, and in the contralateral non-treated non-symptomatic hand. 32–37 Finally, six studies (five high RoB, one unclear RoB) assessed different forms of balneotherapy to another active intervention, 38–40 sham intervention 41 42 or usual care. 43 The studies comparing balneotherapy to another active intervention or to usual care all report positive effects of balneotherapy on pain, function and hand strength compared with the chosen control group.…”

Peloids as Thermotherapeutic Agents

“…According to several clinical studies, the most effective indications of this form of therapy are musculoskeletal disorders of the knee [13,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43], spine [44][45][46][47][48][49][50], hand [51][52][53][54], as well as fibromyalgia syndrome [55][56][57][58], carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic lateral epicondylitis [59,60].…”

Efficacy of peloidotherapy in unilateral plantar fasciitis: A pilot study

“…A single-blind, randomized-controlled study comparing efficacy of peloidotherapy with hot compress treatment for knee OA observed that peloidotherapy reduced pain and improved QoL up to three months. [ 23 ] A study by Kasapoğlu Aksoy et al[ 24 ] compared the efficacy of home exercises and peloidotherapy with home exercises for hand OA. The combination of peloidotherapy and home exercises showed positive effects on pain control, QoL, hand functions, and muscle strength.…”