Aquatic Therapy, Water Therapy or Hydrotherapy

Introduced to Britain by bathhouse-loving Romans, hydrotherapy is now recognized for its potential to promote well-being, reduce anxiety and alleviate chronic pain - and you don't even have to be able to swim to reap the rewards

What is it?
It's believed that the thermal properties of water assist healing. The body's reaction to hot and cold water causes the nerves at the surface of the skin to carry impulses deep into the body. This reaction is thought to lessen pain sensitivity, stimulate the immune system, aid lymphatic drainage and increase blood circulation. So, whether you're taking a long, languorous bath, standing under an icy-cold shower, or spending two hours in a saline flotation tank, you are in effect harnessing the healing power of water.

Balneotherapy at the Dead Sea for Knee Osteoarthritis

Intermittent balneotherapy at the Dead Sea area for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Sherman G, Zeller L, Avriel A, Friger M, Harari M, Sukenik S. Department of Medicine D, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
February, 2009

BACKGROUND: Balneotherapy, traditionally administered during a continuous stay at the Dead Sea area, has been shown to be effective for patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of an intermittent regimen of balneotherapy at the Dead Sea for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

METHODS: Forty-four patients with knee osteoarthritis were included in a prospective randomized single-blind controlled study. The patients were divided into two groups:
Treatment group (n=24): treated twice weekly for 6 consecutive weeks in a sulfur pool heated to 35-36 degrees C
Control group (n=20): treated in a Jacuzzi filled with tap water heated to 35-36 degrees C.
Participants were assessed by the Lequesne index of osteoarthritis severity, the WOMAC index, the SF-36 quality of health questionnaire, VAS scales for pain (completed by patients and physicians), and physical examination.

RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement, lasting up to 6 months, was observed in the treatment group for most of the clinical parameters. In the control group the only improvements were in the SF-36 bodily pain scale at 6 months, the Lequesne index at 1 month and the WOMAC pain score at the end of the treatment period. Although the patients in the control group had milder disease, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent balneotherapy appears to be effective for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

PMID: 19432036 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Effects of Pool-based Exercise vs. Balneotherapy on fibromyalgia patients

Altan L, Bingöl U, Aykaç M, Koç Z, Yurtkuran M.
Rheumatic Disease and Hydrotherapy Section, Uludağ University Medical Faculty, Atatürk Rehabilitation Center, Bursa, Turkey. lalealtan@uludag.edu.tr
Sep, 2004

OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to compare pool-based exercise and balneotherapy in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients.

METHODS:
Fifty female patients diagnosed with FMS according to the American College of Rheumatism (ACR) criteria were randomly assigned to two groups: group 1 (n=25) with pool-based exercise, and in group 2 (n=25) balneotherapy was applied in the same pool without any exercise for 35 min three times a week for 12 weeks. In both groups, pre- (week 0) and post-treatment (weeks 12 and 24) evaluation was performed by one of the authors, who was blind to the patient group.
Evaluation parameters included:

• pain
• morning stiffness
• sleep
• tender points

by:

• global evaluation by the patient and the physician
• fibromyalgia impact questionnaire
• chair test
• Beck depression inventory

Statistical analysis was done on data collected from three evaluation stages.

RESULTS:
Twenty-four exercise and 22 balneotherapy patients completed the study.
Pretreatment (week 0) measurements did not show any difference between the groups.
In group 1, statistically significant improvement was observed in all parameters ( P<0.01) style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">CONCLUSION:
The results of our study showed that pool-based exercise had a longer-lasting effect on some of the FMS symptoms, but statistical analysis failed to show a significant superiority of pool-based exercise over balneotherapy without exercise. While we believe that exercise is a gold standard in FMS treatment, we also suggest in light of our results that balneotherapy is among the valid treatment options in FMS, and further research regarding the type and duration of the exercise programs is necessary.

PMID: 14508601 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]