Personality does not predict treatment preference, treatment experience does: a study of four complementary pain treatments.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to determine the extent to which personality and treatment experience affect patients' appraisals of 4 complementary treatments for chronic pain.

Patients And Methods: A total of 232 chronic pain patients (164 females, 68 males, average age 56.6 years) visiting a spa clinic in Austria returned a questionnaire on patient characteristics and personality (autonomy, depressiveness, assertiveness, self-control) as well as attitudes towards (i.

Contribution of individual spa therapies in the treatment of chronic pain.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of individual spa therapies administered during a period of 3 weeks on measures of well being and pain in a sample of patients with chronic back pain.

Design: One hundred fifty-three patients with chronic back pain undergoing inpatient spa therapy in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria, participated in the study. According to the prescription of their spa physician, patients underwent two or more of the following treatments: mud packs, carbon dioxide baths, massages, exercise therapies, spinal traction, and electrotherapy.

Seasonal variation in effect of spa therapy on chronic pain.

This study sought to investigate whether the effects of spa therapy are subject to seasonal variation as suggested by conventional spa therapy research. A total of 268 female (age 31-90 yr) and 119 male (age 35-85 yr) patients with noninflammatory chronic pain were studied. Patients stayed at an Austrian spa for 3 wk and received 2-4 treatments per day, including mudpacks, massages, and exercise therapy.