Crenobalneotherapy for low back pain: systematic review of clinical trials.

Crenobalneotherapy is a treatment commonly used in Europe and Middle East. It uses mineral water sometimes combined with different hydrotherapy techniques. Most patients treated in spa centers suffer from low back pain.

Usual care including home exercise with versus without spa therapy for chronic low back pain: protocol for the LOMBATHERM' study, a multicentric randomised controlled trial.

Background: Low back pain is highly prevalent and a major source of disability worldwide. Spa therapy is frequently used to treat low back pain, but the associated level of evidence for efficacy is insufficient. To fill this knowledge gap, this protocol proposes an appropriately powered, prospective, evaluator-blinded, multi-centre, two-parallel-arm, randomised (1:1), controlled trial that will compare spa therapy in addition to usual care including home exercise (UCHE) versus UCHE alone for the treatment of chronic low back pain.

Comparison of intermittent and consecutive balneological outpatient treatment (hydrotherapy and peloidotherapy) in fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized, single-blind, pilot study.

To compare the efficacy of intermittent and consecutive balneological outpatient treatment (hydrotherapy and peloidotherapy) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). A parallel 1:1, single-blind, pilot study was performed. Patients were recruited from musculoskeletal disorders outpatient clinic.

Balneohydrotherapy in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency.

Background: Physical therapy has not been evaluated much for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency before. The question is whether balneohydrotherapy and usual care combined is superior to usual care alone.

Patients And Methods: In a randomized trial comparing spa therapy versus waiting list patients were treated on an out-patient basis in a private spa center.

Crenobalneotherapy (spa therapy) in patients with knee and generalized osteoarthritis: a post-hoc subgroup analysis of a large multicentre randomized trial.

Objective: To determine whether the addition of spa therapy to home exercises provides any benefit over exercises and the usual treatment alone in the management of generalised osteoarthritis associated with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: This study was a post-hoc subgroup analysis of our randomised multicentre trial (www.clinicaltrial.

Non-drug treatment (excluding surgery) in rheumatoid arthritis: clinical practice guidelines.

Objectives: Because drugs do not halt joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), non-drug treatments are an important adjunct to drug treatment. Establishing rules governing their use is difficult because treatment is multidisciplinary, complex, and difficult to assess. The aims of these guidelines were to (a) establish the indications for physical therapies and for educational, psychological, and other non-drug interventions, (b) address social welfare, occupational, and organizational issues.

[Are SPA therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy effective for chronic neck pain? Randomised clinical trial First part: clinical evaluation].

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare SPA therapy (ST) with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy in chronic neck pain.

Materials And Methods: Inclusion criteria were age between 18 and 80 years, neck pain of more than 3 months' duration and pain score>30 mm on a visual analog scale (VAS). Exclusion criteria were contraindication to ST or PEMF.

[Are SPA therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy effective for chronic neck pain? Randomised clinical trial. Second part: medicoeconomic approach].

Unlabelled: We report the results of a cost-effectiveness evaluation of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy and spa therapy (ST) versus usual care (control) for chronic neck pain.

Materials And Methods: Inclusion criteria were age 18 to 80 years with pain in the neck area of more than 3 months' duration and no contraindications for PEMF therapy and ST. Randomization to the ST (n=25) and PEMF groups (n=26) was blinded, as was collection of data.