Therapy with Mud Compresses Applied to the Hands of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Therapy with Mud Compresses Applied to the Hands of Patients with Rheumatoid

Arthritis

Category:  17 RA‹treatment

Mahmoud Abu-Shakra1, Shlomi Codish1, Flusser1, Friger2, Shaul

Sukenik1

1Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel2Faculty of Health

Sciences, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Presentation Number: 1372

Poster Board Number: 327

Keywords: Blaneotherapy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Mud therapy

Background: Balneotherapy has an important role in the treatment of

rheumatic diseases.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of treatment with mud compresses

manufactured from Dead-Sea mud applied to the hands, at patients¹ homes, for

patients with RA.

Methods: 45 patients suffering from RA were enrolled in a randomized,

double-blind, prospective controlled study. Twenty-two patients were treated

with mineral rich mud (treatment group), and a second group of 23 patients

were treated with attenuated mud compresses, which were depleted of the

mineral content by repeated washing with fresh water (control group). Heated

mud compresses were applied 5 times each week during three weeks for a total

of 15 treatments. Patients were assessed at baseline (phase 1), at

completion of the three weeks treatment period (phase 2), and one (phase 3)

and three months (phase 4) after the conclusion of the treatment period.

Clinical response was defined as 30% or more reduction in the number of

tender or swollen joints and 20% or more reduction in physician global

assessment of disease activity and patient global assessment of joints pain

severity.

Results: Therapy with mineral rich mud packs resulted in a sustained and

significant reduction in outcome measures that was significantly greater

than the reduction associated with attenuated mud pack therapy. The rate of

clinical response was 55% in the treatment group compared with 9% in the

controls. Mean tender joints improved significantly from baseline (10.4) to

all post treatment assessments (phase 2: 6.9, phase 3: 6.96, phase 4: 7.96).

No significant improvement in the number of tender joints was seen in the

control group. Similarly, a significant reduction in the score of patient

global assessment of pain severity (6.46) was observed at all assessments

(phase 2: 4.87, phase 3: 4.41, phase 4: 5.16). In the control group, no

significant change was seen in the number of swollen joints, physician

global assessment of disease severity; however, a significant reduction in

the patient global assessment was seen at the end of therapy and at 3 months

after conclusion of treatment.

Conclusions: Treatment with mud compresses relieves hand pain in patients

suffering from RA. The treatment can augment but not replace conventional

medical therapy in these patients.