Marked Reduction of Oxidant Species after Sulfureous Crenotherapy in Females with Joint Diseases and Psoriasis: A Retrospective Real-Life Study.

Oxidative stress, a condition induced by an excessive amount of free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), shows several gender-related differences in basal cellular redox state and antioxidant responses. Crenotherapy with sulfureous mineral water can improve the cellular redox state. In this retrospective observational study, gender-related differences in the efficacy of sulfureous crenotherapy in decreasing oxidant species were investigated. Seventy-eight patients, stratified by sex, with osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease and Vulgar psoriasis who have received a cycle of sulfureous mud-bath therapy + sulfureous hydropinotherapy were enrolled. Plasma concentration of oxidant species and clinical outcomes were measured at baseline and at the end of treatment. After 2 weeks of sulfureous crenotherapy, a significant amelioration of clinical outcomes and a significant reduction of oxidant species were observed in both sexes, more marked in females than in males (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.04, respectively). For patients with high oxidant species at baseline, females showed a greater reduction in itching compared to males (-95% vs. -50%), while men had a higher amelioration in pain and morning stiffness (-45% vs. -32%, and -50% vs. -37%, respectively). In conclusion, sulfureous crenotherapy can be a valuable strategy to improve cellular redox state in both sexes.

Sulphurous Crenotherapy Is Effective at Reducing Pain and Disability in Overweight/Obese Patients Affected by Chronic Low Back Pain from Spine Osteoarthritis.

Crenotherapy is recognized as being effective in patients with osteoarthritis of the spine, but to date there is no indication if it is effective for patients who are overweight or obese. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of sulphurous crenotherapy on pain and disability in overweight/obese subjects affected by chronic low back pain from spine osteoarthritis. Forty-three patients (63 ± 8.8 years) affected by chronic low back pain from lumbar spine osteoarthritis were enrolled in this study. Subjects were treated with 2 weeks of sulphurous creno-treatments. Subjective pain was measured by a numerical rating scale score (NRS), and functional mobility of the lumbar spine was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) before and after crenotherapy. Both crenotherapy groups (normal weight: A1; overweight/obese: A2) experienced significantly improved NRS and ODI scores (A1: p < 0.001 and p = 0.001; A2: p = 0.001 and p = 0.001). At end of the treatment, significant improvements were observed as a result of the crenotherapy in overweight/obese subjects in terms of pain reduction measured with NRS (p = 0.03) and in terms of function mobility of the lumbar spine measured with ODI (p = 0.006). This study highlights the beneficial effect of sulphurous crenotherapy on the painful symptomatology and disability in both normal weight and overweight/obese patients suffering from chronic low back pain associated with lumbar spine osteoarthritis.

Eustachian tube insufflation with thermal water: Effectiveness in the treatment of pediatric otitis media with effusion.

PURPOSE: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the most common ear disease in childhood. The hearing loss associated with OME impacts on children's language development and behavior. Eustachian tube insufflation are among possible treatments for OME, but data regarding their effectiveness are scarce. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the effect of inhalatory thermal therapy and Eustachian tube insufflation in a consecutive cohort of pediatric patients with OME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-four pediatric patients referred for OME to the thermal medical center "La Contea" (Battaglia Terme, Padova, Italy) were considered. Data from tympanometry and pure tone audiometry performed immediately before (T0), at the end of treatment (T1) and at a follow-up control (T2) were analyzed. RESULTS: Data from 148 ears were available. The pressure values of tympanometry significantly improved from T0 to T1 (p = 0.0001), and further improvement was recorded at T2, when 60.8% of patients had normal tympanograms. A significant gain of the air-conduction threshold in the T0-T2 interval was observed (p = 0.0001). At otoscopy, a significant reduction of tympanic membranes with fluid or air-fluid levels presence (p < 0.00001) and a significant increase of normal tympanic membranes (p = 0.0001) were found. CONCLUSION: Eustachian tube insufflation represented a well-tolerated and effective treatment in children with OME. Further investigations should deepen these results in randomized, double-blind settings, possibly with long-term follow-up periods. A quality-of-life and cost-effectiveness evaluation of this treatment approach for pediatric OME could be helpful for public health decision-making.

Crenotherapy as a Complementary and Integrative Treatment for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Systematic Review and Discussion of Current Evidence Limitations.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common condition that affects patients' quality of life. Standard treatments for CRS have known side effects and variable efficacy rates. Thus, complementary and integrative (CIM) treatments for CRS such as crenotherapy, which utilizes high mineral content water or vapor as an inhalation therapy, are of continued interest. OBJECTIVES: To summarize and evaluate the current research investigating crenotherapy's therapeutic potential and clinical outcomes for the treatment of CRS. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and qualitative analysis. METHODS: A systematic review was performed, with a comprehensive search strategy applied to 6 databases from inception to March 2021: CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies with at least 10 patients, which investigated crenotherapy as the sole or adjunctive treatment for CRS in humans were included. RESULTS: In total, 10 articles out of 756 were included. Of these, 6 were randomized controlled trials. The remaining four articles were non-randomized prospective cohort studies. Six studies assessed clinical symptoms in response to crenotherapy, and there were unanimous improvements in Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-20 (SNOT-20), and other quality of life metrics. The studies that assessed inflammatory markers, cytology, or other measures showed significant improvement in neutrophil count, spores, ciliary motility, IgE, and manometry. Minimal to no adverse events were reported across all 10 studies. CONCLUSION: There is limited data to support crenotherapy's effectiveness in treating patients with CRS. However, published studies suggest that for certain patients crenotherapy can both improve CRS symptoms and objective measures of nasociliary function with minimal side effects. Findings must be interpreted with caution due to study heterogeneity, inconsistent use of standard CRS definitions and outcomes measures, as well as other study design flaws. Given these results, as well as a growing interest in CIM, crenotherapy treatments for CRS deserve further investigation.

Benefits of crenotherapy in digestive tract pathology (Review).

Balneotherapy, a branch of physical and rehabilitation medicine using the natural factors of balneal resorts for therapeutical purposes to modulate the symptoms of numerous diseases, represents a non-pharmaceutical therapeutic alternative, easily accepted by patients and used both preventively and curatively. Crenotherapy, a branch of balneotherapy, is the method in which mineral waters are used as a therapeutic internal cure by ingestion. This procedure is performed in spa resorts (where these natural resources exist), and the ingestion of mineral water takes place at the source (spring), in the quantities recommended by the medical rehabilitation physician, according to specific regimens for the condition to be treated. Depending on their physical and chemical composition, the therapeutic mineral waters fall into several categories, having clear indications for certain pathologies. Hypotonic, isotonic, or slightly hypertonic mineral waters are recommended in diseases of the digestive tract and hepatobiliary conditions. Over time, studies have been conducted to determine the effect of these types of treatments, highlighting the complex influence of crenotherapy on the gastrointestinal tract, with favorable results, therefore the use of mineral water intake in various pathologies being recommended. The current review focuses on the existing literature data and refers to the main progress made in understanding the benefit, indications, and crenotherapy procedures in the management of gastrointestinal disorders.

Spa therapy and burn scar treatment: a systematic review of the literature.

Spa therapy is an integral part of the treatment of burn scars. The objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the spa therapy used in the treatment of burn scars and analyze its effects reported in clinical studies. We used the PRISMA checklist and queried 8 scientific databases from August 2019 to July 2020 for articles referenced with the specific key words: (burn) AND ((spa) OR (crenotherap*) OR (sulfur bath) OR (balneo*) OR (hydrotherap*) OR (mineral water) OR (thermal water) OR (spring water) OR (health resort medicine)). We used the EPHPP-QAT to assess the quality of the studies. Out of 10,050 publications identified in our database searches, 3 studies were selected: 2 clinical trials and 1 descriptive multicenter study that polled surgeons for their opinion on spa therapy for burn patients. All of the articles concluded that spa therapy is positive in burn scar recovery. No strong study on the effectiveness of spa therapy for burn scars care according to the EPHPP-QAT was identified. Spa therapy in the Saint Gervais spa center appears to be the only spa technique to have been evaluated for burn scar care. This review underscores the need to perform clinical studies to evaluate the effects and benefits of spa therapy for burn scars on patient's quality of life, and improve our understanding of the mechanisms of action of physiotherapy. Care programs should be harmonized in order to conduct multicenter studies.

Balneotherapy for knee osteoarthritis in S. Jorge: a randomized controlled trial.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a public health concern with considerable social impacts and related-costs. Among the treatments available, several benefits of bathing in natural mineral water have been proposed: (1) to identify possible health benefits (in terms of effects on dimensions of pain, functionality, emotional and social aspects, and quality of life) of a 3-week balneotherapy intervention in patients with knee osteoarthritis; (2) to assess the clinical relevance of any benefits detected; and (3) to determine if these effects persist. Participants of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) were 120 patients randomly assigned to (1) an experimental group (3 weeks of balneotherapy consisting of daily whirlpool baths, hydrokinesitherapy sessions, and knee shower/massages) or (2) control group in which no form of treatment apart from their usual analgesia medication was given. Treatment benefits were assessed using the following tools: (1) visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain, (2) Timed Up & Go Test (TUG), (3) WOMAC osteoarthritis questionnaire, and (4) SF 36 health survey questionnaire. In the experimental group, these tests were conducted immediately before treatment, immediately after treatment, and at 3 months of follow-up. Patients assigned to the control group were assessed at the study start and 3 months later. Data processing and statistical analysis were performed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) version 22.0. Out of 60 patients in the experimental group, 45 were found to benefit from the treatment intervention in terms of pain relief among other aspects, and also when test scores were compared to those obtained in the control group. Improvements were often clinical relevant and in most patients persisted 3 months after treatment onset.

Hydrotherapy and crenotherapy in the treatment of pain: integrative review / Hidroterapia e crenoterapia no tratamento da dor: revisão integrativa

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Integrative and Complementary Practices were implemented in the Unified Health System as adjunctive modalities in the treatment of pain. This article focuses on crenotherapy and hydrotherapy, whose agents are the natural mineral waters and common for the rehabilitation of functional alterations. The scarcity of these practices for the treatment of pain in the literature justifies this review. This study aimed to check the scientific productions about the efficacy of balneology/balneotherapy/crenotherapy and hydrotherapy in the treatment of pain. CONTENTS: It is an integrative review, carried out in May 2018, searching in the electronically available scientific articles, in full, in the LILACS, Pubmed, BVS and CINAHL database in periodicals published in the last 10 years focusing on crenotherapy and hydrotherapy for pain relief, in the Portuguese, English and Spanish language. The descriptors used were: "Pain", "Balneology", "Crenotherapy", "Hydrotherapy" "Efficacy"; "Effectiveness" in the three languages, combined with the Boolean expressions AND/Y/E and OR/O/U/OU, finding 2306 articles, of which 111 were identified, and only 27 met the inclusion criteria, analyzed and incorporated the evidence that emerged in pain relief. CONCLUSION: This study showed that most of the evidence emerged from the studies analyzed regarding the efficacy of hydrotherapy and balneology in pain pictures focused on levels 1 to 3. Of the 27 studies, 18 showed the efficacy of hydrotherapy and eight of balneology in the pain symptomatology and one in relation to the lack of knowledge of the use of these complementary therapies in pain relief.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: As Práticas Integrativas e Complementares foram institucionalizadas no Sistema Único de Saúde como modalidades coadjuvantes no tratamento da dor. Este artigo focalizou a utilização de crenoterapia e hidroterapia, cujos agentes são as águas minerais naturais, comum para a reabilitação de alterações funcionais. A escassez da literatura dessas práticas no tratamento da dor, justifica esta revisão. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a produção cientifica sobre a eficácia da balneologia/balneoterapia/crenoterapia e da hidroterapia no tratamento da dor. CONTEÚDO: Revisão integrativa, realizada em maio de 2018, cuja busca de artigos científicos disponíveis eletronicamente e na íntegra, na base de dados, LILACS, Pubmed, BVS e CINAHL em periódicos publicados nos últimos 10 anos enfocaram a crenoterapia e hidroterapia para o alívio da dor nos idiomas Português, Inglês e Espanhol. Os descritores utilizados foram: Dor, Balneologia, Crenoterapia, Hidroterapia, Eficácia; nos três idiomas, combinados com as expressões booleanas AND/Y/E e OR/O/U/OU encontrando 2306 artigos, identificados 111 e destes, apenas 27 atenderam aos critérios de inclusão, analisados e incorporadas as evidências emergidas no alívio da dor. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo mostrou que a maioria das evidências emergidas dos trabalhos analisados quanto à eficácia da hidroterapia e crenoterapia em processos álgicos concentraram-se nos níveis 1 a 3. Dos 27 estudos, 18 mostraram a eficácia da hidroterapia e oito da balneoterapia e crenoterapia nos sintomas dolorosos, e um em relação ao desconhecimento do uso dessas práticas integrativas no alívio da dor.

Comano thermal water inhalations in the treatment of allergic rhinitis: preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: Comano thermal water, well known for its activity in the treatment of dermatological diseases, has been successfully employed in the treatment of upper airways disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present preliminary study aimed to evaluate whether Comano thermal water may be able to improve nasal symptoms severity in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: 30 AR patients were enrolled (mean age 40.9 years; 13 males) and treated with inhalation of Comano thermal water for 15 days. Total symptom score (TSS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for patient's perception of nasal patency were assessed at baseline, after treatment, and after a 2-week follow-up. RESULTS: TSS significantly decreased after treatment as well as VAS significantly increased. The effects were partially long-lasting. CONCLUSION: Comano thermal water inhalation as monotherapy for AR was able to relieve nasal symptoms and patient's perception of nasal patency.

Balneotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis-a systematic review.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation of synovial joints with pain, often leading to joint destruction and disability, and despite intensive research, the cause of RA remains unknown. Balneotherapy-also called mineral baths or spa therapy-uses different types of mineral water compositions like sulphur, radon, carbon dioxin, etc. The role of balneotherapy is on debate; Sukenik wrote that the sulphur mineral water has special proprieties to rheumatologic diseases, including in the course of active inflammatory phases in RA. The aim of this review is to summarize the available evidence on the effects of balneotherapy on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We have made a systematic search of the articles published from 1980 to 2014 on this topic in PubMed, Scopus, CRD, PEDro, Web of Science and Embase databases. We have followed the method set by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). These that have compared balneotherapy with other therapeutic modalities or with no intervention were considered. The inclusion criteria of these papers were randomized control trial (RCT); languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese; evaluation of efficacy (analysis of outcomes); use of natural mineral water baths; and participants with RA. A total of eight articles documenting RCTs were found and included for full review and critical appraisal involving a total of 496 patients. The studies selected highlighted an important improvement and statistically significant in several clinical parameters, in spite of their heterogeneity between the various studies. One study emphasized an important improvement on functional capacity up to 6 months of follow-up (FU). Some of the studies (std.) reveal an improvement on morning stiffness (5 std.), number of active joints (3 std.), Ritchie index (2 std.) and activities of daily living (2 std.) up to 3 months of FU. Three studies reveal the improvement on handgrip strength up to 1 month of FU. About pain (VAS), the three studies which evaluated this parameter were inconclusive about real significant improvement. Our tables summarize the published papers about this topic. Different authors emphasize the same problems: methodologies differing from study to study, treatment modalities, outcomes and their analysis. On the one hand, it is particularly difficult to have homogeneity on this population in all the parameters (patient's clinical heterogeneity, diverse clinical course of the disease, variety of the drugs), and on the other hand, natural mineral water composition is always unique with potential specific biological effects. This comprehensive review has revealed that there are very few published studies about the use of natural mineral water in RA. International multicentre studies, using the same methodologies, could be achieved by carrying the scientific arguments to support our clinical practice.

Olfactory performance after crenotherapy in chronic rhinosinusitis in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of crenotherapy on the olfactory performance of elderly patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). STUDY DESIGN: A longitudinal case-control study of a cohort of elderly patients affected by CRS and olfactory dysfunction assessed with the Sniffin' Sticks (Burghart Medical Technology, Wedel, Germany) (SS) olfactory test. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-seven elderly subjects with CRS were divided into two groups. The investigational arm (n = 69) underwent crenotherapy with hyperthermal water, rich in mineral salts, and the control group (n = 68) underwent NaCl 0.9% both for 12 days. At baseline and at 1 and 6 months after treatment, both groups underwent ear nose and throat assessment and SS. Self-report questionnaires were administered at baseline to evaluate the patients' own olfactory response, and after treatment to evaluate their degree tolerability. Olfactory performance was then evaluated in elderly subjects with hyposmia without CRS (n = 40) and in younger subjects with both hyposmia and CRS (n = 40). RESULTS: No adverse reactions were reported after crenotherapy. The SS total score showed that crenotherapy induced a statistically significant improvement in the olfactory function of both the elderly and the younger subjects with hyposmia and CRS. By contrast, no improvement was observed in the control arm and in the elderly with hyposmia without CRS. All subjects showed a good degree of tolerability. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that crenotherapy effectively improves olfactory function in elderly patients with CRS. Finally, our study suggests that crenotherapy represents a safe therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRS and olfactory dysfunction in the elderly.

Termalismo Social em Caldas da Imperatriz - SC: realidade e desafios / Social Thermalism Caldas da Imperatriz - SC: reality and challenges

Entende-se por Termalismo Social a complexidade da utilização das águas termominerais em saúde, pensando-se ainda em seus aspectos ecológicos, históricos, sociais e de lazer. Este artigo pretende contextualizar o Termalismo Social em Caldas da Imperatriz, localidade de Santo Amaro da Imperatriz ­ SC, quanto a seus aspectos históricos, características das águas termais e potencialidades em saúde, desafios vivenciados e possíveis soluções para a concretização do Termalismo Social no local. Para tanto, foram analisados artigos, teses, reportagens de jornais e processos judiciais disponíveis na World Wide Web, além de visitas ao local.O artigo apresenta um breve histórico do Termalismo na localidade, aborda as características físico-químicas e suas indicações terapêuticas e expõe alguns problemas existentes e, por fim, possibilidades para a consolidação do Termalismo Social em Caldas da Imperatriz são exibidas.(AU)

The term Social Thermalism is understood as the complexity of the use of thermo-mineral water in health, still thinking of its ecological, historical, social, recreational aspects. This article aims to contextualize the Social Hydrotherapy in Caldas da Imperatriz, town of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz - SC, as well as its historical aspects, characteristics of thermal waters and potential health, challenges experienced and possible solutions to the implementation of the Social Hydrotherapy. Articles, thesis, newspaper reports and court cases available on the World Wide Web were analyzed, as well as a site visit. The article presents a brief history of the Hydrotherapy in the locality, discusses the physical and chemical characteristics and their therapeutic indications, introduces some existing problems and finally, possibilities for the consolidation of Social Hydrotherapy in Caldas da Imperatriz are presented.(AU)

Changes in muscular pennation angle after crenotherapy.

Muscular architecture involves the organization of fibres in the muscle and is one of the most important factors of muscular function. Studies have demonstrated an association with muscular architecture and contraction, with an increase of the pennation angle in muscles. The aim of the study was to evaluate the change of muscular pennation angle after therapy with warm thermal water (crenotherapy). PARTICIPANTS: 45 amateur athletes undertaking different sporting activities; GROUP A: 30 runners; GROUP B: 15 swimmers. All the athletes underwent muscular ultrasound and clinical examination before and after the 10 sessions of the thermal protocol. At baseline the groups showed different values of pennation angle (group A = 19.1° ± 3.8° vs group B = 16.7° ± 2.4°; p=0.05). Following the thermal therapy protocol, significant variation of pennation angle was detected at rest in Group A which had significantly lower values than before the treatment (17.5° ± 2.9°; p=0.01). No differences were detected in group B. CONCLUSIONS: thermal therapy induced the greatest effect on runners (Group A) as pennation angle at rest was significantly lower after the period of crenotherapy and this variation may be as a result of a smaller muscular contracture.