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Fibromyalgia symptoms improved after mud bath, bathing therapies
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Patients with fibromyalgia who received thermal spa treatments reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life in a recent study.
Researchers in Italy studied 41 patients with fibromyalgia (FM; 39 women, aged 31-69 years) who received a 2-week thermal therapy program (one treatment daily for 6 days per week). Patients were randomly assigned to mud baths (n=21; mean age, 52.81 years) or balneotherapy (n=20; mean age, 54 years). At baseline, after 2 and 12 weeks, patients were evaluated for pain, symptoms and quality of life. Investigations of oxytocin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and serotonin transporter levels during therapy were conducted. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected in the morning, and comparative proteomic analysis was performed.
Significant improvement in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (P<.05) and 10-cm visual analog scale for pain and tiredness (P<.01) were observed in both groups after therapy. Short Form-36 Health Status Questionnaire, which measures quality of life, also showed improvement in both groups. Improvements occurred at different times and durations for each therapy.
When assayed after 12 weeks, there was a significant decrease in BDNF concentrations in each treatment group; however, there were no significant changes in oxytocin and ATP levels and serotonin transporter. Phosphoglycerate mutase1 and zinc alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 protein expression displayed significant differences.
“Overall, our results indicate that both spa treatments are beneficial in patients affected by FM,” the researchers reported. “In particular, while balneotherapy gives results that in most patients occur after the end of the treatment but which are no longer noticeable after 3 months, the mud-bath treatment gives longer lasting results.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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