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Effects of a Balneotherapy Cycle on Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Osteoarthritis: An Observational Multicenter Study in Medical Spa Centers in Trentino, Italy
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DOI：10.1007/s00484-026-03278-2.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
This observational pre-post study included 316 osteoarthritis (OA) patients (229 females, 87 males) attending five certified medical spa (“salus per aquam”) centers in Trentino, Italy. Participants underwent 12 daily sessions over two weeks, consisting of hot balneotherapy, including 20-minute thermal baths at 37 °C. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed using the SF-12 survey, generating Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores, measured at baseline (T0), immediately post-treatment (T1), and at three months after treatment (T2). Pain and joint stiffness were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and changes in symptomatic medication use were also recorded. Changes over time were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, with gender-based comparisons and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Both PCS and MCS scores improved significantly following balneotherapy (p < 0.05) and were largely maintained at three months (Δ(PCS) = + 3.98; Δ(MCS) = + 4.30). Pain and stiffness decreased by 43% and 42%, respectively, with sustained effects at T2. Improvements were consistent across genders, with no significant time × gender interaction. A reduction in symptomatic medication use was observed, with 58.6% of patients decreasing intake to less than once per week at three months. The treatment was well tolerated, with no meaningful gender differences. In conclusion, balneotherapy appears to be a well-tolerated intervention associated with improvements in HRQL and symptom reduction in OA, with a potential role in reducing reliance on symptomatic pharmacological therapies.
Keywords:
Balneotherapy
Osteoarthritis
SF-12
Quality of Life
Health
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