Source: Cancer Immunity  |  Posted 9 years ago

Balneotherapy is an effective alternative in treating fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients who have difficulties in daily living and suffer pain and anxiety, say Turkish investigators.

They studied the effects of balneotherapy in 42 primary fibromyalgia patients between the ages of 30 and 55 who were diagnosed according to American College of Rheumatology criteria. None of them had previous cardiovascular disease.

The patients were randomly allocated to two groups. Twenty-two subjects in group one bathed once a day for 20 minutes, five times a week for the three weeks duration of the study. Twenty subjects in group two acted as controls.

Evaluation was made by the number of tender points, Beck's Depression Index, Visual Analogue Scale for pain, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire for functional capacity.

Initial assessment of measurements was made after the therapy and again at the end of the sixth month.

Following the therapy programme, statistically significant differences were found among those in group one in numbers of tender points, Beck's Depression Index, Visual Analogue scores and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scores.

At the end of six months, patients in this group continued to show an improvement in the number of tender points, Visual Analogue scores, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. Compared to the control group, however, no statistical difference was seen in Beck's Depression Index scores at six months.