Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Balneotherapy and mud-therapy in knee
osteoarthritis treatment
Vela L (1-2-3) , Rodríguez P (4) , Chavero A (3) , Medialdea V (1) ,
Rodríguez-Caballeira M (5) , Alvarez A (1-2) , Maraver F (1-2)
(1) Professional School of Medical Hydrology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
(2) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Medical Hydrology, Faculty
of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
(3) Caldes de Boí Spa, Caldes de Boí - Lleida, Spain
(4) Lanjarón Spa, Lanjarón-Granada, Spain
(5) Hospital Universitario Mútua de Terrassa. Terrassa. Spain.
mlorenavela@gmail.com
Introduction and Objectives
Caldes de Boí-Tartera water(temperature 43,2ºC; dry residue 110ºC:286mg/l;
Chloride:54,8 mg/l; Sulphate:51,3 mg/l; sodium:79,6 mg/l; Sulphide:12,7mg/l and
Radon: 73 Bq/l) is being used since the XIXth century for rheumatic disease treatment
and since 1950 is being used for mud maturation.
Ever since the discovery of Lanjaron-Salado springs (temperature 25,4ºC; dry
residue 110ºC: 4.005mg/l; Chloride: 1.474 mg/l; Bicarbonate: 756 mg/l;Sulphate:
129 mg/l; sodium: 803 mg/l; Calcium: 235 mg/l and iron : 14 mg/l) there is constant
evidence of locomotory affections treatments in the thermal center.
Objectives:
The aim of this study is to compare the therapeutic effects of balneotherapy,
parafango therapy, not fully maturated mud and the use of maturated mud in knee
osteoarthritis (KOA)
Materials and Methods
It is a descriptive, controlled, prospective follow-up, multicenter study which includes
Caldes de Boi and Lanjaron Thermal Centers.
135 patients from Lanjaron Spa with KOA that fulfill American College of
Rheumatology´s (ACR) criteria and KOA´s radiological criteria were randomized
distributed into three groups: 45 patients were treated every day, during 10 days,
with parafango and Lanjaron Salado mineral water bath (36-38 ºc) and also steam
bath; 45 patients followed treatment with not fully maturated mud (45-47 ºC) together
with Lanjaron Salado mineral water bath (36-38 ºc) and also steam bath; 45
patients were treated with Lanjaron Salado mineral water bath (36-38 ºc) and steam
bath only.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 183-184
183
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4