Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Sulphurous mineral water for lower limb
ostheoarthrities therapy in elderly? Short and
long term outcome
Cinteza D (1) , Poenaru D (1) , Dima A (1) , Cristea A (1) , Petrusca I (1)
(1) National Institute of Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Balneology,
Bucharest, Romania
delcint@yahoo.com
Introduction and Objectives
The objective of this work was to follow some clinical and functional parameters
of knee and/or hip ostheoarthritis, in order to evaluate the therapeutic effects of
sulphurous mineral water from Pucioasa balnear resort.
Materials and Methods
We studied 570 pacients with knee and/or hip ostheoarthrities, treated in
Pucioasa balnear resort during 2010; they accepted to enter this study and they
came after one year for another balnear cure for the same pathology. The group
consisted of 325 women and 245 men, 65 to 87 years of age, acceped for tratment
according with well-establish criteria. 36% of them needed surgical treatement, but
they refused that for different reasons. 10% from the group with knee localization
had inflamatory exacerbation at the baseline. More than three quarters refused to
walk with a cane, despite the pain and the poor gait pattern.
We used QOL questionnaires and a clinical evaluation report (WOMAC scale,
VAS, clinical items of gait analysis etc) to be completed at baseline, after 18 days
of treatement and after 1 year. Adverse effects were also noted. For the third evaluation,
the number of exarcerbation and/or hospitalizations for lower limb
ostheoarthritis were recorded.
Results
All the patients received sulphurous mineral applications as general bath during
18 treatment days, using a standardized methodology; cardiac function was daily
evaluated.The treatment also included education and adapted physical exercises.
Clinical complaints were significantly reduced comparing with the baseline level,
even for those with inflamatory exacerbation. Qol and patient satisfaction also
had a significant improvment.
After one year, 102 patients had more than one clinical exacerbation of the pain;
35 patients suffered a surgical procedure (26 hip replacement and 9 knee replacement);
radiologic evaluation for the others showed no further joint deterioration.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 332-333
332
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4