SynthesisClinical rheumatology2009
Short- and long-term therapeutic effects of thermal mineral waters in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Clinical rheumatology, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 69 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical efficacy of medical hydrology: an umbrella review.International journal of biometeorology · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of balneotherapy and spa therapy on quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Rheumatology international · 2018Pooled it
- Efficacy of Spa Therapy, Mud-Pack Therapy, Balneotherapy, and Mud-Bath Therapy in the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis. A Systematic Review.BioMed research international · 2018Pooled it
- Evidence-based hydro- and balneotherapy in Hungary--a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of biometeorology · 2014Pooled it
- Effects of serial thermal brine hand baths on hand osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2026Trial
- Comparison of outpatient and inpatient spa therapy in knee osteoarthritis.International journal of biometeorology · 2021Trial
- Spa therapy with physical rehabilitation is an alternative to usual spa therapy protocol in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.Scientific reports · 2020Trial
- Balneotherapy for knee osteoarthritis in S. Jorge: a randomized controlled trial.International journal of biometeorology · 2020Trial
- The role of thermal balneotherapy in the treatment of obese patient with knee osteoarthritis.International journal of biometeorology · 2018Trial
- Anti-inflammatory effect as a mechanism of effectiveness underlying the clinical benefits of pelotherapy in osteoarthritis patients: regulation of the altered inflammatory and stress feedback response.International journal of biometeorology · 2017Trial
- Balneological outpatient treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis; an effective non-drug therapy option in daily routine?International journal of biometeorology · 2017Trial
- Effects of sulfur bath on hip osteoarthritis: a randomized, controlled, single-blind, follow-up trial: a pilot study.International journal of biometeorology · 2016Trial
- The effect of balneotherapy on chronic shoulder pain. A randomized, controlled, single-blind follow-up trial. A pilot study.Clinical rheumatology · 2015Trial
- The effect of spa therapy in chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled, single-blind, follow-up study.Rheumatology international · 2012Trial
- Efficacy of balneotherapy on pain, function and quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.International journal of biometeorology · 2012Trial
- Neuroimmunomodulation induced by mud-bath therapy: clinical benefits and bioregulation of the innate/inflammatory responses induced by a peloid enriched with rosmarinic acid in elderly patients with osteoarthritis.International journal of biometeorology · 2025Article
- Quantum Health AcceleratorBrain sciences · 2025Article
- A Novel Approach to Assess Balneotherapy Effects on Musculoskeletal Diseases-An Open Interventional Trial Combining Physiological Indicators, Biomarkers, and Patients' Health Perception.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Characteristics of patients with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis undergoing spa treatment: the prospective KHOALA cohort study.International journal of biometeorology · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The objective of the study was to evaluate short- and long-term therapeutic effectiveness of natural thermal mineral waters in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing efficacy of thermal mineral water for treating patients with knee OA. Trials were identified by systematic searches of PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, and Amed. We used the MeSH terms balneotherapy, balneology, and mineral water in combination with knee and osteoarthritis. Literature screening and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Nine RCTs satisfied the inclusion criteria, all published as full journal articles. Trial duration ranged from 10 to 24 weeks (median 15.33 +/- 5.56 weeks). The final sample included 493 patients who provided data at the ends of the studies. All interventions that were used in these trials found out an improvement in pain and functional capacity, which were sustained until week 24. No serious adverse events were reported to be associated with thermal mineral waters treatment. This work provide the most current and comprehensive review of the existing evidence of short- and long-term therapeutic effects of thermal mineral waters in knee OA. Additional RCTs with similar intervention comparisons and outcome measures, bigger sample size, and longer follow-up are required to confirm these results and to assess the biological effect of thermal mineral waters in patients with knee OA.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.