The effect of balneotherapy on patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

Balneotherapy has a supplementary effect on improvement in disease activity and functional parameters in AS patients immediately after the treatment period. However, in the light of our medium-term evaluation results, we suggest that further research is needed to assess the role of balneotherapy applied for longer durations in AS patients.

Prevalence and factors associated with disturbed sleep in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: a systematic review

“…Altan et al [ 22 ] was not significant at 3 weeks, but highly significant 24 weeks (p < 0.001). Outcome measures such as night pain and disease activity had a more significant and more sustained improvement over 24 weeks with the intervention than improved sleep [ 22 ].…”

“…Decreased night pain was also the most significant predictor of improvement in observed JSEQ scores in an intervention study by Deodhar et al [ 26 ]. However, this relationship is not clear, for example, a highly significant improvement in night pain with balneotherapy and exercise was not always accompanied by significant improvement in sleep [ 22 ].…”

“…Masiero et al [ 66 ] found that exercise, in combination with an educational-behavioural program and anti-TNF therapy, had a greater effect on symptoms of disease activity in AS patients than either intervention used alone. Within the 2 studies of this review, regular exercise also saw benefits in BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, morning stiffness, pain, energy and emotional reaction [ 22,31 ]. Further research is required to clarify the possible mediating effects of exercise on improving poor sleep.…”

“…Outcome measures such as night pain and disease activity had a more significant and more sustained improvement over 24 weeks with the intervention than improved sleep [ 22 ]. The second study [ 31 ] investigated homebased and group-based exercise and found significant improvement in sleep scores of the NHP in both groups with a statistically significant greater, between-group improvement for sleep scores in favour of group-based exercise.…”

“…The two included in this review investigate the effects of exercise and used Part 1 of the NHP to assess disturbed sleep in AS [ 22,31 ].…”