The effectiveness of balneotherapy in chronic neck pain

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of balneotherapy (BT), which is applied in addition to physical therapy (PT), in the treatment of chronic neck pain. Sixty patients with chronic neck pain were divided into study (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. All of the patients in both groups were treated with a 15-session standard PT program consisting of hot pack, ultrasound, and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Patients in the study group were also treated with a 15-session BT program lasting 20 min/day in addition to the standard PT program. Visual analogue scale (VAS), modified neck disability index (mNDI), and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) scores of all patients were evaluated at three different times as pretreatment, posttreatment, and posttreatment third week. There was no statistically significant difference between the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients in different groups before treatment. Intragroup analysis revealed significant improvement in all parameters for both of the groups at all time intervals. Intergroup analysis uncovered the superiority of the study group. According to the results of this study, BT in combination with PT is superior to PT alone in reducing pain and disability and improving quality of life in patients with chronic neck pain.

Thermotherapy Plus Neck Stabilization Exercise for Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain in Elderly: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Previous studies have reported the effects of therapeutic exercise, including neck stabilization exercise, with or without thermotherapy on nonspecific musculoskeletal pain and disability [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 34 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Our study also demonstrated that both thermotherapy using a salt pack plus neck stabilization exercise and neck stabilization exercise alone had significant effects in reducing pain intensity, increasing PPT, and improving disability.…”

“…This effect of FIR may contribute to pain reduction and changes in muscle characteristics. The superiority of the intervention group may be explained by a reduction in pain intensity [ 11 , 12 , 37 ] and improvement in muscle flexibility [ 41 ] as a result of thermotherapy prior to neck stabilization exercise. These changes in pain intensity and PPT may have resulted in the decreased neck disability evidenced by the NDI results.…”

The Effectiveness of Balneotherapy in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Its Effect on Inflammation, A Pilot Study

“…For AS patients, consulting a doctor with back pain and hip pain complaints and spinal stiffness (1,2). AS, which is seen mostly in young age groups, leads to functional and Balneotherapy is used in the treatment of many rheumatic diseases such as osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, AS, psoriatic arthritis, and fibromyalgia (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Spa treatment in the treatment of AS is an effective non-drug treatment that is frequently applied.…”

Lung Adenocarcinoma Presenting as Worsening of Chronic Neck Pain—A Cautionary Tale

“…Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal problem that up to 70% of the world population will experience at some point in their lives. 1,2 Chronic neck pain is defined as pain in the posterior cervical region that has been present for at least 3 months. 2 In most cases, no specific cause of neck pain is identified, and pain is managed with modalities including opioid medications and epidural injections.…”

“…1,2 Chronic neck pain is defined as pain in the posterior cervical region that has been present for at least 3 months. 2 In most cases, no specific cause of neck pain is identified, and pain is managed with modalities including opioid medications and epidural injections. 3 There are, however, certain situations in which the cause of pain must be investigated.…”