Short and long-term effect of spa therapy in chronic low back pain

Authors: Guillemin F (1) , Constant F (2) , Collin JF (2) , Boulangé M (2)

Affiliations:

(1) School of Public Health University of Nancy (2) School of Public Health, Institute of Hydrology, University Henri Poincaré, Faculty of Medicine

Source: Br J Rheumatol. 1994 Feb;33(2):148-51

DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/33.2.148 Publication date: 1994 Feb E-Publication date: Not specified Availability: abstract Copyright: 1994 British Society for Rheumatology

Language: English Countries: France Location: Not specified Correspondence address: Not specified

Keywords

low back pain

Article abstract

The effect of spa therapy on chronic low back pain (LBP) was assessed in a randomized trial comparing patients undergoing a 3-week therapy programme in a spa resort in France (n = 50) with patients receiving ambulatory care (n = 52). After 3 weeks, patients in the spa group had significant improvement in their spine mobility and functional score (Waddell index) and a reduction in their daily duration of pain, pain intensity and drug consumption. The long-term effect was assessed after 9 months and showed continued reduction in pain and drug consumption, and improvement in spine mobility but no longer in functional score which returned to baseline level. It is concluded that spa therapy has a positive short-term and a moderate long-term effectiveness on chronic LBP.

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