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The effect of balneotherapy on chronic shoulder pain. A randomized, controlled, single-blind follow-up trial. A pilot study

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Abstract

The effects of balneotherapy on chronic shoulder pain were studied. In this single-blind, randomized, follow-up study involving 46 patients with chronic shoulder pain, one group of patients received physiotherapy—exercise and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation—and the other group received balneotherapy in addition to physiotherapy for 4 weeks on 15 occasions. The following parameters were recorded before treatment (at week 0) and after treatment (at weeks 4, 7, and 13): Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQuol-5D (EQ-5D) quality of life questionnaires, pain at rest and on movement on the visual analog scale (VAS), and active and passive range of motion. The SPADI pain, function, and total scores and the VAS scores at rest and on movement significantly improved in both groups after treatments. A greater improvement was observed in the balneotherapy group compared to the control group; regarding some parameters (VAS score on movement and SPADI function score at visit 2; VAS score at rest at visits 3 and 4), the difference between the groups was significant. The improvement of SF-36 and EQ-5D quality of life scores and the active range of motion was more pronounced in the balneotherapy group, the difference between the groups was not significant, except for EQ-5D at visit 2. Improvement of passive range of motion was not significant. Balneotherapy may have a beneficial effect on the clinical parameters and quality of life of patients with chronic shoulder pain. The number of patients should be increased.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ms. Katalin Hodosi (Institute for Internal Medicine, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary) for the statistical analysis and Ms. Dorottya Molnar and Mrs. Krisztina Acs-Lenart (Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Center, Mezőkövesd) for their physiotherapy work. Géza Bálint is warmly acknowledged for his useful comments and suggestions.

Conflict of interest

Regarding material costs, this study was sponsored by the Foundation for the Patients of Musculosceletal Rehabilitation Center of Mezőkövesd (Mozgásszervi Rehabilitációs Központ Betegeiért Alapítvány, Mezőkövesd).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Józsefváros Municipal Health Service, Budapest, Hungary

    Ildikó Katalin Tefner, Ramóna Gaál, András Koroknai & Rakib Mohammed Badruddin

  2. Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Center, Mezőkövesd, Hungary

    Csaba Kovács & Ildikó Borbély

  3. Budapest Spa Plc Széchenyi Spa, Budapest, Hungary

    Remény Horváth

  4. Markhot Ferenc County Hospital, Eger, Hungary

    Katalin Nagy

  5. Polyclinic of Brother of St. John of God Hospitals, Budapest, Hungary

    Tamás Bender

  6. Budai Irgalmasrendi Kórház, 1023, Budapest Árpád fejedelem u. 7, Hungary

    Tamás Bender

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  1. Ildikó Katalin Tefner
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  2. Csaba Kovács
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  6. Rakib Mohammed Badruddin
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  7. Ildikó Borbély
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  8. Katalin Nagy
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  9. Tamás Bender
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Correspondence to Tamás Bender.

Additional information

Ildikó Katalin Tefner and Csaba Kovács contributed equally to this work.

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Tefner, I.K., Kovács, C., Gaál, R. et al. The effect of balneotherapy on chronic shoulder pain. A randomized, controlled, single-blind follow-up trial. A pilot study. Clin Rheumatol 34, 1097–1108 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2456-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-013-2456-3

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