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Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Aug 2017To investigate the effects of 4-months intensive aquatic resistance training on body composition and walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of 4-months intensive aquatic resistance training on body composition and walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis (OA), immediately after intervention and after 12-months follow-up. Additionally, influence of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) will be investigated.
DESIGN
This randomised clinical trial assigned eighty-seven volunteer postmenopausal women into two study arms. The intervention group (n = 43) participated in 48 supervised intensive aquatic resistance training sessions over 4-months while the control group (n = 44) maintained normal physical activity. Eighty four participants continued into the 12-months' follow-up period. Body composition was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Walking speed over 2 km and the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) were measured. LTPA was recorded with self-reported diaries.
RESULTS
After the 4-month intervention there was a significant decrease (P = 0.002) in fat mass (mean change: -1.17 kg; 95% CI: -2.00 to -0.43) and increase (P = 0.002) in walking speed (0.052 m/s; 95% CI: 0.018 to 0.086) in favour of the intervention group. Body composition returned to baseline after 12-months. In contrast, increased walking speed was maintained (0.046 m/s; 95% CI 0.006 to 0.086, P = 0.032). No change was seen in lean mass or KOOS. Daily LTPA over the 16-months had a significant effect (P = 0.007) on fat mass loss (f = 0.05) but no effect on walking speed.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings show that high intensity aquatic resistance training decreases fat mass and improves walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee OA. Only improvements in walking speed were maintained at 12-months follow-up. Higher levels of LTPA were associated with fat mass loss.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ISRCTN65346593.
Topics: Aged; Body Composition; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Patient Compliance; Physical Exertion; Postmenopause; Resistance Training; Walking Speed
PubMed: 28263901
DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2017.02.800 -
Clinical Reviews in Allergy 1990The technique of BAL performed through the fiberoptic bronchoscope has, in two decades, provided clinicians and researchers with the ability to safely sample the... (Review)
Review
The technique of BAL performed through the fiberoptic bronchoscope has, in two decades, provided clinicians and researchers with the ability to safely sample the inflammatory-immune cell milieu of the human lung. Standardized BAL and processing of the lavage constituents provides assistance in determining the optimal care of patients with a variety of lung diseases, and renders diagnosis in selected cases. It has become indispensable in the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates in immunocompromised patients, and plays an important role in improving clinical management. Finally, it continues to yield an ever increasing amount of data for the researchers studying the mechanisms and pathogenesis of lung disease. It is likely that BAL will become an even more valuable tool with increasing relevance to the practice of chest medicine in the 1990s.
Topics: Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Humans; Lung Diseases; Therapeutic Irrigation
PubMed: 2292101
DOI: 10.1007/BF02914451 -
Indian Journal of Dermatology,... 2011Spa therapy constitutes the use of mineral springs and thermal mud to soothe and heal various ailments. Like the mineral springs, seas and oceans are also important... (Review)
Review
Spa therapy constitutes the use of mineral springs and thermal mud to soothe and heal various ailments. Like the mineral springs, seas and oceans are also important centers for spa therapy of which the most important is Dead Sea (DS). DS has been famous for thousands of years for its miraculous curative and cosmetic properties. Intensive research is going on using DS minerals in a wide range of dermatological conditions especially psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo and other eczemas and several papers have been published in various international and pharmacological journals.
Topics: Balneology; Dermatology; Health Resorts; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Mineral Waters; Skin Diseases
PubMed: 21393940
DOI: 10.4103/0378-6323.77450 -
Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology Nov 2016Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy (RCCT) is a common disease that may cause highly disabling shoulder pain. No treatment is required for asymptomatic calcifications;... (Review)
Review
Rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy (RCCT) is a common disease that may cause highly disabling shoulder pain. No treatment is required for asymptomatic calcifications; mild symptoms may be treated conservatively. Among several therapeutic options, ultrasound-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy (US-PICT) is currently accepted as the first-line safe and effective treatment for RCCT, with significant pain improvement and a very low rate of minor complications. Different approaches have been reported to dissolve calcified deposits, all including the use of a fluid (local anesthetic or saline solution) and the use of one or two needles to inject and retrieve the fluid/dissolved calcium. This review describes both one-needle and two-needle US-PICT techniques, providing technical and practical information that can improve daily clinical practice.
Topics: Calcinosis; Humans; Tendinopathy; Therapeutic Irrigation; Ultrasonography, Interventional
PubMed: 28002862
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1594285 -
Journal of Physical Therapy Science Jan 2015[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the effects of whirlpool bath and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on complex regional pain...
[Purpose] The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the effects of whirlpool bath and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on complex regional pain syndrome. [Subjects and Methods] Sixty outpatients (30 per group) with complex regional pain syndrome participated. They received 15 treatment 5 days per week for 3 weeks. The outcome measures were the visual analogue scale for pain, edema, range of motion of the wrist (flexion and extension), fingertip-to-distal palmar crease distance, hand grip strength, and pinch strength. All parameters were measured at baseline (week 0) and at the trial end (week 3). [Results] There were significant improvements in all parameters after therapy in both groups. The whirlpool bath group showed significantly better improvements in the visual analogue score, hand edema, hand grip strength, wrist range of motion (both flexion and extension), fingertip-to-distal palmar crease distance, and the three-point and fingertip pinch strengths than the neuromuscular electrical stimulation group; however, the lateral pinch strengths were similar. [Conclusion] Both whirlpool bath and neuromuscular electrical stimulation are effective in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome, but the efficacy of the whirlpool bath treatment was better.
PubMed: 25642030
DOI: 10.1589/jpts.27.27 -
International Journal of Biometeorology Jan 2024Spa therapy consists of multiple techniques based on the healing effects of water, including hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and mud therapy, often combined with... (Review)
Review
Spa therapy consists of multiple techniques based on the healing effects of water, including hydrotherapy, balneotherapy, and mud therapy, often combined with therapeutic exercises, massage, or physical therapy. Balneotherapy is a clinically effective complementary approach in the treatment of low-grade inflammation- and stress-related pathologies, especially rheumatic conditions due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The main objective of this investigation was to conduct a systematic review analyzing the available evidence on the effect of spa therapy on serotonin and dopamine function. The databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were used from June to July 2023. Exclusion criteria were (1) articles not written in English, (2) full text not available, (3) article not related to the objective of the review. JADAD scale was used for methodological quality evaluation. Four studies were included in the systematic review. Two studies were related to serotonin in healthy individuals, one to serotonin in fibromyalgia, and one to dopamine in healthy individuals. One of the studies evaluated hydrotherapy, another one balneotherapy and mud-bath therapy, and the other two assessed balneotherapy interventions. Studies were very heterogeneous, and their methodological quality was low, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions regarding the effect of spa therapy on peripheral serotonin and dopamine function. The findings of this review highlight the lack of studies evaluating these neurotransmitters and hormones in the context of spa therapy. Further research is needed to evaluate the potential effects of these therapies on serotonin or dopamine function.
Topics: Humans; Dopamine; Serotonin; Balneology; Mud Therapy; Hydrotherapy
PubMed: 37950094
DOI: 10.1007/s00484-023-02579-0 -
Forschende Komplementarmedizin Und... Jun 2003
Topics: Humans; Hydrotherapy; Naturopathy
PubMed: 12853717
DOI: 10.1159/000072208 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2023This systematic review investigated the possible effects of exposing infants to formal activities in aquatic environments. A literature search of eight databases was... (Review)
Review
This systematic review investigated the possible effects of exposing infants to formal activities in aquatic environments. A literature search of eight databases was concluded on 12 December 2022. Studies were eligible if they: (i) focused on 0-36 months of age infants, (ii) addressed the exposure of infants to formal aquatic activities, and (iii) compared the 'same condition of aquatic exposure with the control' or 'before and after exposure'. The PRISMA protocol was used. Articles considered for inclusion ( = 18) were clustered in the health, development, and physiological outcome domains. The results show that research is focused on indoor activities, mainly in baby swimming programs and baby aquatic therapy interventions. Swimming and aquatic therapy practices are generally safe for babies' health, and there are benefits to preterm and newborns exposed to aquatic therapy once the physiological parameters are maintained in normal and safe patterns. A positive effect is also suggested in general gross and fine motor skills, visual motion perception, cognitive flexibility, and response selection accuracy for infants who participated in aquatic programs. Further investigation with high-quality experimental designs is required to establish the effect of exposure of infants to formal aquatic activities (Systematic Review Registration: CRD42021248054).
Topics: Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Aquatic Therapy
PubMed: 37107892
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20085610 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2018Balneotherapy is a clinically effective complementary approach in the treatment of low-grade inflammation- and stress-related pathologies. The biological mechanisms by... (Review)
Review
Balneotherapy is a clinically effective complementary approach in the treatment of low-grade inflammation- and stress-related pathologies. The biological mechanisms by which immersion in mineral-medicinal water and the application of mud alleviate symptoms of several pathologies are still not completely understood, but it is known that neuroendocrine and immunological responses—including both humoral and cell-mediated immunity—to balneotherapy are involved in these mechanisms of effectiveness; leading to anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, chondroprotective, and anabolic effects together with neuroendocrine-immune regulation in different conditions. Hormesis can play a critical role in all these biological effects and mechanisms of effectiveness. The hormetic effects of balneotherapy can be related to non-specific factors such as heat—which induces the heat shock response, and therefore the synthesis and release of heat shock proteins—and also to specific biochemical components such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in sulfurous water and radon in radioactive water. Results from several investigations suggest that the beneficial effects of balneotherapy and hydrotherapy are consistent with the concept of hormesis, and thus support a role for hormesis in hydrothermal treatments.
Topics: Animals; Balneology; Hormesis; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Immunity; Stress, Physiological; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 29882782
DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061687 -
International Journal of Biometeorology May 2022With highly variable types of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms in both severity and duration, there is today an important need for early, individualized, and... (Review)
Review
With highly variable types of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms in both severity and duration, there is today an important need for early, individualized, and multidisciplinary strategies of rehabilitation. Some patients present persistent affections of the respiratory function, digestive system, cardiovascular function, locomotor system, mental health, sleep, nervous system, immune system, taste, smell, metabolism, inflammation, and skin. In this context, we highlight here that hydrothermal centers should be considered today as medically and economically relevant alternatives to face the urgent need for interventions among COVID-19 patients. We raise the potential benefits of hydrotherapy programs already existing which combine alternative medicine with respiratory care, physical activity, nutritional advice, psychological support, and physiotherapy, in relaxing environments and under medical supervision. Beyond the virtues of thermal waters, many studies reported medical benefits of natural mineral waters through compressing, buoyancy, resistance, temperature changes, hydrostatic pressure, inhalations, or drinking. Thermal institutions might offer individualized follow-up helping to unclog hospitals while ensuring the continuity of health care for the different clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in both post-acute and chronic COVID-19 patients. Our present review underlines the need to further explore the medical effectiveness, clinical and territorial feasibility, and medico-economic impacts of the implementation of post-COVID-19 patient management in hydrotherapeutic establishments.
Topics: COVID-19; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Hydrotherapy; Mineral Waters; Sleep
PubMed: 35079866
DOI: 10.1007/s00484-022-02246-w