Effect of the Artificial CO2-Bathing on Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- VernacularTitle:人工炭酸浴の慢性関節リウマチに対する効果
- Author:
Tohru TAWARA
;
Masayuki YASUDA
;
Masashi NOBUNAGA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
artificial CO2 bathing;
rheumatoid arthritis;
CO2 bathing;
Lansbury's activity index
- From:The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine
1991;54(4):224-230
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
The effect of Artificial CO2-bathing was compared with that of placebo bathing on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A large tablet containing sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, which is called Bub, was used to make CO2 gas as it dissolves in water bath. A placebo tablet, which is quite same in the appearance, has the substrate only and makes no gas. So the trial was performed by single blind method.
Forty two RA patients (definite or classical) were tested by single bathing and other 40 RA patients, by serial bathing of 30 days (once a day). After a single bathing grip strength of the patients increased significantly in both groups, but more significantly in Bub group (p<0.01 vs p<0.05). The joint tenderness also reduced significantly after a single bathing in both groups, almost equally. However plasma β endorphin levels were little changed after single bathing in both groups.
By serial bathing of 30 days, Lansbury's activity index, ADL score, and pain score were all changed insignificantly in each group. However Bub group showed a tendency to improve in the 3 parameters, whereas placebo group did a tendency to deteriorate.
From the above results it was considered that artificial CO2-bathing may exert more beneficial effects on RA patients, as compared with plain water bathing.
