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Thermotherapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis
1Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - F6, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Y-4E9. vwelch@lri.ca
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 18, 2000
Summary
Heat and cold therapy offer no objective benefits for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity. However, patients prefer heat therapy for pain relief at home, with no reported harmful effects.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Heat and cold therapy are common adjuncts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management.
- Rehabilitation specialists frequently utilize thermotherapy for RA patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of heat and cold therapies on objective and subjective measures of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (Medline, Embase, PEDro, etc.) up to June 2000.
- Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials, case-control, and cohort studies comparing heat or ice to placebo or active interventions.
- Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers.
Main Results:
- Three studies involving 79 subjects met the inclusion criteria.
- Neither heat nor cold therapy demonstrated significant effects on objective measures of RA disease activity, including inflammation, pain, or joint destruction.
- Patients reported a preference for heat therapy over no therapy (94%), though no difference was found between heat and ice preference. No adverse effects were noted.
Conclusions:
- Thermotherapy (heat therapy) is recommended for home use to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis pain due to patient preference and lack of adverse effects.
- Further research on the efficacy of heat or cold for rheumatoid arthritis is deemed unnecessary based on current findings.