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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
|June 19, 2001
Summary
Heat and cold therapy show no effect on objective rheumatoid arthritis measures. Patients preferred heat therapy for pain relief, suggesting its use as a home-based palliative treatment despite limited trial quality.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management often incorporates heat and cold therapy.
- Rehabilitation specialists utilize these modalities as adjunct treatments for RA patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of heat and cold therapy on objective and subjective measures of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
- To evaluate patient preferences and reported outcomes for heat versus cold therapy in RA.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (Medline, Embase, PEDro, etc.) up to June 2000.
- Included were 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%), with no significant difference in preference between heat and ice.
Conclusions:
- Thermotherapy (heat therapy) can be recommended as a palliative treatment for rheumatoid arthritis pain relief.
- Patients can self-administer heat therapy at home as needed for symptom management.
- The findings are constrained by the low methodological quality of the included studies.