Various forms of hydrotherapy have been shown to reduce joint inflammation and improve flexibility in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Hydrotherapy treatments may be facilitated by the addition of various chemical and botanical agents, including sea salts, anti-inflammatory herbs, carbon dioxide and radon.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory rheumatic disease for which there are no preventative therapies or cures. Treatment regimens are complex and often have serious side effects. Common treatments include tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics, herbal medicine, immunomodulatory, physical therapy, surgery, rehabilitative treatment, orthopedic aids, and spa therapies, such as hydrotherapy and massage.
Therapies that focus on rehabilitation, particularly hydrotherapy treatments (the water cure) are particularly important for inhibiting the inflammatory process, relieving pain, preserving the remaining functions, and developing or stabilizing compensatory functions.
Radon
Radon is an inert radioactive gas used since the early 1900s for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Radon has always been an integral healing tool in Europe’s top wellness centers and spas. One of the most famous of the European spas using radon is Badgastein Spa in Austria.
Effects of Radon
Evidence from empirical experience and from clinical observational studies suggests that radon has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. However, because it is a radioactive substance, albeit a natural one, radon is still considered a controversial therapy. In comparison to a radiograph of the lumosacral spine that uses a dose of about 40 mSv or a computed tomography (CT) scan with a dose of 80 mSv, typical series of radon baths result in a cumulative exposure of 0.8 mSv.
The German Study
In the German study, researchers compared the efficacy of baths with natural spring water containing radon and carbon dioxide to baths with artificially produced carbon dioxide. Patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis who were participating in rehabilitation studies of a 4-wee duration in Bad Brambach served as subjects for the trial. The spa resort provides intensive inpatient rehabilitation services and is covered by medical insurance in Germany if the treatment promises to stabilize the patients’ living conditions with minimal external support.
Subjects for the study were excluded if they were on cortisone or older than 75 years. They were also excluded if they had concomitant musculoskeletal diseases such as advanced osteoarthritis that could affect the results, systemic inflammatory diseases, gout, or contraindications to immersion in water. After they gave their consent to treatment, subjects were divided into treatment and placebo groups.
Radon Treatment Study Results
Subjects were evaluated for pain intensity, arthritis impact, and limitations of functioning. They were also monitored with blood tests that measure inflammation, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the C-reactive protein test. Morning stiffness was also measured. Follow-up studies after 3 and 6 months showed that the patients receiving radon spa therapy showed marked improvement. The control group fared poorly with scores lower than those at the onset of treatment. The subjects who received radon also noted no adverse side effects.
While the study involved only patients with rheumatoid arthritis previous studies showed the efficacy of radon spa therapy for ankylosing spondylitis, tendomyoathy, and osteoarthritis. Research in the area of radon therapy shows that radon’s effect on the skin causes results similar to the effects of topical corticosteroids.
 |
