Resumen de SPA therapy together with supervised selfmobilization improves pain, function and quality of life in patients with chronic shoulder pain: a single blind randomized controlled trial

Christian-François Roques Latrille, I. Chary Valckenaere, J.N. Tamisier, M. Boulange

• Background: To determine whether spa therapy has a beneficial effect on pain and disability patients with chronic shoulder pain.

  Methods: This single blind randomized controlled clinical trial included patients with chronic shoulder pain due to miscellaneous conditions attending 1 of 4 spa centres as outpatients. Patients were randomized into two groups: spa therapy (18 days of standardized treatment combining thermal therapy together with supervised mobilization in a thermal pool) and controls (spa therapy delayed for six months: “immediate versus delayed treatment” paradigm). All patients continued usual treatments during the 6-month follow-up period.

  The main endpoint was the mean change in the French-Quick DASH (F-QD) score at six months. The effect size of spa therapy was calculated and the proportion of patients reaching minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) compared.

  Secondary endpoints were the mean change in SF-36, treatments use, and tolerance.