Naturopathic Interventions for Reduction of Perceived Pain in Patients Suffering from Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This study reviews evidence on whether naturopathic treatments can reduce pain in arthritis patients, finding some benefits but calling for more research.

Contribution

A systematic review and meta-analysis of naturopathic interventions for arthritis pain, highlighting gaps in standardized research.

Findings

Naturopathic treatments like mud compress and hydrotherapy showed potential for reducing arthritis pain.

Meta-analysis of 10 studies found significant pain improvement using a visual analogue scale.

High heterogeneity among studies suggests a need for standardized methods and interventions.

Abstract

Arthritis affects millions of lives with its pervasive effects on physical health and quality of life. Addressing the complexities of managing symptoms such as swelling, inflammation, and pain requires prolonged treatment. Naturopathy is a treatment method that enhances the body's innate ability to restore optimal health through a holistic approach including natural products and lifestyle modifications. This systematic review addresses the intersection of naturopathy and arthritis treatment to provide current evidence about its potential benefits. Four databases (PubMed, AYUSH Research Portal, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were searched with the keywords "Naturopathy" AND "Arthritis". Randomized, non-randomized, and cross-over studies in English were included. Studies reporting perceived pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS) were selected for meta-analysis. A total of 15 studies were included in the systematic review. The studies were from Denmark, Egypt, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Spain, and Turkey, and the study periods ranged from 1992 to 2017. They suggested that naturopathic treatment modalities like exercise, mud compress, sand bath, or hydrotherapy may be used in addition to conventional modes of treatment for added benefit. There was a diversity of naturopathic treatment modalities and outcome evaluation methods. Most studies used mud compress or mud baths with reported improvement of symptoms. The meta-analysis of 10 studies (11 sets of data) showed a significant improvement in pain measured by VAS. The studies included in the review have a high level of heterogenicity. There is a need for more studies and uniform assessment methods with standardization of interventions for robust evidence. More clinical trials from countries where naturopathy is approved treatment modalities are needed.

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