Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
www.pharmpress.com/fact
Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 52
The aim of this uncontrolled pilot study with an intervention by letter (no personal contact to patients) was to investigate possible effects of Kneipp’s hydrotherapy in patients with polyneuropathic complaints as a basis for future research, while no past could be retrieved.
A total of 27 patients (15 females, mean age 68.2 years) with chronic complaints due to proven peripheral neuropathy were enrolled after telephone interviews and mailed instructions to practice at least two out of four Kneipp applications daily over 8 weeks at home. At the end, patients sent in their diaries with daily post-therapeutic and final judgments after 8 weeks of typical complaints on 7-grade Likert scales, as well as use of analgesics.
Data were processed in a descriptive manner. After 8 weeks, patients recorded a significant decrease for dysaesthesia as compared to baseline from 3.4 to 2.9 (t-test 2P < 0.04). A tendency of improvement was seen for hypaesthesia (from 3.5 to 3.1, 2P < 0.12), with no change for overall pain (2.6 to 2.5, n.s.). Knee affusions were used most frequently.
Self-practiced hydrotherapy could be an efficient treatment for certain complaints of complex polyneuropathic disorders. Effects may even be better with prior personal instructions. Furthermore, the method of study by letter can be appropriate to generate preliminary data for established methods of natural healing in clinical indications of lesser prevalence.
