Hot sand baths (psammotherapy): A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Psammotherapy is a traditional practice in which hot sand baths are employed for therapeutic purposes. This systematic review aims to investigate the potential efficacy of psammotherapy in the treatment of any disease.

Methods: Medline via PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched for articles describing studies on the efficacy of psammotherapy in patients with different health conditions. Articles were screened by the two author independently and, in case of disagreements, items were discussed until consensus was reached. All relevant clinical outcomes (symptom and pain relief, modifications in any functional and laboratory parameter, changes in drug consumption, variations of quality of life) were extracted from included studies.

Results: After article screening and selection, three studies were included in the review. One study involved patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while in the other two studies patients with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited. Included trials indicate that psammotherapy might be useful for the management of studied diseases.

Discussion: Based on available data, no conclusions can be driven on the clinical efficacy of psammotherapy. However, very limited evidence suggests that hot sand baths might be useful in improving symptoms and functionality of patients with some rheumatic and respiratory chronic illnesses. Further studies are encouraged to better assess the clinical efficacy of hot sand baths.

Keywords: Balneotherapy; Complementary and alternative medicine; Psammotherapy; Review; Sand baths; Traditional medicine.