The effects of Tiszasuly and Kolop mud pack therapy on knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind, randomised, non-inferiority controlled study

The aim of this non-inferiority study was to evaluate and compare the effects of Tiszasuly and Kolop mud pack therapy on pain, function and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In this double-blind, randomised, follow-up study, 60 patients with knee osteoarthritis were treated with either Tiszasuly hot mud pack (group 1) or with Kolop hot mud pack (group 2) on 10 occasions for 2 weeks (10 working days). One hundred millimetre visual analogue scale (VAS) for knee pain, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), the Lequesne Index for physical function and EuroQoL-5D for quality-of-life measurements were recorded at baseline, at the end of treatment (week 2) and 3 months later (week 12). In both groups, all measured parameters improved significantly from the baseline until the end of treatment and during the follow-up period (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the WOMAC, KOOS, EQ-5D and Lequesne Index at any visits. Knee pain improved in both groups at week 2 and week 12; the only significant difference visible between the groups was at the end of the treatment in favour of the Tiszasuly mud pack group (p = 0.009). Tiszasuly and Kolop mud packs both have a favourable effect on knee pain, physical function and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Our results proved non-inferiority of Tiszasuly mud pack.