EFFECTS OF SINGLE AND SERIAL WATER IMMERSION ON VENOUS FUNCTION

Recent reports in the scientific literature have described positive ef fects of spa therapy including pain reduction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Rheumatic patients with concomitant chro nic venous insufficiency (CVI) are routinely excluded from spa therapy . The justification for this has traditionally been that daily immersi on in a thermal bath could exacerbate the condition by promoting heat- induced dilation of already compromised vessels. However, hard data to justify this are scarce. We measured the effects of a balneo-therapeu tic treatment on venous hemodynamics and microcirculation in a crossov er study of healthy subjects and in an open, clinical study of patient s with Ct? (stage I-IT). Neither single nor serial immersion had a sig nificant effect on venous capacity? capillary filtration rate, laser d oppler flowmetry or transcutaneous pO(2)/CO2. These findings do not su pport the routine exclusion of patients with RA and/or OA and concomit ant CVI (stage I-II) from spa therapy.