The Potential Role of Spa Therapy in Managing Frailty in Rheumatic Patients: A Scoping Review

Frailty is not limited to the elderly, as patients with rheumatic diseases can also experience this condition. The present scoping review aimed to investigate the possibility of using the health resort setting as an alternative location for managing rheumatic patients with frailty. The research resulted in finding several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies, resulting in evidence supporting the effectiveness of spa treatments in reducing pain, improving function, and managing comorbidity in rheumatic diseases. Additionally, spa treatments were demonstrated to modulate the MAPK/ERK pathway and the NF-kB pathway's activation and to reduce proinflammatory molecules' secretion in rheumatic diseases, thus suggesting their potential effective role in the regulation of inflammaging in frailty. Moreover, the health resort setting may offer potential resources to reduce risk factors, such as drug consumption, inactivity, and disease severity, and may serve as a setting for developing prevention protocols for frailty. Future research should explore innovative approaches, such as exercise training and early diagnostics, for the overall management of frailty in rheumatic patients in the spa setting.

Automated summary

This scoping review investigated the possibility of using health resorts as an alternative location for managing frail patients with rheumatic diseases. The research found evidence supporting the effectiveness of spa treatments in reducing pain, improving function, and managing comorbidity in rheumatic diseases. Furthermore, spa treatments were shown to modulate inflammatory pathways and reduce proinflammatory molecules in rheumatic diseases, suggesting their potential role in regulating inflammaging in frailty. The health resort setting may also provide resources for reducing risk factors and developing prevention protocols for frailty.