title: Clinical effectiveness of mud pack therapy in knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this study was to systematically review all the scientific studies that analyse the effectiveness of mud pack therapy on patients diagnosed with knee OA.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and fifteen publications were identified through an electronic and manual search and 20 of those studies were chosen based on the inclusion criteria: randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews or meta-analyses whose objective was to analyse the effect of mud pack therapy on perceived pain, function and quality of life, with a sample size of ≥20 subjects, published since 2000 and showing conclusive results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the studies that met the inclusion criteria, 12 analyse functionality, 17 perceived pain, 5 quality of life and all showed a significant improvement in the three analysed variables. The methodological quality of the studies had a moderate risk of bias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mud pack therapy is considered an alternative and effective therapy in the clinical management of knee OA. Studies with better methodology are needed to prove its scope.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical-Surgical Therapy, Medicine Faculty, Extremadura University, Badajoz, Spain. luisea@unex.es
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Espejo-Antúnez
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cardero-Durán
authors.forename: Elisa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Garrido-Ardila
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torres-Piles
authors.forename: Berta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caro-Puértolas
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009094:Mud Therapy; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome