title: The effect of mud therapy on pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of mud therapy on pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A detailed search of PubMed®/MEDLINE® was undertaken to identify randomized controlled trials and prospective comparative studies published before 9 March 2013 that compared mud therapy with control group treatments in patients with knee OA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A quantitative meta-analysis of seven studies (410 patients) was performed. There was a significant difference between the groups in the visual analogue scale pain score (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.73) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain score (SMD -0.30), with differences in favour of mud therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mud therapy is a favourable option for pain relief in patients with knee OA. Additional high-quality randomized controlled trials need to be conducted to explore this issue further and to confirm this conclusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Shu-guang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Tuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yu-sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi-lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Jin-peng
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Guang-hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009094:Mud Therapy; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
keywords: Pain; knee; meta-analysis; mud therapy; osteoarthritis