Short-term clinical outcomes associated with local peloid therapy combined with exercise on pain, function, and quality of life in knee osteoarthritis

Aydin N. G., BİLGİN M., Kaya H. I., Genc A. S., Yoldas B., Abacı S. H., ...Daha Fazla

FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY, cilt.17, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

Background To evaluate the short-term clinical and functional effects of local peloid therapy combined with exercise compared with exercise alone in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), using routinely collected clinical data.Methods This retrospective comparative study included 70 patients with knee OA. Patients who received local knee peloid applications (30 minutes/day, 5 days/week for 3 weeks) combined with a standardized home exercise program (peloid + exercise; n = 35) were compared with patients who performed the same exercise program alone (exercise-only; n = 35) as part of routine clinical care. Outcome measures included pain [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)], function [Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Physical Function Short Form (KOOS-PS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS)], quality of life [Short Form-36 (SF-36)], functional performance [Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5xSTS)], range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, and selected systemic inflammatory markers [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Interleukin-6 (IL-6)].Results Outcome data at week 3 were available for 60 participants (peloid + exercise n = 35; exercise-only n = 25). Both groups showed improvement in pain and functional outcomes, with more pronounced short-term improvements observed in the peloid + exercise group, particularly for pain scores, functional performance, muscle strength, and quality-of-life measures. No consistent between-group differences were observed in systemic inflammatory markers.Conclusions In this retrospective analysis, the addition of local peloid therapy to exercise was associated with numerically and clinically more pronounced short-term clinical and functional improvements compared with exercise alone, while systemic inflammatory markers showed limited change. These findings support a potential complementary role for local peloid therapy in the short-term rehabilitation of knee OA.