Knee Osteoarthritis and Spa Therapy

This study is looking for people aged 50 to 80, both men and women, who have knee osteoarthritis. To be considered, an X-ray of your knee taken in the last three years should show signs of osteoarthritis (stages 2 to 4). Your knee pain and stiffness should also affect your daily activities to a certain degree. You'll need to be willing to actually go through with the 18-day spa treatment in Santenay, France, and have valid health insurance.

There are some reasons why you might not be able to join. For example, if you have other serious health problems like certain heart, liver, or kidney conditions, or an active infection or cancer. You also can't take part if you have other types of chronic pain such as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, as this study focuses specifically on knee osteoarthritis.

Also, if you've had a spa treatment for anything in the past six months, or injections in your knee (steroids in the last 3 months, hyaluronic acid in the last 6 months), you won't be able to join. If you're planning knee surgery soon, live too far from Santenay, or can't commit to the study visits, you won't be eligible. Women who could become pregnant must be using effective birth control consistently throughout the study.

If you decide to take part in this study, you will receive an 18-day course of balneotherapy treatment. This involves various therapies using natural mineral water from Santenay. Before starting the treatment, and again six months after it begins, you'll have a medical check-up with a doctor involved in the study. There will also be a shorter check-in by phone or online three months after starting.

During these visits, the doctor will collect some information about your knee condition, or you might fill out some questionnaires yourself to describe your pain and how easily you can move. You'll also be given advice on exercises that are suitable for people with knee osteoarthritis, similar to the advice given in previous studies. Your weight and your ability to be physically active will also be monitored throughout the study. The total duration of your participation, from your first visit to your final follow-up, will be about seven months.