Water-Based Therapy for Fibromyalgia Pain

This systematic review brought together randomised trials of balneotherapy and hydrotherapy, meaning treatments in mineral water and in ordinary warm water, for fibromyalgia, a condition of widespread pain and fatigue that affects mostly women. Across the pooled studies, water-based therapy produced a small but statistically reliable reduction in pain, with the reviewers rating the evidence as moderate to strong for that particular effect, alongside signs of benefit for wellbeing and low mood. The trials varied in their methods and some carried a risk of bias, so the size of the benefit should be held lightly. Warmth, buoyancy and the easing of pressure on joints are among the plausible reasons immersion helps. For a woman living with fibromyalgia, it supports warm-water and spa therapy as a gentle, low-risk part of managing pain, to sit alongside movement and other care.