Evidence-based balneotherapy in Hungary. Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of the Hungarian clinical trials

In 2014 the authors published a review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of balneotherapy in Hungary based on articles by Hungarian authors issued until 2012. Now they prepared a new review and meta-analysis based on the updated database of the Hungarian articles published after 2012. A total of 18 articles were included in the new meta-analysis; with a subset having been previously incorporated in the earlier analyses. In such a way the results became more convincing. Regarding the updated systematic review (period: 2012–2025), the number of papers was 14. Regarding the meta-analysis (period: 1989–2025), the number of papers was 18 (8 + 10 = 18). The meta-analysis showed a significant reduction of pain at rest and pain on load evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score and of the quality of life evaluated by the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire and indexed by the EQ-VAS and the EQ-5D index. Even accounting for the heterogeneity of the studies, which is a source of bias, based on the results we can say the Hungarian studies’ results are promising regarding the positive effect of balneotherapy, especially in the treatment of degenerative locomotor diseases.