Radon's study helps against rheumatoid arthriris

Those who speak colloquially of rheumatism, usually means the disease rheumatoid arthritis. About 800,000 people suffer from it - among them women three times as often as men. Typical symptoms include swollen joints that are stiff and warm in the morning, causing unbearable pain. Often it hits the finger joints on both hands, but usually almost all joints cause discomfort. Hope for those affected is now a new observational study of the research institute Gastein the Paracelsus Medical Private University. It confirms alternative healing, radon therapy, significant pain and morning stiffness.

Typical of the course of rheumatoid arthritis are persistent inflammations that over time lead to the deformation and stiffening of the joints. In addition, patients often complain of diminishing strength and difficulty in exercising movements that require dexterity. In addition, flu-like symptoms, tiredness and fatigue often occur. Many sufferers not only suffer from the symptoms, but also from the fact that there is no cure. Therefore, they often have to take a variety of pain-relieving medications, which often cause serious side effects. "A radon cure, where patients repeatedly retract into a tunnel and radon, heat and high humidity on themselves, can not cure the rheumatism, but it has a positive effect on the pain, so patients significantly less need medicines," explains Univ.-Doz. Dr. Bertram HölzI, scientific director of the Austrian Gasteiner Heilstollen. The new study confirms good results with radon heat therapy: up to one year after the end of the cure, an average of 9 out of 10 patients reported an overall positive outcome. With regard to the pain intensity and intake of the pain medication, a significant reduction could be observed immediately after the treatment up to one year after the end of the treatment. The morning stiffness was also significantly lower. "Especially for arthritis sufferers, reducing the dose of analgesic plays an essential role, as the intake of so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs often causes severe side effects such as gastric mucosal changes and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract," clarifies Dr. Hölzl. "Less pain and less side effects mean a better quality of life for sufferers in two ways."

The therapy is carried out as part of a cure in former mine tunnels. Of course, many hundred meters inside the mountain radon emerges from the rock. In order to use it therapeutically, those affected drive by train to the therapy stations. Patients take the inert gas through the skin and lungs in small amounts for several one-hour sessions. In the body, Radon has been shown to reduce the activity of inflammatory cells and inhibit the production of painkillers. In combination with heat and high humidity, these effects increase. Health insurance companies often take about 90 percent of the therapy costs. Otherwise, for example, an application in Gasteiner Heilstollen costs about 60 euros. (Pm)