[Is mud an anti-inflammatory?].

It s really hard to find a therapeutic tool used along 25 centuries; mud certainly is one. The remote empirism--not actually scientific--allows at least some kind of inferences; if the action of mud over the inflammatory process were neutral or harmful we should knew it. Mud has a place as a non-pharmacological tool in certain clinical settings, such as degenerative articular processes, skin disorders, and others. Babylonians knew its effects. Former scientific explanations regarding the mud action have been communicated in last years by some researchers. Fangotherapy in arthritis patients seems to cause variations in amino acid involved in cartilage homeostasis, and also produce reduction in pain ratings in gonarthrosis. Mud modifies nitric oxide, myeloperoxidase and glutathione peroxidase serum levels in arthritic patients and beta-endorphin and stress hormones in patients affected by osteoarthritis by reducing inflammation, pain and therefore diminishes the cause of stress. Has been confirmed that the thermal stress associated with Fangotherapy, activates the pituitary gland and the biochemical effects of peat components have aside from their physical-thermal effects. Furthermore, steroids and antimicrobial activity of certain therapeutic mud has been suggested.