Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42719543›Full record

ReviewJournal of lifestyle medicine2026

Effectiveness and Safety of Mud Therapy (Pelotherapy) for Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Suhas Balakrishna, Prajwal Hansoge Manjanna, Nitesh Mudalahippe Kumaraswamy, Vidyasagar Metty, Abhay Kumar Singh, Abhijith Kottapalla Bhaskaran

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of lifestyle medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Suhas BalakrishnaG. Madegowda Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bharathi Education Trust, Mandya, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2353-227X
Prajwal Hansoge ManjannaG. Madegowda Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bharathi Education Trust, Mandya, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4189-3479
Nitesh Mudalahippe KumaraswamyCentral Research Institute of Yoga & Naturopathy, Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, Mandya, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0000-9643
Vidyasagar MettyGovernment Yoga and Naturopathy College and Hospital, Kolhapur, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7550-1768
Abhay Kumar SinghMaharishi Aurobindo Subharti College & Hospital of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1354-2904
Abhijith Kottapalla BhaskaranMaharishi Aurobindo Subharti College & Hospital of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9351-813X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mud therapy (pelotherapy)-the therapeutic application of natural mineral-rich mud, peat, or clay-is practiced in at least 40 countries as a non-pharmacological adjunct for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This systematic review synthesized evidence on the effectiveness and safety of pelotherapy in adults with MSDs. PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, LILACS, SCI, and SSCI were searched from inception to April 2026 without language restrictions. Randomized and controlled clinical trials comparing pelotherapy with sham, usual care, or no treatment in adults with confirmed MSDs were eligible. Two reviewers independently conducted screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment using Cochrane RoB 2. Random-effects meta-analyses calculated standardized mean differences (SMDs; Hedges' g) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and certainty was assessed using GRADE. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO. Thirty-three studies (n = 2,651) were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 28 randomized controlled trials (n = 2,186) contributed to meta-analysis. Pelotherapy significantly reduced pain post-intervention (SMD -0.74; 95% CI -0.91 to -0.57; I

Indexed as

BalneologyMeta-analysisMusculoskeletal diseasesNaturopathyOsteoarthritisPelotherapySystematic review

Identifiers

PMID42719543
PMCPMC13554675

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.