[Modern medical and meteorological assessment of Moscow weather and the effectiveness of non-drug methods of increased meteosensitivity correction in patients with joint diseases].

UNLABELLED: Weather is one of the leading negatively acting on the human body factors. Abnormal regimes and extreme hydrometeorological and geophysical phenomena form the most biotropic external conditions that can have a negative effect and provoke weather-related exacerbations in people with chronic non-infectious diseases. Today, the problem of the climatic and weather factors influence acquires a new content and becomes relevant in connection with the global climate change and its regional manifestations.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To scientifically substantiate the need for medical and meteorological monitoring to determine the most biotropic weather conditions in the Moscow metropolis and to evaluate the meteorological effectiveness of non-drug rehabilitation methods.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

335 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of various locations, and after total hip and knee arthroplasty, were included in the study. Patients were divided into 4 groups: 67 patients of the 1st group received "dry" carbonic baths and exercise therapy; general radon baths and exercise therapy were prescribed to 60 patients of the 2nd group; 61 patients of the 3rd group received general sodium chloride baths and exercise therapy; 84 patients of the 4th group got local cryotherapy and exercise therapy procedures. The study of weather sensitivity was carried out by the questionnaire method. Psychological examination was carried out using the tests HAM (health, activity, mood), Mini-Mult (Abbreviated multifactor questionnaire for personality research) and HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale).

RESULTS

272 (81.2%) patients had increased meteosensitivity, which was accompanied by mild manifestations in 24.3%, moderate severity in 48.2%, and severe ones in 27.5%. The effectiveness of the balneotherapy and cryotherapy methods was confirmed by positive dynamics and a clear regression of meteopathic reactions in 76.1% of patients after a general radon therapy and in 61.7% after «dry» carbon dioxide baths. Total sodium chloride baths did not have a significant meteorological effect. However, a positive trend in psychological testing indicators was noted, which indicates an improvement in psychological adaptation after a course of treatment. Local cryotherapy procedures helped to reduce only severe meteopathic reactions from 14.3 to 8.3% and improve the psychoemotional state, which may be the choice when it is impossible to use balneotherapy.

CONCLUSION

The increase in the frequency of biotropic weather conditions (hypoxic and spastic) is observed in the climate of the Moscow metropolis. This contributes to the increase and aggravation of the meteopathology manifestations. The effectiveness of non-drug methods in the prevention of increased meteorological dependence in patients with joint diseases has been proved.