EFFECTIVENESS OF PELOID THERAPY FOR KNEE PAIN IN 12–15-YEAR-OLD RHYTHMIC GYMNASTS

Abstract

Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of lower-limb peloid therapy on knee joint function and physical fitness in 50 female rhythmic gymnasts aged 12–15 years. Materials and methods. Treatment effectiveness was assessed comprehensively through clinical examination by a traumatologist-orthopedist, ultrasound examination of the knee joint (Samsung HS 60), pain assessment using a visual analog scale, and monitoring of general and sport-specific physical fitness over 3.5 months during training and competition. Results. Three months post-therapy, the main group demonstrated statistically significant increases in articular cartilage thickness of the left knee joint at all measurement sites and in the right knee at the medial condyle and intercondylar fossa (p < 0.05). An immediate anti-inflammatory effect was evidenced by reduced pain and synovitis, whereas regenerative and reparative changes affecting cartilage metabolism developed later. The attenuation of pain during gymnastic elements led to a significant improvement in physical fitness. Total test scores improved significantly from 38.17 ± 0.71 to 46.83 ± 1.05 imme­diately post-therapy (p < 0.001), and further to 51.27 ± 0.96 at three months (p < 0.001), which can be attributed to both pain relief and technical skill enhancement during training. Conclusion. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of peloid therapy in relieving pain, reversing pathological changes, and increasing articular cartilage thickness. These effects contribute to optimizing the training process and enhancing the gymnasts' athletic performance.