Researchers in The Netherlands report temporary improvement in quality of life.

First, the details.

• 134 patients with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to a 2.5 week spa treatment course in Tunisia or to usual care only.
• Changes in health were assessed using the Short Form 6D (SF-6D) as an overall measure of health and the visual analogue scale (VAS).

And, the results.

• Among 128 patients who completed the study, improvement in general health lasted until 6 months.
• But after 1 year there were no differences between groups.
• The cost of spa treatment — exposure to seawater (eg, hot tub) or application of sea products (eg, seaweed or sea salt) for health or beauty benefits — including airfare and lodging was about €1311 ($1771) per patient.

The bottom line?
The cost for most people is probably manageable, and there appears to be some short-term benefit.