TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schitter, Agnes M.
A1  - Fleckenstein, Johannes
A1  - Frei, Peter
A1  - Taeymans, Jan
A1  - Kurpiers, Nico
A1  - Radlinger, Lorenz
T1  - Applications, indications, and effects of passive hydrotherapy WATSU (WaterShiatsu)—a systematic review and meta-analysis
T2  - PLoS one
N2  - Background: WATSU (portmanteau word: water and shiatsu) is a form of passive hydrotherapy in chest-deep thermoneutral water (35°C = 95°F = 308.15 K). It combines elements of myofascial stretching, joint mobilization, massage, and shiatsu and is reported to be used to address physical and mental issues. The objective of this systematic review (PROSPERO Registration No. CRD42016029347) and the meta-analyses was to assess the applications, indications, and the effects of WATSU to form a basis for further studies.
Methods: A search for "WATSU OR watershiatsu OR (water AND shiatsu)" was conducted without any restrictions in 32 databases. Peer reviewed original articles addressing WATSU as a stand-alone hydrotherapy were assessed for risk of bias. Quantitative data of effects on pain, physical function, and mental issues were processed in random model meta-analyses with subgroup analyses by study design. Effect sizes were expressed as Hedges's g (± 95% confidence intervals).
Results: Of 1,906 unique citations, 27 articles regardless of study design were assessed for risk of bias. WATSU has been applied to individuals of all ages. Indications covered acute (e.g. pregnancy related low back pain) and chronic conditions (e.g. cerebral palsy) with beneficial effects of WATSU regarding e.g. relaxation or sleep quality. Meta-analyses suggest beneficial effect sizes of WATSU on pain (overall Hedges’s g = -0.71, 95% CI = -0.91 to -0.51), physical function (overall Hedges’s g = -0.76, 95% CI = -1.08 to -0.44), and mental issues (overall Hedges’s g = -0.68, 95% CI = -1.02 to -0.35).
Conclusion: Various applications, indications and beneficial effects of WATSU were identified. The grade of this evidence is estimated to be low to moderate at the best. To strengthen the findings of this study, high-quality RCTs are needed.
KW  - Metaanalysis
KW  - Body temperature
KW  - Systematic reviews
KW  - Database searching
KW  - Fibromyalgia
KW  - Peer review
KW  - Child health
KW  - Questionnaires
Y1  - 2020
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/53108
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-531087
SN  - 1932-6203
N1  - Copyright: © 2020 Schitter et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
VL  - 15
IS  - (3): e0229705
SP  - 1
EP  - 25
PB  - PLoS
CY  - Lawrence, Kan.
ER  -