Indications


Fibromyalgia (FMS), chronic pain disorders of locomotor system

In the therapy of FMS and other chronic pain diseases multi-modular approaches are standard, including exercise as well as psychological support. The addition of whole-body hyperthermia in a mild to fever-range level showed efficacy in various clinical studies, including RCTs. Literature WBH
In the "German fibromyalgia consumer reports – a cross-sectional survey" of Häuser et al. FMS patients were asked - among others - on "most effective management strategies". 1661 questionnaires were analysed. The highest average effectiveness was attributed to whole body warmth therapy.

Chronic inflammatory diseases

Antiinflammatory and antibiotic drugs are highly successful in the treatment of acute inflammation and infection.
In opposite, the treatment of chronic inflammation and infection remains a therapeutic challenge, even if modern - most expensive - immunotherapies can often achieve an impressing amelioration of symptoms, but with considerable long-term risks and side-effects.
Often no standard treatment is available. Patient's response to different therapies is quite individual and requires a personalized multi-modular approach.
Thermal therapies have been known since ancient times to provide relief from symptoms of these diseases. In German hospitals focussed to natural healing methods, fever-range whole-body hyperthermia is used as an effective basic module, especially in Ankylosans Spondylitis, Psoriasis (arthritica), Neurodermitis, Rheumatic Arthritis, Sinusitis, Asthma, Crohn's disease, Colitis. In each of these diseases the reaction of the individual patient has to be carefully observed to decide if WBH is indicated or not.
Most recent pre-clinical findings show a direct anti-inflammatory effect of fever-range WBH in a murine model of arthritis achieving a significant therapeutic benefit and an efficacy similar to methotrexate. Literature WBH
A pilot study with heckel-HT3000 at University Hospital Graz - comparing the effect of a single FR-WBH treatment on AS patients and healthy volunteers - showed an earlier, higher and more sustained increase of the anti-inflammatory cytocine IL-10 mRNA in AS patients. Literature WBH
Thus, modern scientific findings support the traditional concept of using fever-range WBH in chronic inflammatory disease.

Chronic infection, lyme disease

Since fever temperatures are one of the organism's main tools to successfully defeat acute infections, fever-range whole-body hyperthermia has traditionally been used as one basic module in the treatment of chronic infections.
It can also be applied in chronic health problems after a disturbed convalescence of an acute infection, e.g., an infectious mononucleosis. Chronic infection with borrelia (Lyme disease) is described as a cause of most severe health problems, but very difficult in diagnosis and treatment. In-vitro studies showed a heat-sensitivity of some Borrelia as well as an increased efficacy of antibiotic drugs by temperature elevation LITERATURE. In severe cases resistant to any other therapies, even extreme WBH can be used.

Depression

"Vitalizing" effects have often been reported by patients treated with hyperthermia in various indications.
The physiotherapist and psychoneuroimmunologist Kay-U. Hanusch who was responsible for the performance of whole-body hyperthermia treatments at Aeskulap-Klinik Brunnen / Switzerland began to use validated tools to assess depression scores in patients treated in the heckel-HT2000 and described an unexpectedly long-lasting positive effect. Literature

Based on these experiences the University of Arizona (Prof. Dr. Charles Raison) startet a randomized double-blinded controlled trial comparing a treatment in the heckel-HT3000 with temperature increase to 38.5 - 39°C versus a treatment in a sham device (manipulated heckel-HT3000). The verum group showed a strong positive effect - significantly better than the sham group. This effect was rapid-acting and could be observed even six weeks after one single treatment.
The patients treated in this study did not take anti-depressive drugs, since first experiences from Hanusch suggested that the effect of WBH could be counteracted by these drugs.
The Arizona study was published from Janssen CW et al. in JAMA Psychiatry and has aroused a lot of interest in further research of this novel safe and non-toxic approach in the treatment of depression. Literature

Oncology

Fever-range whole-body hyperthermia (FR WBH) has no direct cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. Therefore, FR WBH in the treatment of cancer does not replace standard therapies, but works as a supportive adjunct to these therapies. Moreover it is used as a maintenance therapy after achieving tumor remission, based on the stimulation of anti-tumor immune surveillance. The reduction of risk of recurrence has often been reported whereas not yet proven by comparative clinical trials.
New pre-clinical findings as well as first clinical experiences suggest a role of fever-range WBH in the support and ultilization of immunogenic cell death effects caused by some cytotoxic drug therapies as well as by radiotherapy. The activating effect of these "danger signals" for the development of a specific anti-tumour immune response could considerably enhanced by fever-range whole-body hyperthermia.
A systematic basic research of the immune effects of fever-range WBH has revealed lots of single mechanisms, reviewed in: Literature WBH
Another new approach is based on perfusional effects of fever-range WBH utilizing the thermoregulatory response to the artificial increase of body temperature. In the pre-clinical setting, fever-range WBH led to an improved efficacy of radiotherapy by reducing hypoxia and interstitial fluid pressure. A first clinical trial on this innovative concept is running at Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, USA - Literature WBH