鉱泥湿布の放熱特性と温熱効果の予備的検討―ベントナイト湿布との比較

A Pilot Study of the Physical Characteristics and Thermal Effects of Mud compared with Bentonite

要旨　【はじめに】当院では鉱泥湿布療法を表在性・湿熱温熱湿布として使用している．今回我々は，鉱泥湿布の温熱効果を市販湿布と比較検討した．【対象・方法】鉱泥は，粘土質の土と水を攪拌煮沸器で練り合わせて90℃の泥状にしたもので，それを2重にタオルで包んで湿布として使用している．同一環境下で鉱泥湿布（以下K群）とベントナイトを主成分とした市販湿布（以下H群）の温度変化を確認した．さらに，健常者（N＝7）を対象として，両群の温熱加療前後の表面温度変化と末梢循環動態変化を経時的に測定した．両群の比熱・総熱量・水分含有率を計測した．【結果】体表面温度・末梢血流量は，H群と比較してK群で増加する傾向を認めた．放熱性，比熱，熱量，水分含有量ともにK群が有意に高かった．【考察】鉱泥湿布の温熱効果の有意性は，総熱量が影響していると考えた．総熱量は比熱に依存しており，比熱は水分の含有率に依存していることが示唆された．

Abstract　Design : A pilot, comparative study was conducted. Background : Heat wraps using bentonite (HWb) are commonly used in thermotherapy. In the Okayama University Misasa Medical Center, heat wraps using mud (HWm) produced by mixing soil with boiling water have also been used. The subjective thermal effects of HWm on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee have been reported. However, the objective thermal effects of HWm have not been examined. As such, the physicochemical thermal effects of HWm were analyzed and compared with those of HMb. Methods : The thermal effects of HWm and HWb were investigated regarding heat radiation, conduction, capacity and moisture content. Heat radiation and conduction were measured by changes in temperature of the heat wraps, in addition heat conduction was also assessed by blood flow in body surfaces (N＝7). Heat capacity and moisture content were measured with a Differential Scanning Calorimeter. Results : Heat radiation and heat conduction of HWm were significantly greater than those of HWb (p＜0.001). The specific heat capacity of HWm was 2.0 J/g/℃, and was 1.7 J/g/℃ for HWb. Moisture content of HWm and HWb were 0.6 mg/g and 0.3 mg/g, respectively. Conclusion : Heat radiation, conduction and capacity of HWm are superior to those of HWb. Moreover, the moisture content in HWm is greater than that of HWb. These results indicate that the thermal effects of HWm would have more be physicochemical usefulness.