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Mud bath therapy and microplastic elimination from the body of patients affected by rheumatic diseases: a hypothesis

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Mud bath therapy and microplastic elimination from the body of patients affected by rheumatic diseases: a hypothesis Journal of Environmental Rheumatology 2026their potential role in mitigating environmental toxicant burden represents a promising and underexplored research avenue.We hope this hypothesis stimulates further discussion and research into non-pharmacologic strategies addressing environmental contributors to rheumatic diseases.For example, future studies could quantify microplastics and plastic-associated additives in sweat, blood, and urine before and after standardised hot mud bath protocols, enabling direct assessment of clearance kinetics, particle characteristics, and correlations with inflammatory biomarkers.

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