Footbaths With Ginger, Mustard & Warm Water Only in Female Adolescents With & Without Anorexia Nervosa

Efficacy of Footbaths With Ginger, Mustard & Warm Water Only on Psychophysiological Parameters in Female Adolescents With & Without Anorexia Nervosa - a Randomized, Controlled, Three-arm Study With Cross-over Design

A randomized, controlled, three-arm study to investigate the effects of footbaths with ginger, mustard or warm water alone in female, adolescent patients with Anorexia nervosa and in healthy, female adolescents on psychophysiological parameters.

In a cross-over study design, the subjects (21 female patients with Anorexia nervosa, 20 healthy, female controls) receive footbaths with either ginger, mustard or warm water alone in a randomized order with a wash-out period of at least 1-3 days. The effects of each intervention on the objective warmth generation are measured by infrared thermography, whereas the subjective warmth perception is determined by the 'Herdecke warmth perception questionnaire'. All parameters are determined at specified times (t1 = right before, t2 = right after and t3 = 10 minutes following the footbath), which enables an evaluation based on pre-post-comparisons. The statistical analysis comprises analyses of variances based on linear mixed effects models (after checking for carry-over effects).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Signed informed consent of the parents
• Age 12-18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Infectious disease with body temperature above 38 °C
• Skin damages at the lower legs/feet
• Known intolerance/ anaphylaxis to mustard or ginger preparations
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Pregnancy
• Insufficient knowledge of the German language
• BMI percentile < 10% (for control group)