Treatment Trial of Thermoregulatory Disturbances in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa Patients With Either Ginger Powder Footbaths or Warm Water Footbaths

Efficacy of Foot Baths With and Without Ginger Powder Additive on the Subjective Feeling of Warmth and on Body Core Temperature of Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa - a Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study

A study to explore whether warm water footbaths with added ginger powder can improve thermoregulatory processes in adolescent anorexia nervosa patients and provide them with an increase in subjective feeling of warmth. The participants will receive a warm footbath four times a week for six weeks with a physiological and psychological testing point once before the beginning of the six-week footbath period and once after.

This is a two-arm randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of warm water footbaths with added ginger powder (experimental) compared to warm water only footbaths (control) in adolescent anorexia nervosa patients. Participants will receive footbaths 4 times per week before bed-time over a period of six weeks.The main focus is on subjective increase in overall body warmth. Moreover, core body temperature, skin temperature at the extremities and several psychological as well as physiological scores and parameters are assessed before and after the six-week intervention. A follow-up is planned at six months post intervention, where core body temperature, physiological and psychological parameters are once more tested.

Inclusion Criteria:

• main diagnosis: Anorexia nervosa
• written informed consent of participants and legal guardians

Exclusion Criteria:

• other eating disorder diagnosis apart from Anorexia nervosa
• known allergic reaction to ginger