Research has demonstrated that exercise-based physical therapy is as effective at maintaining knee function as surgery in patients with degenerative meniscal tears at risk of developing knee osteoarthritis.
Telehealth Exercise & Diet Programs Curb Pain & Boost Function in Knee OA
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), telehealth-delivered exercise and diet programs are superior to electronic health information for reducing pain and improving function, although the contribution of diet is modest, a randomized trial shows.1 “This research provides evidence from a large clinical trial to help tease out how much benefit dietary weight…
Upper Limb Exercise May Improve Quality of Life for Lupus Patients
A recent study found SLE patients may improve their daily physical function, pain and overall quality of life by adding upper limb exercises to stable treatment regimens and routine care…
Axial Spondyloarthritis & Exercise: Should axSpA Patients Exercise?
Two experts weigh in on whether & how axial spondyloarthritis patients should exercise…
Make Rehab Fun: Virtual Reality & Therapeutic Gaming
Using virtual reality in rehabilitation can have benefits—as long as it is properly understood. In fact, some evidence suggests benefits from the judicious use of immersive virtual reality with patients with rheumatic diagnoses. People tend to have a lower perception of effort compared with actual exertion and lower reports of pain with longer time to exhaustion.
Exercise Therapy Benefits Patients with Knee & Hip OA
A meta-analysis confirms prior research suggesting exercise therapy benefits patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA). The study found greater improvements in pain, function, performance and quality of life in patients with milder, as opposed to more severe, OA…
Promising Avenues in Myositis: Research Targets Disease Specificity
AMSTERDAM—Research in myositis treatments is beginning to find its way, with investigators pursuing avenues special to the disease so therapy for patients may no longer involve piggybacking on existing treatments for other illnesses, an expert said at EULAR: the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. “Finally, in myositis there are targets being investigated that are more…
Healthcare Providers Should Encourage Exercise for OA Patients
A systemic review supports the ideas that exercise benefits the physical and mental health of patients experiencing pain related to hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA). Overall, research indicates that patients who exercised had slightly lower rates of pain and greater physical function, as well as slightly improved self-efficacy and social function…
Tai Chi at Least as Good as Aerobic Exercise for Fibromyalgia
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Tai chi improves fibromyalgia symptoms at least as effectively as aerobic exercise, according to a new trial. Aerobic exercise is the most commonly recommended non-drug treatment for fibromyalgia, Dr. Chenchen Wang of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and her colleagues note in The BMJ, online March 12.1 However, Dr. Wang…
More Physical Activity Counseling Urged
New research from the CDC evaluated the prevalence of healthcare provider counseling for physical activity as a management strategy for arthritis. Researchers found that although healthcare provider counseling for exercise has increased during the past decade, 40% of patients with arthritis do not receive this counseling, resulting in a greater prevalence of physical inactivity for this patient population…