Pain can deter patients with rheumatic disease from engaging in physical activity. But the latest research shows exercise helps reduce pain, & other influences may also affect patients’ activity levels, particularly after surgery…
Search results for: physical function
Low Muscle Density & Physical Function in Patients with RA
Low muscle density due to the accumulation of intramuscular fat has been observed in RA patients and is associated with higher disease activity. New research sought to understand the relationship between muscle density, physical function and strength independent of body composition, including such factors as total and visceral adiposity. The results: Compared with healthy controls, low muscle density in RA patients was associated with low muscle mass, excess adiposity and greater disability…
Physical & Cognitive Function in SLE Patients
New research used multidomain function assessment to better understand the physical and cognitive functioning of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The pilot study found a high prevalence of impairment in SLE patients, similar to or exceeding the prevalence seen in the general geriatric population. Patients scored lower for lower body strength and low average for cognitive flexibility and attention…
An Approach to Physical Activity & Exercise in Axial Spondyloarthritis
‘Physical therapy is a mainstay of managing rheumatic diseases, but what’s the evidence, how do we monitor, and what types of therapy should we advocate?’ asks Physician Editor Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, FAAAAI, RhMSUS. ‘Here, we provide some practical recommendations for the everyday rheumatologist.’ Physical activity, including occupational and recreational activities, is one of…
The Physical Exam Begins with a Handshake
During the height of the pandemic four years ago, I took every precaution to avoid, or at the very least, delay contracting COVID-19. I religiously wore a mask in all public settings, I washed my hands so frequently that my skin became dry and cracked, and I studiously maintained a six-foot distance from others. But…
Get Your Patients Moving: Physical Activity Is Key for Pain Management & Overall Health
Regular movement is crucial for everyone, but patients with rheumatic disease may feel overwhelmed about starting and maintaining a routine. Here’s how physical and occupational therapists can help patients establish and reach movement goals, while improving their pain management and overall health.
Is Exercise-Based Physical Therapy Effective for Degenerative Meniscal Tears?
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.
Intra-Articular Steroid/Lidocaine Injection Improves Hip Arthritis Pain, Function
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A single injection into the hip of steroid and local anesthetic improved pain and function in patients with hip osteoarthritis in a randomized controlled trial, with most of the benefit seen early after treatment. Researchers at two community-based clinics in England assigned 199 volunteers to receive either an ultrasound guided intra-articular hip…
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…
Study: Patient Global Assessment Scores Give Insight Into Daily Function
A recent article in Arthritis Care & Research supports the idea that the patient global assessment reflects primarily the patient’s experience of their functioning in daily life.1 Background The patient global assessment is a key measure used by clinicians and researchers to help evaluate disease status in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Lead author Ethan T. Craig,…
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