Study: High-Intensity Exercise Helps Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers

Regular exercise at a moderate-to-high level of intensity has already received high marks in improving the muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness of people with hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. But can such exercise help those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis?

Many rheumatoid arthritis patients shy away from strenuous activity out of worry that it will exacerbate the inflammation of their joints and out of concern that their condition makes them highly vulnerable to cardiovascular problems.

But as reported in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a team of Dutch researchers has found that such exercise is beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.

The researchers compared the effectiveness and safety of a two-year intensive exercise program called Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients In Training, The study involved 300 rheumatoid arthritis patients, equally split into two groups. One group underwent intensive physical training. Both groups received standard physical therapy care.

The exercise participants underwent a one-hour regimen of intensive exercise, which included 20 minutes of bicycling, 20 minutes of exercises aimed at building muscle strength, endurance and joint mobility, and 20 minutes of impact-delivering activities such as badminton, volleyball, soccer and basketball. Every session also had 15 minutes of required warm up and cool down exercises.

After two years, the participants in the exercise group were found to have better functional ability than those who received just physical therapy, and with no increase in damage to their large joints.

Study author Dr. Zuzana de Jong, of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, told Medical Week that none of the study participants, including those with rheumatoid arthritis, had undergone any training prior to beginning the study. Participants who were already active were excluded, she added.

Since most rheumatoid arthritis patients are either discouraged by their health professionals from physical activity, or discourage themselves, de Jong said any exercise, whether moderate or intensive, would be good.

For rheumatoid arthritis patients with severe radiological damage, de Jong said exercise could cause additional joint damage. She said these patients should take special care when exercising, including adapting the exercise to minimize impact to their joints.

Other sources: Arthritis & Rheumatism 48:9;2415-2424