Efficacy of physical conditioning exercise in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

TLDR

A cohort of 120 rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis patients was recruited to compare aerobic and non‑aerobic exercise interventions. Patients were stratified by diagnosis and randomized to aerobic walking, aerobic aquatics, or non‑aerobic range‑of‑motion control groups, with exercise tolerance, disease‑related measures, and self‑reported health status evaluated. The 12‑week program had an 83 % retention rate, and both aquatics and walking groups showed significant gains in aerobic capacity, 50‑ft walk time, depression, anxiety, and physical activity, while no differences were seen in flexibility, joint activity, stiffness, or grip strength, demonstrating the feasibility and efficacy of conditioning exercise for RA or OA patients.

Abstract

Abstract A group of 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis volunteered to be subjects for this study of aerobic versus nonaerobic exercise. Patients were stratified by diagnosis and randomized into an exercise program of aerobic walking, aerobic aquatics, or non‐aerobic range of motion (controls). The retention rate for the 12‐week program was 83%. Exercise tolerance, disease‐related measures, and self‐reported health status were assessed. The aquatics and walking exercise groups showed significant improvement over the control group in aerobic capacity, 50‐foot walking time, depression, anxiety, and physical activity after the 12‐week exercise program. There were no significant between‐group differences in the change scores for flexibility, number of clinically active joints, duration of morning stiffness, or grip strength. Our findings document the feasibility and efficacy of conditioning exercise for people who have rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.