Rheumatoid Arthritis and Exercise

류마티스 관절염과 운동

In an effort to obtain preventive, diagnostic and therpeutic medical and exercise training information of rheumatoid arthritis as well as to provide pertinent data to be used in development of exercise program for the management of rheumatoid arthritis, this study was conducted by using literature review. Because RA is a disease that involves both joints and muscles, its activity in the different functional classes influences the patient's ability to exercise. A patient in Functional Class 1 may perform any type of exercise because the disease involvement has not yet reached major importance. Exceptions may include hard physical exercise, running, and individual racket sports. In almost all cases, bicycle exercise is possible. Patients in Functional Class 2 and a few in Class 3 can perform most types of exercise (especially cycling, walking, heated pool exercise and even jogging) in low activity phases of RA. Although a few patients in Functional Class 3 can walk, jog, and perform similar types of exercise, most persons in this class can swim or exercise on a bicycle if the type of exercise, its intensity, and its range of motion are modified according to the patient's anatomic and pathologic conditions. Most patients in Functional Class 4 are not able to carry out complicated movements. We conclude that physical training for persons with RA has physical, psychological, and social consequences that are clearly beneficial. We recommend training be one part of the many involved in the complicated treatment of RA.