RA affects more than 400,000 people in the UK, of whom about 80% have hand and wrist problems, and this has a substantial impact on quality of life, function and productivity. The new strengthening and stretching exercise programme developed for the study is a worthwhile, low cost intervention to adopt alongside medication.
The Strengthening And Stretching For Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand (SARAH) trial evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding an individually tailored, progressive exercise programme for the hands and upper limbs in addition to usual care.
Approximately 80% of the patients using the SARAH programme alongside their medication, reported improvement of hand function a year after starting the programme. Significant improvements in strength and dexterity were also seen for patients performing the exercise programme.
Mark Williams, Research Fellow at NDORMS, says: “Current best practice mandates medication regimens, which substantially improve control of disease activity and joint damage, but don’t always impact on disability and health related quality of life. By adding an optimised exercise programme for hands and upper limbs to usual care for patients with RA, we can addresses key issues of this debilitating condition to help patients in their daily lives.”
Professor Karen Middleton, chief executive of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, added: “This study demonstrates the significant improvement physiotherapy can make to the quality of life of people with long-term conditions. Growing numbers of people are living with at least one of these conditions, so new interventions such as this will be invaluable as the NHS looks to address that rising demand within restrained budgets. This proactive approach enables people to manage their own condition and lead full and active lives while cutting costs for the NHS and social care.”