Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Mar;21(2):177-82.
doi: 10.1097/BOR.0b013e328324f8a8.

Physical activity programs for chronic arthritis

Leigh F Callahan  1
Affiliations
Review

Physical activity programs for chronic arthritis

Leigh F Callahan. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2009 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to evaluate recent trials and studies of different types of physical activity programs for individuals with chronic arthritis and to discuss recommendations and findings from systematic reviews of physical activity interventions.

Recent findings: Recent randomized control trials of different multicomponent land-based, aquatic, Tai Chi, and strength training programs report moderate benefits after intervention and at 6 and 12 months for individuals with various types of chronic arthritis. Reported benefits include increasing physical activity, strength, and balance, improving functional status, reducing symptoms, and enhancing self-efficacy. Recent systematic reviews recommend evidence-based, land-based, aquatic, Tai Chi, and strength training programs for individuals with arthritis.

Summary: There is a preponderance of strong scientific evidence that both aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises, alone or in combination, are safe and moderately effective for individuals with chronic arthritis.

PubMed Disclaimer