Evidence
Clinical evidence
Systematic reviews, RCTs, and key observational studies supporting exercise medicine in inflammatory rheumatic disease.
Exercise therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (Cochrane Review, 2023)
Meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (n=2,449) found that exercise therapy significantly improved aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and functional status in RA without increasing disease activity. High-quality evidence.
Virtual vs. in-person physiotherapy in inflammatory arthritis — systematic review (J Rheumatol, 2022)
Systematic review (n=1,108) found telehealth exercise delivery non-inferior to in-person delivery for patient-reported functional outcomes at 6 and 12 months. Comparable adherence rates.
Exercise in axial spondyloarthritis: EULAR recommendations update (Ann Rheum Dis, 2022)
Updated EULAR recommendations endorse exercise as a core management strategy in axSpA, with strong evidence for spinal mobility, pain, and fatigue outcomes. Supervised programmes preferred.
PROMIS Physical Function in rheumatoid arthritis: responsiveness and MID (Arthritis Care Res, 2021)
PROMIS PF-8a demonstrated adequate responsiveness and a minimum important difference of 3.5 T-score points in RA populations. Supports use as a primary outcome in exercise intervention trials.