In:
Arthritis Care & Research, Wiley, Vol. 72, No. 8 ( 2020-08), p. 1041-1048
Abstract:
To determine the type and frequency of physical therapy ( PT ) prescribed by physicians for patients in the registry of the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis. Methods The data for 4,252 patients were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi‐square tests, and odds ratios ( OR s). Results Overall, 37.4% of patients (1,590 of 4,252) received PT at the end of a yearly follow‐up. The most frequently used type of PT was lymphatic drainage (n = 1,061, 36.8%), followed by exercise therapy (n = 1,047, 36.3%) and heat therapy (n = 689, 23.9%). More than three‐fourths of treated patients (82%) received 1 or 2 different forms of PT simultaneously. The prescription of PT was associated with the extent of skin fibrosis as measured by the modified Rodnan skin thickness score ( 〈 10 [41.8% of patients], 11–20 [55.8% of patients] , and 〉 21 [63.9% of patients]; P 〈 0.001). Patients with musculoskeletal involvement (e.g., arthritis, muscle weakness, joint contractures, tendon friction rubs) had a higher chance of receiving PT than patients without these symptoms, with corresponding OR s ranging from 1.96 (95% confidence interval [95% CI ] 1.69–2.28) for joint contractures to 3.83 (95% CI 2.89–5.08) for arthritis. When comparing the type of PT prescription across the initial and all follow‐up visits from 2003 to 2017, significant alterations with a decreasing frequency of patients receiving PT could be observed ( P = 0.001). Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the use of PT in patients with systemic sclerosis ( SS c) in a large cohort. Although SS c is characterized by considerable disability and restriction of motion, 〈 40% of patients received PT .
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2151-464X
,
2151-4658
Language:
English
Publisher:
Wiley
Publication Date:
2020
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2016713-1
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