Name: Dynamic Exercise Program for Evaluation of Joint Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Uploaded: 2023-07-14T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Dynamic Exercise Program for Evaluation of Joint Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients at JoVE.com

dynamic exercise program for evaluation of joint health in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Developing an Exercise Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disabling disease that affects patients&#39; functionality and independence due to acute joint pain, reduced muscle strength, and impaired physical function, all of which are associated with the inflammatory process inherent to the disease1,2. In advanced stages, persistent inflammation causes structural alterations leading to deformity, joint dysfunction, and rheumatoid cachexia, which is a poor prognostic factor for these patients3,4.
Rheumatoid cachexia is characterized by alterations in body composition, such as muscle loss with stable weight and increased fat mass, which can significantly impact the quality of life for these patients3,5,6. Various techniques are available to assess body composition, with the most widely used being bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). However, when conventional BIA analysis is used in subjects with altered body compositions, the estimations may be limited as they are based on prediction equations formulated for a healthy or normally hydrated population7,8.
A different approach, called bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), utilizes the impedance vector based on graphical RXc. It utilizes impedance, resistance (R), and reactance (Xc) data corrected for height, resulting in a vector that provides information about the hydration state and integrity of the cell mass. BIVA is capable of classifying patients into categories such as dehydration, overhydration, normal, athlete, lean, cachectic, and obese, making it a valuable tool for RA patients8,9,10. Vectors located above or below the main axis (the left or right halves of the ellipses) have been associated with higher and lower cell mass&#160;in soft tissues, respectively. Forward and backward displacements of vectors parallel to the major axis are linked to dehydration and fluid overload. Athletes are defined as individuals with higher cell mass, potentially accompanied by dehydration. The lean classification refers to those with lower cell mass, potentially accompanied by dehydration, and the obese classification applies to individuals with higher cell mass, which may be accompanied by fluid overload. The classification of cachexia by BIVA is determined by high resistance and low reactance values, represented by the movement of the vector to the right of the graph, indicating a decrease in cell mass, potentially accompanied by an alteration in hydration status11 (Figure 1).
Conventional pharmacological treatments for RA primarily focus on reducing pain, inflammation, and joint damage progression, with limited attention given to alterations in body composition12. Among the non-pharmacological therapies commonly used in this population, exercise-based interventions have shown positive outcomes in improving functionality, fatigue, pain, joint mobility, aerobic capacity, muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and psychological well-being. Importantly, these interventions have been shown to achieve these benefits without exacerbating symptoms or causing joint damage in patients without extensive pre-existing damage13,14,15,16,17. However, there is limited knowledge on implementing and evaluating changes in hydration and body cell mass status following exercise interventions in this population. These patients often experience pain, inflammation, and structural joint changes, limiting the types of activities they can engage in and further complicating body composition assessments using traditional approaches. This protocol aims to demonstrate how to evaluate changes in hydration and body cell mass status using bioelectrical impedance vectorial analysis after implementing a dynamic exercise program for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, the protocol provides details of the dynamic exercise program, including cardiovascular capacity, strength, and coordination components, as well as the steps, instruments, limitations, and general considerations.

Author Spotlight: Implementation of BIVA for Analyzing Disease Risk Factors in Patients with Low Body Cell Mass 

Evaluation of Changes in Hydration and Body Cell Mass with Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis after Exercise Program for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

The research aims to demonstrate the utility of the vector impedance analysis for assessing change in hydration in body cell mass in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and to investigate the benefits of physical exercise for this population. Recent research has shown that patients classified with low body cell mass, using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis, have an increased risk of infections and service predictors for cardiovascular diseases. This findings indicate that patients with lower cellular mass as determined by vectorial bioelectrical impedance analysis have a high risk of infections.Additionally, we have observed that physical exercise improves strength and quality of life and reduces inflammation in patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Assessing body composition through vectorial analysis of bioelectrical impedance will enable informed decision in pharmacological treatment. Additionally, integrating physical exercise as part of the treatment aims to prevent or improve a specific alteration associated with changes in body composition.It is crucial to evaluate the long-term effects of body composition alterations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and demonstrate the effectiveness of physical exercise in increasing cellular mass, which is the most metabolically active human body compartment, which provides a greater functional reserve associated with better prognosis.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Dynamic Exercise Program for Evaluation of Joint Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients at JoVE.com

Dynamic Exercise Program for Evaluation of Joint Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients  

Before beginning the exercise session, ask the patients to describe any pain or discomfort felt in their joints. Next, for the upper extremity warmup, instruct the patient to reach a range of motion with no discomfort for each joint movement. For the lower extremity, guide the patient to perform warmup exercises in a standing position with both feet grounded on a stable surface.Then instruct the patient to reach a non-painful movement. Speed through the range of motion for each joint while sitting on the chair in the setup phase. Instruct the patient to perform functional movement patterns with more than two joints per segment.Initiate the work phase by setting a comfortable walking speed for the patient on the treadmill. After five minutes, adjust the speed while concurrently measuring the heart rate. With a pulse oximeter, increase the speed until reaching a heart rate zone between 55 and 75%of the maximum heart rate.After 10 minutes, assess the patient using a perceived effort rating scale for the final five minutes. Lower the treadmill speed to a comfortable pace for the patient. Next, perform upper extremity mobility resistance exercises while handling a wooden stick with both hands.After teaching the patient combined exercises encompassing the range of motion for more than two joints. Instruct the patient to place one end of the resistance band on the floor and step on it with their foot. Then perform elbow flexion against the band's resistance.For lower extremity exercises, have the patient sit in a stable chair with 90 degree hip and knee flexion. Then perform hip flexions for each leg up to 20 to 30 degrees above the starting position. Then ask the patient to perform a slight hip flection above 10 degrees from the base position, followed by a hip abduction.Lastly, lead the patient to return at a slow tempo to the base position. Next, make a soccer goal by placing two chairs approximately 1.3 meters apart. Direct the patient to kick a 30 centimeter plastic at a three meter spot in front of the soccer goal.Finally, gently perform a global stretch for cooling without putting stress on the joints. Participants who did not undertake the exercise program had a similar disease activity, but a slightly higher average age and BMI. No changes were made to any patient's pharmacological treatment during the intervention period.Before the exercise, all patients were classified as cachexia and had an average resistance of 630 and a reactance of 46. After exercise, the patients were reclassified as normal with an average resistance of 577 and reactants of 57. The patients who did not participate in the exercise program showed a shift in BIVA classification toward cachexia.Over six months, implementing the dynamic exercise program resulted in a decrease in resistance per height and an increase in reactance per height. No statistically significant changes were observed in the group that did not undergo the exercise program.

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JoVE Journal

Medicine

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating disease that can result in complications such as rheumatoid cachexia. While physical exercise has shown ...