Arthritis Ireland Arthritis Ireland

Almost half of people with a common type of arthritis lead an inactive lifestyle, despite regular exercise being an essential part of controlling the condition, new research reveals.

US scientists discovered that 42 per cent of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients do not do any meaningful exercise, and half of those were unaware that it was an essential part of their arthritis management.

The researchers, from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, made the findings after observing 176 patients, who wore devices that measure a person's acceleration and movement, called accelerometers.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune disease where the body appears to attack itself at the joints. Almost 40,000 people suffer from it in Ireland.

The study found that lack of motivation and uncertainty about the benefits of exercise were the main factors behind the lack of exercise amongst RA sufferers.

For instance, 53 per cent of participants had no strong motivation to exercise and 49 per cent lacked any strong beliefs in the benefits of physical activity.

Overall, these two risk factors accounted for almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of excess inactivity among participants.

Publishing their findings in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, the study authors suggested that measures aimed at motivating rheumatoid arthritis patients to do more exercise could have important implications for public health.

Dr Jungwha Lee, assistant professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, said: "While there is much evidence of the benefits of physical activity, rheumatoid arthritis patients are generally not physically active, and physicians often do not encourage regular physical activity in this patient population.

"Our results suggest that public health initiatives need to address the lack of motivation to exercise and promote the benefits of physical activity to reduce the prevalence of inactivity in those with rheumatoid arthritis."

An Arthritis Ireland spokesperson said: "Regular exercise, along with keeping a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet, are an essential part of controlling the symptoms of arthritis and complement medical treatment. No matter how debilitated a person is by their condition, there is almost always some form of exercise that they can do, from walking to simple stretching, that will aid their treatment and improve their overall quality-of-life."

Arthritis Ireland has a network of walking groups around the country and also organises the 'Get Your Joints in Motion' walking challenge, which is a nationwide event held in the Phoenix Park in May.