Exciting news from Kamagaya General Hospital and Tokyo Women’s Medical University reveals that locomotion training can significantly improve bone mineral density (BMD) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study, which included 85 RA patients, took a close look at the effects of a dedicated 6-month exercise program designed by physical therapists. These patients saw impressive gains in their BMD after just one year.
The study compared BMD changes from one year before starting the exercise to one year after. In the lumbar spine, BMD increased by 1.6%, compared to just 0.1% during the non-exercise period. The total hip saw an increase of 1.0% compared to a slight decrease of 0.2% before exercising. The femoral neck had the most striking improvement with a BMD increase of 1.8%, while it had decreased by 0.6% during the non-exercise period. These findings were statistically significant, showcasing the powerful impact of physical activity.
Interestingly, higher scores on the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index at the start were linked with better BMD improvements in the femoral neck. This study shines a hopeful light on using locomotion training as a part of RA treatment, potentially offering an effective way to boost bone health.
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