Talk therapy and exercise reduce fatigue associated with arthritis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — New research shows talk therapy and exercise reduce fatigue associated with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases, or IRD, are autoimmune diseases that cause a person’s immune system to attack its own joints, muscles, bones and organs. The diseases are often grouped under the term “arthritis.” However, there are over 100 different types. 

In addition to stiff, achy and swollen joints, patients with IRD also suffer from extreme physical and mental tiredness. 

But in a first-of-its-kind study, scientists in the United Kingdom set out to find how patients can fend off this fatigue.  They divided 368 people with IRD into three groups each with a different type of care — physical activity, talk therapy, or an educational pamphlet on fatigue. They found both talk therapy and exercise significantly reduced patient fatigue compared to the group receiving the pamphlet. These patients also indicated their overall quality of life improved.

“There is an urgent and unmet need for more evidence-based interventions including better access to non-drug treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) and supported physical activity, so more people with IRD can retain their independence, stay in work, and enjoy better mental health, which we know these conditions can cruelly take away.”

According to the American College of Rheumatology, over 50 millions Americans suffer from an inflammatory rheumatic disease.