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Evidence summaries

Exercise Therapy in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Exercise therapy probably has no effect on functional ability, quality of life, aerobic capacity or pain in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Level of evidence: "C"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 3 studies with a total of 212 subjects. All the included studies fulfilled at least seven of 10 methodological criteria. The outcome data of the following measures were homogenous and were pooled in a meta-analysis: functional ability (n = 198; WMD -0.07, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.08), quality of life (CHQ-PhS: n = 115; WMD -3.96, 95% CI -8.91 to 1.00) and aerobic capacity (n = 124; WMD 0.04, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.19). The results suggest that the outcome measures all favoured the exercise therapy but none were statistically significant. None of the studies reported negative effects of the exercise therapy.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear blinding) and by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes).

    References

    • Takken T, van Brussel M, Engelbert RH, Van der Net J, Kuis W, Helders PJ. Exercise therapy in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008 Apr 16;(2):CD005954. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords