Occupational therapy not useful in early rheumatoid arthritis

(Canada) People who receive occupational therapy within the first two years of diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis do not seem to achieve any benefit.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease, more common among women, where the joints become swollen and painful to move. For those who have had the condition for a long time, occupational therapy seems to be helpful. But less is known about the benefit of the therapy to those more recently diagnosed.

Researchers at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, London, looked at a group of around 300 patients diagnosed within the last 2.5 years and gave them treatment with and without occupational therapy. By the end of the two year study, there was little difference in health status between the two groups. However, those who had had occupational therapy were more likely to ‘self-manage’ their condition by doing hand exercises and taking measures to protect their joints. Clearly more research is now needed to determine the best way of helping those with recently diagnosed RA.

(Source: newsfix.ca)