Exercise and CBT relieve chronic fatigue from arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, study shows
- Inflammatory rheumatic diseases including arthritis affect up to 14 million people globally, and many live with chronic fatigue. Drugs are often of no help
- A study shows patients who had exercise or therapy sessions suffered less fatigue for up to six months, and had better sleep, mental health and quality of life
Millions of people with conditions such as arthritis could combat symptoms of fatigue with exercise and talking therapy, a new study suggests.
People with inflammatory rheumatic diseases – which include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and axial spondylitis – could benefit from the treatments and they should be used as part of routine care, experts said.
In the UK, about 800,000 people suffer from these conditions and four in five of these (80 per cent) live with fatigue every day, affecting their ability to concentrate, work, and live independently.
Research has previously pointed to around 460 out of every 100,000 people around the world being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Up to 14 million people around the world have rheumatoid arthritis, according to the WHO.
