Measurement of physical strength and rheumatoid arthritis patients' kinesitherapy

Abstract

It is difficult to examine the physical strength of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The graded exercise testing by bicycle ergometer was used for RA patients. The following factors were measured: 1) lactic acid in blood, 2) heart rate, 3) blood pressure and 4) expired gas analysis. Generally speaking, the index of physical strength of healthy human beings is attributed to the maximum oxygen consumption, aerobic threshold or anaerobic threshold. Although none of the nine patients' maximum oxygen consumption was able to be measured, three patients' anaerobic threshold and seven patients' aerobic threshold were measured. In this series the results suggested that aerobic threshold was useful as an index for physical strength. Three of the nine patients were treated by kinesitherapy at the aerobic threshold work load using a bicycle ergometer. The effect of kinesitherapy is discussed.