Magnetic fields are commonly used in therapies designed for subjects with rheumatic diseases, yet the effects of magnetotherapy are not entirely clear in these disorders.This study is designed to examine the literature investigating applications of magnetotherapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).The review focused on publications related to administering magnetotherapy in patients with RA. The databases Science Direct, SpringerLink, Medline, PubMed, and Polska Bibliografia Lekarska were searched for reports published since 2005.Despite the numerous reports showing an impact of magnetic field in subjects with RA, the effectiveness of magnetotherapy has not been explicitly confirmed. Given the above, further research appears to be necessary to clarify the impact of magnetic fields on biological systems, and the relationship between magnetic field intensity and the obtained results as well as their durability. The majority of clinical trials have failed to identify any undesirable outcomes or side effects of this physical therapeutic factor.

Objectives: The study aims to assess selected factors contributing to the long-term effects of the conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Material and Methods: Forty-nine individuals diagnosed with CTS were enrolled in the study. The symptoms resulted from occupational hand overuse in 37 patients. The assessment involved 78 hands before the therapy (study 1) and 1 year after the end of the therapy (study 2). The clinical symptoms assessed included: pain, numbness, tingling, morning stiffness, vegetative disorders and difficulties in activities of daily living (ADL). The range of motion (ROM) in the hand joints and the pressure generated during the cylindrical grip were measured. Phalen's tests, an electrodiagnostic test and a 2-point discrimination study were performed. Results: A significant reduction of symptoms and improvement in tested parameters were found in study 2. The largest ROM in the hand, the lowest level of pain and the largest reduction in the frequency of daytime tingling were found in the oldest patients in study 2. In subjects with better initial electrodiagnostic test results, a significant reduction in daytime numbness and daytime tingling was obtained. In individuals previously subjected to conservative therapy, a significant improvement in the ROM of the hand and a better quality of sensation were noted in study 2. A higher level of pain, a lower reduction in the frequency of daytime tingling, and a smaller improvement in ADL capacity were noted in individuals who overused their hands at work after the therapy. Conclusions: The effects of conservative CTS treatment after 1 year, expressed as the reduction of subjective symptoms, were independent of the patient's age. A worse initial electrodiagnostic test result is a predictor of less favorable therapy results. Hand overuse during occupational activity may negatively affect the effects of conservative treatment in individuals with CTS. A change in the nature of occupational activity positively influenced the long-term maintenance of the effects of conservative treatment.

Introduction Few studies evaluated the effects of spa therapy on pain perception and quality of life in older people with osteoarthritis. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of spa therapy on quality of life and pain in patients aged 60 years and older with osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods 70 patients with generalized osteoarthritis were enrolled in the study. Spa treatment lasted 3 weeks (15 days of treatment) and was applied during a session lasting 120 to 150 minutes a day. All the patients benefited from kinesiotherapy, physical agent modalities, massage, peloid therapy, hydrotherapy with mineral waters, and crenotherapy. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, the Laitinen scale, and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire were used to assess the condition of the patients. The examinations were performed three times: at the beginning of the spa treatment, after three months, and one year after the first examinations. Results Statistically significant improvements were observed in pain (VAS) between consecutive assessments (p <.001). Laitinen scale also reported beneficial, statistically significant changes in the level of pain (p <.001). The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire reported a statistically significant improvement in the domain of social relations in 2-3 and 1-3 periods (p = .025 and p = .011, resp.). A significant improvement was recorded in the domain of environment between 2-3 and 1-3 periods (p <.001). Conclusion Spa treatment reduced the level of pain in majority of the patients in short- and long-term follow-up and contributed to improving the quality of life in the domain of social relations and environment. To confirm the results of this study, there is a need for a randomized controlled trial comparing spa treatment with usual care in the older population with osteoarthritis. Trial Registration Number This trial was retrospectively registered on 3 January 2018 with NCT03388801.

S u m m a r y B Ba ac ck kg gr ro ou un nd d: : The study aimed to assess hand mobility (hand strength and grip capacity) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, by means of objective measurement methods, as well as to evaluate the link between hand fitness and the level of disability in these subjects. Additionally, the authors assessed the impact of disease activity, the duration of morning stiffness and the intensity of pain on the functional condition of the hand. M Ma at te er ri ia al l a an nd d m me et th ho od ds s: : The study group consisted of 56 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The investigated characteristics included: disease activity measured with DAS28 (Disease Activity Score), disability level measured with HAQ (Health Assessment Questionnaire), as well as intensity of pain and duration of morning stiffness. Hand strength and grip capacity were assessed by means of a specially designed measuring station. R Re es su ul lt ts s: : The controls demonstrated significantly greater grip capacity and grip strength in the right hand in comparison with the study group (p = 0.000). Additionally, the intensity of pain was found to have a statistically significant impact on the fitness of the examined hand (r =-57; p = 0.001). Disease activity measured with DAS28 and hand fitness did not correlate significantly (r =-0.11). However, a relationship was demonstrated for the level of functional disability (HAQ) and the parameters of hand fitness (r =-0.44). C Co on nc cl lu us si io on ns s: : In the period of acute rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, hand mobility depends mainly on the intensity of pain. The level of fitness is not affected by the subjects' age, the duration of morning stiffness or the level of disease progression. Hand fitness (hand strength and grip capacity) is a determinant of the disability level in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. S t r e s z c z e n i e W Ws st tę ęp p: : Celem pracy była ocena sprawności ruchowej ręki (siły chwytu, objętości chwytu) u chorych z reumatoidalnym zapaleniem stawów (RZS) z wykorzystaniem obiektywnych metod pomiaru oraz ocena związku pomiędzy sprawnością ruchową ręki a stopniem niepełnosprawności badanych chorych. Dokonano też oceny wpływu aktywności procesu chorobowego, czasu trwania sztywności porannej i nasilenia dolegliwości bólowych na stan funkcjonalny ręki. M Ma at te er ri ia ał ł i i m me et to od dy y: : Badaniami objęto 56 chorych z rozpoznanym RZS leczonych na oddziale reumatologii. Oceniano aktywność procesu chorobowego wg wskaźnika DAS28 (Disease Activity Score), stopień niepełnosprawności wg kwestionariusza HAQ (Health Assessment Questionnaire), nasilenie dolegliwości bólowych wg skali VAS oraz czas trwania sztywności porannej. Siłę ręki, objętość chwytu ręki oceniono za pomocą oryginalnego komputerowego stanowiska pomiarowego. W Wy yn ni ik ki i: : Wykazano istotnie wyższą wartość objętości chwytu i większą siłę chwytu ręki prawej w grupie kontrolnej w porównaniu z grupą badaną (p = 0,000). Stwierdzono też, że poziom nasilenia doleg...

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