Rehabilitation strategies to improve physical functioning in patients with musculoskeletal diseases

Abstract

Musculoskeletal diseases affect many people in European communities, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) being the most common conditions. In general, the impact of musculoskeletal diseases on individuals__ lives including physical functioning is substantial, despite the growing number of effective drugs for specific rheumatic conditions. This thesis describes interventions aiming to reduce disability, with the example of interventions targeted on hand function disability as well as their evaluation, and the implementation of evidence-based interventions in daily practice, with the example of physical activity and exercise interventions for patients with RA.