Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Pages: 2133-2140

Journal: Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology

Volume number: 40

Issue number: 11

ISSN: 0392-856X

eISSN: 1593-098X

Publisher: Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology Sas

Abstract: 
Objective To evaluate effects of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods Patients with active RA undergoing a 16-day multimodal rheumatologic complex treatment were randomly assigned to either WBC (6 applications in 14 days at-130 degrees C for 3 min) or no treatment. The primary outcome was the difference between groups in pain on a numerical rating scale after intervention. Secondary outcomes assessed effects on i) disease activity, ii) functional capacity, iii) cytokine levels, and iv) use of analgesics.Results A total of 56 RA patients completed the trial (intervention group [IG]: 31 patients, control group [CG]: 25 patients). The mean change (+/- standard error) in pain after intervention was-2 in the IG (95% confidence interval [CI]-2.75 to-1.31, p<0.001) and-0.88 (95% CI-1.43 to-0.33, p=0.003) in the CG, with a baseline-adjusted between-group difference of-1.31 +/- 0.4 (95% CI-2.1 to-0.53; p=0.002). Pain at the 12-week follow-up visit remained significantly below baseline values in the IG. Disease activity and functional capacity showed statistically and clinically meaningful improvement after intervention but were not significant at the 12-week follow up. TNF and IL-6 levels changed significantly in the IG. Eighteen of 31 (58%) patients of the IG reduced or discontinued analgesics at the 12-week follow-up. No WBC-related side effects were reported.Conclusion WBC in RA reduces pain and disease activity significantly and in a clinically meaningful manner, resulting in a reduction of analgesics. These effects are potentially based on a change in cytokine levels.

Harvard Citation style: Klemm, P., Hoffmann, J., Asendorf, T., Aykara, I., Frommer, K., Dischereit, G., et al. (2022) Whole-body cryotherapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a monocentric, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial, Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, 40(11), pp. 2133-2140

APA Citation style: Klemm, P., Hoffmann, J., Asendorf, T., Aykara, I., Frommer, K., Dischereit, G., Mueller-Ladner, U., Neumann, E., & Lange, U. (2022). Whole-body cryotherapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a monocentric, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. 40(11), 2133-2140.