Exercise therapy in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Exercise therapy probably has no effect on functional ability, quality of life, aerobic capacity or pain in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

A Cochrane review included 3 studies with a total of 212 subjects. All the included studies fulfilled at least seven of 10 methodological criteria. The outcome data of the following measures were homogenous and were pooled in a meta-analysis: functional ability (n = 198; WMD -0.07, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.08), quality of life (CHQ-PhS: n = 115; WMD -3.96, 95% CI -8.91 to 1.00) and aerobic capacity (n = 124; WMD 0.04, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.19). The results suggest that the outcome measures all favoured the exercise therapy but none were statistically significant. None of the studies reported negative effects of the exercise therapy.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear blinding) and by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes).

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1. Takken T, van Brussel M, Engelbert RH, Van der Net J, Kuis W, Helders PJ. Exercise therapy in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008 Apr 16;(2):CD005954.