Rheumatoid arthritis patients get moving, feel less fatigued when using pedometers

Providing rheumatoid arthritis patients with a simple pedometer has shown to increased daily activity and decrease fatigue, according to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Currently, treating fatigue in these patients can be difficult due to the lack of treatment options. In an effort to improve patients' activity and reduce fatigue, researchers tested how wearing a pedometer could affect patient motivation to move more throughout the day.

A total of 88 participants were included in the study. Those in the control group were not given a pedometer. The individuals who did receive one were either given a goal of steps to achieve per day or received no daily targets. Participants filled out a baseline questionnaire and were monitored for activity for one week before beginning the study. Participants were questioned after 10 weeks and  then again at the end of the study at 21 weeks.

Results showed that pedometer participants, regardless if they had a daily step goal or not, increased daily activity and decreased fatigue. Control participants experienced the opposite over time, as their steps decreased and fatigue remained at a plateau.

"Because rheumatoid arthritis medications have only small effects on fatigue, it's important for patients to have other ways to manage their fatigue," said Patricia Katz, PhD, lead author of the study. "These results suggest that something as simple as increasing physical activity by walking can help."