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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate lower extremity performance, balance, fatigue and pain in individuals with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and compare them with healthy controls., Methods: 41 participants (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus n = 21 and mean age = 38.33 ± 13.37; healthy group n = 20 and mean age = 38.95 ± 12.62 years) were included in the study. Lower extremity performance was evaluated with timed up and go test and 30 s sit-to-stand test, static and dynamic balance with Sensamove Miniboard, fatigue levels with Visual Analog Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale and pain intensity with Visual Analog Scale., Findings: Significant differences were found in favor of the healthy group in the sit-to-stand test (p = 0.001), timed up and go test (p = 0.001), static balance-center (p = 0.020), front (p = 0.001), back (p = 0.002), left (p = 0.001), right (p = 0.001); proprioception-left (p = 0.004), reaction time-front (p = 0.002) and left (p = 0.016); travel time-front (p = 0.001), back (p = 0.001), left (p = 0.001) and right (p = 0.001), Fatigue Severity Scale (p = 0.001); Visual Analog Scale-fatigue (p = 0.001) and Visual Analog Scale-pain (p = 0.001). In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, timed up and go test had low correlation with travel time-back (r = -0.449; p = 0.041). Visual Analog Scale-fatigue had low correlation with proprioception-left (r = 0.484; p = 0.026) and proprioception-right (r = 0.461; p = 0.035). Visual Analog Scale-pain had moderate correlation with proprioception-back (r = 0.521; p = 0.015) and low correlation with proprioception-right (r = 0.441; p = 0.045)., Interpretation: Compared to healthy, individuals with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus had worse lower extremity performance, static/dynamic balance, fatigue, and pain. Dynamic balance-back was related to lower extremity performance. Fatigue was related to left-right proprioception, and pain was related to back-right proprioception., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients with Interstitial Lung Disease., Material and Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with SSc according to the 2013 EULAR/ACR criteria were included. After recording the demographic data of the patients, dyspnea was evaluated with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), exercise capacity with the 6 Minute Walk Distance (6MWD), fatigue level with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), disease activity with the Medsger Disease Severity Scale, skin involvement with the Modified Rodnan Skin Score, and dyspnea level with the mMRC Dyspnea Scale. The mMRC Dyspnea Scale was administered to the patients with SSc who did not receive any treatment for test-retest reliability at 1-week intervals., Results: The observed scale range in mMRC (TR) was 0-4, and twelve out of the thirty patients (40%) were classified as having "moderate dyspnea." mMRC (TR) showed a significant moderate positive correlation with VAS dyspnea (rho: 0.718), a low negative correlation with 6MWD (rho: -0.445), and a low positive correlation with FSS (rho: 0.385). The weighted kappa statistic, used as an agreement scale for ordinal responses, was found to be 0.587 (indicating moderate agreement)., Conclusion: The Turkish version of the mMRC Dyspnea Scale demonstrates validity and reliability in SSc patients with interstitial lung disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the validity of Turkish version of Social Frailty Index in older adults., Material and Methods: 102 older adults aged 65 and over were included in the study. Hodkinson Mental Test was first applied to older adults. Older adults who scored 6 points or above were included. To evaluate the validity of "Social Frailty Index", Social Inclusion Scale, Older People's Quality of Life-Brief (OPQOL-Brief) and Lubben Social Network Scale were applied to the participants. To determine the reliability of "Social Frailty Index", the test was re-tested at one-week intervals on older adults who did not receive any treatment. Confirmatory factor analysis AMOS 23.0 was used to determine the conformity of the structure to the original model. For concurrent validity, the correlation analysis applied. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC [2,1], absolute agreement, 2-way random effects model) was used to determine the reliability of the scale., Results: The fit of the Turkish version of Social Frailty Index to the model described in the original article was determined to be acceptable-excellent (Demographics (DEM), General Resources and Life History (GRLH), Social Activities (SA) and Fulfillment of Basic Social Needs (FBSN)) (CMIN/DF=1.36, GFI=0.93, IFI=0.90, RMSEA=0.06 and SRMR=0.07). In the correlation analysis conducted to determine its concurrent validity, Social Frailty Index had a moderate correlation with Social Inclusion Scale (r: -0.47; p<0.001) and OPQOL-Brief (r: -0.47; p<0.001). Social Frailty Index had no correlation with Lubben Social Network Scale (r: -0.03; p: 0.81). Test-retest reliability of Social Frailty Index was excellent [ICC (2,1) =0.90, %95 CI 0.84-0.93, p<0.001]., Conclusion: The Turkish version of the Social Frailty Index is valid and can be used to predict mortality risk based on the estimated social risk. The adapted Social Frailty Index is not adequately capturing aspects related to the network and social support., Clinical Trials Number: NCT06288789., (Copyright © 2024 SEGG. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Swelling, effusion, tenderness, and pain seen in the joints of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This disease may cause limitation in joint movements, muscle weakness, atrophy, balance, and gait disorders. Physical fitness is accepted as an important determinant of health in both childhood and adolescence. The aim was to evaluate the physical fitness of children/adolescents with JIA and compare it with healthy peers. Seventy children/adolescents were included (35 JIA and 35 healthy). The Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and the Brockport physical fitness test battery were used for evaluation. The Brockport physical fitness test battery consists of dominant handgrip strength, curl-up, push-up, trunk lift, shoulder stretch, sit and reach tests, skinfold thickness (calf/triceps/subscapular) measurements, and PACER 20 m test. A significant difference was found in all sub-parameters of CHAQ (P < .05) and dominant hand grip strength (P = .037), curl-up test (P < .001), trunk lift test (P = .018), shoulder stretch (P < .001) and PACER 20 m test (P < .001) tests in favor of the healthy group. Children/adolescents with JIA demonstrated lower performance compared to their healthy peers in muscular and cardiovascular capacity tests (curl-up test, PACER 20 m test, trunk lift test, dominant hand grip strength test, and shoulder stretch test). Their functional abilities are more impaired, and they experience higher levels of pain and lower levels of general well-being compared to healthy peers.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of Clinical Pilates exercises and connective tissue massage (CTM) in individuals with Fibromyalgia (FM) on pain, disease impact, functional status, anxiety, quality of life and biopsychosocial status., Methods: 32 women were randomly divided into two groups as intervention gorup (CTM + Clinical Pilates exercises, n = 15, mean age = 48.80 ± 7.48) and control gorup (Clinical Pilates exercises, n = 17, mean age = 55.64 ± 7.87). The number of painful regions were assessed with Pain Location Inventory (PLI), disease impact with Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnare (FIQ), functional status with Health Assessment Questionnare (HAQ), anxiety with Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), quality of life with Short Form-36 (SF-36) and biopsychosocial status with Biopsychosocial Questionnaire (BETY-BQ) were evaluated. All evaluations were made before and after treatment. Both treatments were applied 3 times a week for 6 weeks., Results: When the pre-treatment and post-treatment results are analyzed; significant difference was observed in PLI (p = 0.007; effect size 1.273), FIQ (p = 0.004; effect size 0.987), SF-36 physical component (p = 0.025; effect size -0.496) and mental component (p = 0.017; effect size -0.761) in the intervention group while the significant difference was observed in FIQ (p = 0.001; effect size 1.096) and BAI (p = 0.043; effect size 0.392), SF-36 physical component (p = 0.008; effect size -0.507) and mental component (p = 0.024; effect size -0.507) in the control group. When the delta values of the groups are compared, the difference was determined only in the PLI (p = 0.023) in favor of the intervention group., Conclusions: CTM can be effective in reducing the number of painful areas in addition to the positive effects of clinical Pilates exercises in women with FM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article. The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article. This part of the manuscript has not been submitted to or published in any journals. The manuscript, which was designed Basic Research, has been read and approved by all the authors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire for Children-Short Form (FOPQC-SF) in children/adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)., Methods: To evaluate validity of FOPQC-SF, 70 children/adolescents with JIA were included. Data were collected using Pediatric Quality Of Life Inventory 3.0. Module Arthritis (PedsQL), Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS).To determine the reliability of the FOPQC-SF, test-retest was performed at one-week intervals on participants who had not made any changes to their pharmacological treatment and had not received any additional treatment., Results: With factor restrictions, items of Turkish version of FOPQC-SF were found acceptable for a 2-factor structure (fear:4 items; avoidance:6 items)(RMSEA = 0.058, GFI = 0.890, X2 = 40.667 X2/df = 1.196). With no restrictions, items of Turkish version of FOPQC-SF were found to be excellent for a 3-factor structure (fear:3 items; avoidance:4 items; other:3 items) (RMSEA = 0.036, GFI = 0.909, X2 = 34.465, X2/df = 1.077).The Cronbach's alpha value of Turkish version of FOPQC-SF total was 0.865 (good). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) was 0.865 (very high). Fear and avoidance subscales and total score of Turkish version of FOPQC-SF had low to moderate correlation with CHAQ-disability index, CHAQ-pain, CHAQ-global evaluation, JADAS, PedsQL-child total, PedsQL-parent total (r:-0.283/-0.452)( p  < 0.05). Other subscale of Turkish version of FOPQC-SF had low to moderate correlation with CHAQ-disability index, CHAQ-pain, PedsQL-parent total (r:0.286/0.318) ( p  < 0.05)., Conclusion: The Turkish version of FOPQC-SF was found to be clinically valid and reliable in children and adolescents with JIA.

Introduction: The aim was to examine biopsychosocial conditions of patients hospitalized in the rheumatology department of a university hospital., Material and Methods: Ninety-six patients (mean age: 53.14 ±16.83 years) receiving inpatient treatment at the rheumatology service of a university hospital were included. Chest circumference, manual muscle testing, general well-being (Visual Analogue Scale - VAS), the Fatigue Severity Scale, the Rivermead Mobility Index, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Nottingham Health Profile were used for evaluation., Results: The average number of days hospitalized was 15.57 ±15.11. Mean disease duration was 7.91 ±9.34 years. Respiratory rate per minute was 22.55 ±6.03. Chest circumference measurement at rest was 97.01 ±9.70 cm, inspiration was 99.71 ±9.67 cm, expiration was 94.10 ±13.91 cm. Quadriceps muscle strength (on a scale of 0-5) was 4.26 ±0.74 on the right and 4.16 ±0.76 on the left; biceps brachii muscle strength was 4.46 ±0.64 on the right and 4.39 ±0.78 on the left. The VAS score was 6.03 ±2.51; the Rivermead Mobility Index was 11.41 ±4.11; the Nottingham Health Profile total score was 39.18 ±22.44; the energy level sub-score was 52.89 ±37.06. History of previous hospitalization was found in 42 patients (43.8%). Five patients (5.2%) were at bed level, 4 patients (4.2%) were at sitting level, 7 patients (7.3%) were at standing level, and 80 patients (83.3%) were at walking level. Seventeen patients (17.7%) used assistive devices for mobilization. Sixty-one patients (63.5%) were fatigued, and 21 patients (21.9%) had moderate anxiety., Conclusions: Inspiratory capacity of patients hospitalized in rheumatology service is low. Their respiratory rate is higher than the normal value. Their mobility and energy levels are at average values while fatigue and anxiety levels need to be considered. In addition to pharmacological treatments, we recommend that patients hospitalized in rheumatology service be supported by appropriate exercises provided by physiotherapists., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Narodowy Instytut Geriatrii, Reumatologii i Rehabilitacji w Warszawie.)

Introduction and Objectives: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, sleep disorder, fatigue, other somatic symptoms. Clinical pilates method is therapeutic modality that can be used in improving the symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of reformer pilates exercises in individuals with FM and to compare with home mat pilates., Material and Methods: Twenty-eight women (age mean=45.61±10.31) diagnosed with FM were included in this study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups as reformer pilates group (n=14) and home mat pilates group (n=14). Reformer and home mat pilates exercises were given 2 times a week for 6 weeks. The number of painful regions with Pain Location Inventory (PLI), clinical status with Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), lower extremity muscle strength with Chair Stand Test, functional mobility with The Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), biopsychosocial status with Cognitive Exercise Therapy Approach-Biopsychosocial Questionnaire (BETY-BQ) and quality of life with Short Form-36 (SF-36) were evaluated. All evaluations were assessed before and after treatment., Results: There was a significant difference in FIQ and chair stand test in reformer pilates group, while in PLI, FIQ, BETY-BQ vs. SF-36 Physical Component in home group (p<0.05) compared with baseline. There were no statistical differences between the groups in terms of delta value (p>0.05)., Conclusions: Reformer pilates exercises had positive effects on clinical status and muscle strength while home mat pilates exercises had positive effects on the number of painful regions, clinical status, biopsychosocial status and physical component quality of life. Clinical trial registration number NCT04218630., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To examine the global upper extremity kinematics in 3D while performing "jar opening motion" in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and to compare these with healthy individuals., Method: Twenty-four women (12 healthy, 12 RA) were included. Evaluations were made with a JAMAR dynamometer, Health Assessment Questionnaire, and 3D kinematic analysis of global upper extremity during "jar opening motion." The time taken during "jar opening motion" was analyzed in 2 parts (Part 1, Part 2), with total time: part 1 + part 2. In addition, shoulder-to-table distance; elbow flexion angle; wrist extension angle; the area scanned and angular rotation by arm, forearm and hand were used in the analysis., Results: Between groups, there was a statistical difference in: bilateral hand grip strength; part 1, part 2, total time; shoulder-to-table distance; elbow flexion angle; the area scanned by hand; angular rotation of arm and hand in favor of the healthy group (P < .05). In stepwise multiple regression analysis, the most predictive variable for disability was elbow flexion, explaining 53.9% of disability., Conclusion: Compared to healthy individuals, individuals with RA have slower motion, more elbow flexion, less hand grip strength, circular pattern in hand, rotation in arm and hand. Increased disability may result in greater load on elbow flexion., (© 2022 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aim: This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Problems (DASH-TR) questionnaire in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using the Rasch analysis., Method: A total 97 individuals (13 men, 84 women; mean age:51.99 ± 11.12 years, range: 20-65 years) diagnosed as having RA according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology were included. The functional status of the upper extremities was evaluated with the DASH-TR questionnaire, patient global health with a visual analog scale (VAS), disease activity with Disease Activity Score 28-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), and disability with Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). DASH-TR was applied to the patients with RA who did not receive any treatment for test-retest at 1-week intervals. DASH-TR results were analyzed using the Rasch analysis., Results: In the sample of patients with RA, it was determined that the DASH-TR scale did not provide a unidimensional structure and the items were collected in two dimensions. The first 20 items and the last nine items were differentiated in the two-dimensional structure, and the factor load of m21 was low. Person separation index was obtained as 0.948. Internal consistency reliability was quite high. A significant positive correlation was found between the DASH-TR and VAS, DAS28 and HAQ. There was excellent test-retest reliability according to the intra-class correlation coefficient (0.921, 95% CI 0.882-0.947; P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The DASH-TR is a reliable and valid questionnaire and can be used for measurement of functional status of the upper extremities in RA., (© 2022 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of the addition of aerobic training to spinal mobility exercises on disease-specific outcomes and functional exercise capacity, aerobic capacity and respiratory muscle strength of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients., Methods: The study included 31 volunteers (mean age: 44.90 ± 11.52 years) diagnosed with AS. The demographic characteristics and disease-related data of all subjects were recorded, then, the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI) and Bath AS Disease Function Index (BASFI), the 6-minute walk test, the Bruce Treadmill Test and spirometry were used, respectively. The intervention group attended a 12-week program of aerobic exercise sessions, plus supervised spinal mobility exercises, 3 days a week. The control group performed the supervised spinal mobility exercises only, 3 times a week, for 12 weeks., Results: There was a significant improvement in BASDAI ( p  = .002), BASMI ( p  = .021), 6 DYT ( p  = .036), VO 2 max ( p  = .000), MIP ( p  = .005) and MEP ( p  = .022) results in the intervention group after 12 weeks of training. In the comparisons of the pre-treatment and post-treatment differences, BASDAI ( p  = .032) decreased and VO 2 ( p  = .001) max increased, showing significant improvements in the intervention group and these values were maintained., Conclusion: It is striking that improvements in all parameters except BASFI were achieved in the aerobic training group. These results demonstrate that an aerobic exercise program should be included in an individual exercise prescription for the management of AS.

Aim: The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate the effect of soft-tissue mobilization in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS)., Method: Twenty-one patients (mean age 44.57 ± 10.40 years) were randomly divided into two groups. There were 13 patients (11 females, 2 males, age 43.69 ± 9.94 years) in the intervention group and 8 patients (5 females, 3 males, age 46.00 ± 11.67 years) in the control group. In the intervention group, soft-tissue mobilization therapy and 20 spinal mobility exercises were applied. The control group received only 20 spinal mobility exercises. The Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), and Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI) were used for assessment of disease activity, functional level, and mobility, respectively. Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) for quality of life and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) were used to determine disability levels., Results: We found significant differences between pretreatment and post-treatment scores of BASDAI (P = 0.049); BASFI (P = 0.009; lateral lumbar flexion (P = 0.005), maximal intermalleolar distance (P = 0.001) and total score (P = 0.001) of BASMI; pain subtest (P = 0.036) and total score (P = 0.036) of NHP; and RMDQ score (P = 0.004) in the intervention group. However, in the control group the BASMI score (P = 0.049) was observed to worsen significantly. Delta values were compared and differences in BASFI (P = 0.039), and in lateral lumbar flexion (P = 0.027), maximal intermalleolar distance (P = 0.045) and total score (P = 0.001) of BASMI were significant in favor of intervention group. Only tragus-to-wall distance (P = 0.039) of BASMI was observed to worsen significantly in the control group., Conclusion: We recommend the use of soft-tissue mobilization in addition to the exercises to treat AS patients., (© 2021 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting mainly the axial skeleton and sacroiliac joints. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on respiratory muscles and functional exercise capacity, as well as on the specific outcomes of the disease in AS patients. A total of 32 AS patients (mean age 37.37 ± 10.41 years) were randomly assigned as the Training Group (TG) (n = 16, mean age = 35.62 ± 8.18 years) who received IMT + conventional exercise, and the Control Group (CG) (n = 16, mean age = 39.12 ± 12.26 years) who only performed the conventional exercise program. All the subjects were evaluated at baseline and at the end of the 8th week. Respiratory muscle strength was assessed by measuring the maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax). Functional exercise capacity was measured using the 6-min walk test (6MWT). The Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Disease Function Index and Bath AS Metrology Index were used for activity, function and basic measurements of the disease. A statistically significant improvement was determined in the PImax (p = 0.000), PEmax (p = 0.002), 6MWT (p = 0.041) and BASDAI (p = 0.049) values in the TG after training. There was a significant difference between baseline and after conventional exercise in terms of PEmax (p = 0.017) in the CG. The PEmax (p = 0.001) and the 6MWT (p = 0.053) values were significantly better in the TG. The results of this study demonstrated that IMT in addition to conventional exercises increased inspiratory muscle strength, functional exercise capacity and positively affected the disease activity in AS.