Rheumatology IQ: Sports Medicine for the Rheumatology Patient

The benefits of exercise to combat the effects of musculoskeletal conditions have been well-documented. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of sports and exercise medicine in rheumatology.

Take this quiz to test your knowledge of sports and exercise medicine in rheumatology. (©SydaProductions,Shutterstock.com)

The benefits of exercise to combat the effects of musculoskeletal conditions have been well-documented in the scientific literature. Exercise, such as tai chi for example, can help restore balance. Low-impact aerobic exercise has been shown to improve physical function in rheumatoid arthritis while reducing cardiovascular disease risk. And, in rheumatoid arthritis in which cachexia can lead to permanent disability, high intensity resistance exercise has been shown to restore muscle mass.

While more rheumatology patients turn to exercise to alleviate disease symptoms, rheumatologists may not always have extensive familiarity how best to manage the physiological responses to exercise. A patient may need to be referred to sports medicine specialists, such as physiotherapists, strength and conditioning experts, biomechanists, nutritionists, osteopaths, psychologists and physiologists.

In this quiz, we revisit clinical developments in sports and exercise medicine that were highlighted in an article we published earlier this month.

Trochanteric pain is often viewed as a sign of bursitis and treated with steroid injections when the pain actually indicates a tendon problem that would benefit from physical therapy.

A. True
B. False

REFERENCES

“When Rheumatology and Sports Intersect: 10 Considerations,” Rheumatology Network. Feb. 8, 2019.

Jennifer K. Cooney, Rebecca-Jane Law, Verena Matschke, et al. "Benefits of Exercise in Rheumatoid Arthritis," Journal of Aging Research. Feb. 13, 2011. DOI:10.4061/2011/681640

C. A. Speed. "Sports and exercise medicine and rheumatology," Rheumatology. Volume 44, Issue 2, 1 February 2005, Pages 143–144, https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keh501