A resistance exercise program improves functional capacity of patients with psoriatic arthritis: a randomized controlled trial

The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of resistance training in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The study is a randomized controlled trial with 41 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The patients were randomized into the following: intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). The IG underwent resistance exercise twice a week, for 12 weeks. The CG remained with the conventional drug therapy. The outcome measurements were the following: BASFI and HAQ-S for functional capacity, one maximum repetition test (1RM) for muscle strength, SF-36 questionnaire for general quality of life, and BASDAI and DAS-28 for disease activity. The evaluations were done by a blinded evaluator at baseline (T0) after 6 (T6) and 12 weeks (T12). At baseline, the groups were homogeneous regarding clinical and demographic characteristics. The IG significantly improved functional capacity measured by HAQ-S and disease activity measured by BASDAI, compared to CG, at week 12. Regarding quality of life, the IG improved the domains “pain” and “general health status” compared to CG ( p