METHOD FOR REHABILITATION PATIENTS WITH EARLY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC A61H99/00 A61F5/01 A61F7/12 A61M21/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine, namely to rheumatology, and can be used for rehabilitation of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. That is ensured by 8 in-patient cryotherapeutic sessions involving knee, ankle or shoulder joints and alternated with 8 cryotherapeutic sessions involving hand joints every second day. The cryotherapy is conducted using CryoJet C600 apparatus at temperature -60°C according to the stationary technique at 1-2 cm from the skin. An air flow intensity falls within the range of the 8-9^th stage for the knee, ankle and shoulder joints that is 1370-1550 l/min with a procedure length making 10 minutes. Treating the hand joints requires the air flow intensity to be within the 6-7^th stage, i.e. 1080-1220 l/min with the procedure length of 8 minutes. After 1-1.5 hours, the cryotherapy is followed by eight 45-minute group therapeutic physical trainings alternated with eight 45-minute ergotherapeutc sessions every second day. The cryotherapy of the greater joints is conducted on the same day as the therapeutic exercises, while the cryotherapy of the hand joints - on the same day as the ergotherapy. The treatment is combined with five 90-minute lessons at Health School "Rheumatoid arthritis" every second day. The further out-patient and domestic stages involve the 45-minute therapeutic exercises for the greater joints 3 times a week alternated with the 45-minutes exercises for the hand joints 3 times a week in a combination with the compliance with the recommendations of the ergotherapy, training programme and orthotic prosthesis.

EFFECT: method provides the manifested pain syndrome reduction, ensures the remission, improves the functional status and motor abilities, preventing joint deformities and reduces a risk of any side effects.

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