Prevalence of severe functional limitations and physical therapy use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or axial spondyloarthritis: a multicentre cross-sectional study in the Netherlands
Authors' conclusion
Our study shows a mismatch between eligibility and current PT use: long-term PT appeared underused among patients with severe functional limitations and potentially overused among those without them.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) at 11 medical centres in the Netherlands
- Participants
- 612 outpatients11 medical centres
- Exposure
- RA vs axSpA
- RAn = 443
- axSpAn = 169
- Outcome
- Prevalence of severe functional limitations (rheumatologist checklist)
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Severe functional limitations
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Individual long-term PT use among questionnaire respondents, by severe functional limitations
- Individual long-term physical therapy (PT) use among questionnaire respondents, by severe functional limitations: 251 (52%) of 486 responded (191 RA; 60 axSpA); 39/251 (16%) severely limited
Original publication
Prevalence of severe functional limitations and physical therapy use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or axial spondyloarthritis: a multicentre cross-sectional study in the Netherlands. Scand J Rheumatol. Published 8 September 2026. doi:10.
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