Objective To explore the application effects of Otago exercise in home-based rehabilitation for elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The observation group underwent a 12-week Otago exercise on the basis of routine care. The scores of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Short International Fall Efficacy Scale (SHORT FES-I) and Quality of Life Scale (SF-36) were compared between two groups.
Results During the study, 4 patients in the observation group and 5 patients in the control group dropped out. After intervention, the BBS scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, and the total fall efficacy scores were lower than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.01); the SF-36 scores in the observation group were superior to those in the control group after intervention (P ＜ 0.05 to P ＜ 0.01).
Conclusions Otago exercise can effectively improve the balance ability of elderly patients with RA, reduce fall fear, and enhance their quality of life.
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