Purpose. Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, increased oxidants, and decreased antioxidant capacity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of whole‐body cryotherapy (WBC) at −110°C and −60°C, on disease activity, selected proinflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress in patients with AS. Methods. Sixty‐five patients with AS were recruited to one of three study procedures: WBC at −110°C, −60°C, or exercise therapy (non‐WBC). The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS‐CRP), concentration of C‐reactive protein (CRP), and the concentrations of interleukin 8 and 17 (IL‐8, IL‐17) were measured at the beginning of the study and at the end of the intervention. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as a lipid peroxidation result, and total antioxidant status, an antioxidant organism potential, were measured. Results. All the studied groups showed significantly decreased posttherapy disease activity expressed as a function of the BASDAI, ASDAS‐CRP, and the IL‐8 concentration. We found that the TBARS concentration after therapy was significantly increased in the WBC at −110°C group. A comparison of the therapeutic effects between the treatment groups showed a significantly lower BASDAI after therapy in the WBC at −110°C group compared to the non‐WBC group. Conclusion. WBC at −110°C had a positive effect on lowering AS clinical activity as measured by the BASDAI.

The study reports the development of a thermal imaging method suitable for the screening and differentiation of joint inflammation in the rheumatoid foot of patients in comparison with the control group of healthy participants. The study included 81 patients, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 39 healthy volunteers without any signs or symptoms of inflammation. The feet joints were examined by ultrasonography, and the surface temperature of the dorsal side of the foot was measured using a thermovision camera. Significant differences in mean temperatures between the study group and the control group were found. At the same time, there were no statistically significant differences between the mean temperatures in the left and right foot in any of the designated regions in the study and control group. The comparison of average temperatures of joints with or without inflammation, according to ultrasonography, did not show significance except for two joints. Despite the lack of statistical differences in the recorded temperatures, changes in the form of spikes, hot spots, and gradation of the temperatures during screening were observed. Screening analysis of the temperature distribution of the foot can aid in the diagnosis of RA and in the evaluation of the development of the disease. Additional studies must be conducted to confirm the results of this study.

Objectives. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of deep tissue massage (DTM) and therapeutic massage (TM) in the management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Materials and Methods. This was a small, randomized clinical pilot study. Subjects were 27 men with diagnosed AS, randomly assigned to DTM group or TM group. Subjects in each group had 10 sessions of massage. Outcomes included the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Modified Schober Test, Finger to Floor Test, chest expansion, and pain intensity of lower back. Results. There are no statistical significant differences between groups, except for BASDAI and pain intensity of lower back. Conclusions. This study suggests that massage may have clinical benefits for treating ankylosing spondylitis patients. Additional scientific research in this area is warranted.

Purpose. The aim of the present study was to adapt the Foot Function Index-Revised Short Form (FFI-RS) questionnaire into Polish and verify its reliability and validity in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. The study included 211 patients suffering from RA. The FFI-RS questionnaire underwent standard linguistic adaptation and its psychometric parameters were investigated. The enrolled participants had been recruited for seven months as a convenient sample from the rheumatological hospital in Śrem (Poland). They represented different sociodemographic characteristics and were characterized as rural and city environments residents. Results. The mean age of the patients was 58.9±10.2 years. The majority of patients (85%) were female. The average final FFI-RS score was 62.9±15.3. The internal consistency was achieved at a high level of 0.95 in Cronbach’s alpha test, with an interclass correlation coefficient ranging between 0.78 and 0.84. A strong correlation was observed between the FFI-RS and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) questionnaires. Conclusion. The Polish version of FFI-RS-PL indicator is an important tool for evaluating the functional condition of patients’ feet and can be applied in the diagnosis and treatment of Polish-speaking patients suffering from RA.

Background. Foot problems may have a substantial negative impact on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients’ mobility. They affect walking and the functional capacity to perform daily tasks. Methods. This study included 61 patients with RA and foot pain or swelling. The study group comprised 37 patients (aged 54.3 ± 9.5 years) with foot lesions, as demonstrated in an ultrasound, and the control group comprised 24 patients (aged 57.3 ± 11.5 years) without foot lesions. The patients’ health statuses were evaluated with the Foot Function Index-Revised Short Form (FFI-RS), the Polish version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28). Results. The FFI-RS showed significant differences between the study and control groups in total results, as well as in the pain and stiffness subscales. Subsequent analyses showed numerous significant correlations. The FFI-RS total results correlated with the HAQ’s standing up, walking, and total results. The FFI-RS pain results correlated with the social issues and HAQ’s total results. The FFI-RS difficulty results correlated with the disease’s duration. In the study group, there were significant correlations of the FFI-RS stiffness, difficulty, and social issues results with the HAQ’s standing up, walking, and total results, and also of the FFI-RS activity limitation results with the HAQ’s standing up results. In the control group, there were correlations of the FFI-RS stiffness, difficulty, and activity limitation results with the HAQ’s walking and total results. Finally, in the study group, we also found correlations of the FFI-RS total, pain, stiffness, difficulty, and social issues results with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) results, as well as of the FFI-RS total results with the DAS 28 results. Conclusions. The FFI-RS is an effective tool for assessing RA patients’ functional status and can be used to evaluate treatment effects. The FFI-RS detected RA-related changes in the foot joint function in patients without foot lesions, as assessed by ultrasound.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease leading to motor disability, progressive respiratory failure and ultimately death. Its incidence is estimated at approximately 1/7,600 births in the Polish population. Owing to effective, modern treatment methods, SMA may be nowadays considered a chronic disease. Early and effective diagnosis based on newborn screening, followed by the implementation of one of the three available therapies, makes it possible to slow down the disease progress and to acquire further motor development skills by patients. Comprehensive care including nutrition, diagnosis of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal disorders, and rehabilitation remain a challenge for the health care system. In the paper we discuss basic issues on the aetiology, inheritance patterns and typical clinical picture of SMA, the principles of neonatal screening in Poland, the treatments available as part of the drug therapy program (nusinersen, risdiplam, onasemnogene abeparvovec), as well as everyday care and health prevention in patients diagnosed with SMA. Special attention was paid to physiotherapy and motor improvement. An important task of primary care physicians is to actively search for possible complications of the disease and adverse effects of treatment methods, and to implement the vaccination programme. Individuals with SMA will constitute an increasing percentage of patients in general practice offices, which is why close cooperation between general practitioners, paediatricians and neurologists is extremely important to ensure comprehensive and coordinated care.