Critical review. part 2. Specialist footwear as a therapeutic intervention for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Williams, AE ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1224-4347 2007, 'Critical review. part 2. Specialist footwear as a therapeutic intervention for patients with rheumatoid arthritis' , British Journal of Podiatry, 10 (3) , pp. 87-92.

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Abstract

Background Therapeutic footwear is frequently recommended by clinicians and provided for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the associated structural and soft-tissue problems. The therapeutic aim is to reduce pressure-related symptoms such as pain,which result in reduced general mobility. However, it is unclear whether this footwear achieves the maximum health benefit forthe patient’s individual needs and requirements. The aim of this review is to identify and evaluate the current evidence for theeffectiveness of therapeutic footwear in patients with RA. Method A search of the literature from 1986-2006 was carried out. Those studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were criticallyappraised and graded using a pre-identified classification grading system. Results Two reviews included footwear in the management of RA interventions. Both these reviews included two studies that investigated footwear in the RA foot. This review included an additional two studies, one an earlier survey and one recentrandomised controlled trial investigating footwear in the RA foot. Conclusions Although therapeutic footwear is often provided for patients with RA and foot deformity/foot pain, there is limitedgood-quality evidence for its therapeutic effect with regards to clinical outcomes. Despite this, footwear does appear to have an important contribution in the management of foot problems in this patient group. The complexity of providing footwear as a therapeutic intervention is evident from the themes emerging from the papers selected for this review, and with thisconclusion, the reviewer makes recommendations for the focus and quality of future research.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Subjects / Themes > R Medicine > R Medicine (General) Health and Wellbeing
Schools:	Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Health Sciences Research
Journal or Publication Title:	British Journal of Podiatry
Publisher:	The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1460-7328
Depositing User:	Dr Anita E Williams
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2010 10:25
Last Modified:	11 Oct 2018 17:29
URI:	http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/11429

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