title: Effects of intercessory prayer on patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many individuals pray during times of illness, but the clinical effects of prayer are not well-understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied a cohort of 40 patients (mean age, 62 years; 100% white; 82% women) at a private rheumatology practice. All had class II or III rheumatoid arthritis and took stable doses of antirheumatic medications. All received a 3-day intervention, including 6 hours of education and 6 hours of direct-contact intercessory prayer. Nineteen randomly selected sample patients had 6 months of daily, supplemental intercessory prayer by individuals located elsewhere. Ten arthritis-specific outcome variables were measured at baseline and at 3-month intervals for 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients receiving in-person intercessory prayer showed significant overall improvement during 1-year follow-up. No additional effects from supplemental, distant intercessory prayer were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-person intercessory prayer may be a useful adjunct to standard medical care for certain patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Supplemental, distant intercessory prayer offers no additional benefits.
authors.affiliation: Arthritis/Pain Treatment Center, Clearwater, Fla, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Marlowe
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: MacNutt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008602:Mental Healing; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012068:Religion and Medicine