[Treatment of patients with neuromuscular disease in a warm climate].
BACKGROUND
Several patient groups request treatment in a warm climate, in spite of the fact that the effects of such treatment are undocumented.


METHODS
47 children and 40 adults with neuromuscular diseases were recruited, stratified according to sex, use or non-use of electric wheelchair, primary myopathy or hereditary neuropathy, and randomised into two adult and two children groups. The patients were treated in a rehabilitation centre, either on Lanzarote or in Norway. All patients were monitored with physical tests and questionnaires at the start of the study, at the end of the treatment period, after three months (all groups) and after six months (adults only).


RESULTS
No significant differences in effect between the groups were found. In the warm climate, the adult patient group showed a statistically significant improvement regarding pain, quality of life, depression, and results of physical tests at the end of treatment. After three months, the improvement in physical tests was still present. Among adult patients treated in Norway, improvement in physical tests was statistically significant after three months, but not at the end of the treatment period.


CONCLUSIONS
This study did not show a statistically significant difference between patients with various neuromuscular diseases treated in a warm climate compared to similar patients treated in Norway.
Dahl
Arve
A
Seksjon for behandlingsreiser, Revmatologisk avdeling, og Nevrologisk avdeling, Rikshospitalet, Oslo. arve.dahl@rikshospitalet.no
Skjeldal
Ola H
OH
Simensen
Andreas
A
Dalen
Håkon E
HE
Bråthen
Tone
T
Ahlvin
Petra
P
Svendsby
Ellen Kathrine
EK
Sveinall
Anne
A
Fredriksen
Per Morten
PM
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002980:Climate; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D015417:Hereditary Sensory and Motor Neuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D020271:Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D020966:Muscular Disorders, Atrophic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D009664:Norway; D011788:Quality of Life; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D016896:Treatment Outcome