title: [Treatment of patients with neuromuscular disease in a warm climate].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Seksjon for behandlingsreiser, Revmatologisk avdeling, og Nevrologisk avdeling, Rikshospitalet, Oslo. arve.dahl@rikshospitalet.no
authors.forename: Arve
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Ola H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Skjeldal
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simensen
authors.forename: Håkon E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Dalen
authors.forename: Tone
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bråthen
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahlvin
authors.forename: Ellen Kathrine
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Svendsby
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sveinall
authors.forename: Per Morten
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fredriksen
mesh_terms: 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