Raynaud's phenomenon and its impact on activities in daily life during one year of follow-up in early systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and its impact on daily life activities during 1 year of follow-up in early systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHOD: Fourteen SSc patients with a median disease duration of 2 years were enrolled in the study. Every 7 weeks the patients completed a 7 day diary documenting the frequency and duration of RP attacks, the activity causing the attack, and how they handled the attack. The patients also recorded in the diary daily self-assessments of the difficulties with RP, using a 0-10 ordinal scale according to the Raynaud's Condition Score. RESULTS: Ninety-eight RP weekly diaries were analysed. The median number of RP attacks varied between six and nine per week, and the median score reflecting the difficulty associated with the attacks varied between 2.0 and 2.9. No difference was found in the number of attacks or the difficulties associated with them between winter, spring, and autumn. Fewer attacks and less difficulty were reported in August than in any of the other documented weeks (p < 0.05). In all diaries, all patients reported RP attacks associated with domestic activities. The use of heating devices varied during the follow-up. In February, all patients except one used such devices, while about half of the group used devices during the rest of the year. CONCLUSIONS: Difficulties resulting from RP are present and disabling all year round, which underscore the importance of intense vasoactive therapy and non-pharmacological strategies throughout the year.

Exercise using the Wii Fit plus with a child with primary Raynaud's disease and obesity: a case report.

The purpose of this case report was to describe the use of the Nintendo® Wii Fit Plus as an alternative exercise for an 11-year-old child with primary Raynaud's disease (PRD) and obesity who was not involved in organized sports and had limited outdoor physical activity and exercise. The Wii Fit Plus exercise parameters are described as well as outcomes measured at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. Specifically, we evaluated changes in body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness, and health related quality of life (HRQL). Following the 24-week exercise program, the child's BMI decreased, cardiorespiratory fitness increased, and HRQL increased and were comparable to values in healthy children. These findings suggest that the Wii Fit Plus may have been an effective exercise strategy for this child.

Abordaje electroterápico en la enfermedad de Raynaud: a propósito de un caso / Electrotherapy approach to Raynaud & apos; s disease: a case report

Introducción: El síndrome de Raynaud primario consiste en un complejo sintomático secundario a vasospasmo vascular periférico en respuesta a un estímulo térmico frío y/o emocional, en las partes acras del cuerpo, cuya prevalencia en adultos varía entre el 3,7 y el 13%. Objetivos: Analizar la sintomatología y la topografía de la manifestación del síndrome de raynaud, así como conseguir una sudación normal mediante el protocolo de tratamiento diseñado. Resultados: Reducción significativa del sudor en un 66%, con disminución del número de crisis y aumento de los periodos intercríticos; se consiguió coloración normocrómica y desaparición de las fases de cambio cromático. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos termohigrométricos y colorimétricos nos inducen a considerar la modalidad electroterapéutica de iontoforesis con agua corriente como un procedimiento eficaz a largo plazo que permite conseguir una euhidrosis de la zona afecta, así como una mejora de los cambios vasculares relacionados con la enfermedad de Raynaud(AU)

Introduction: Primary Raynaud's syndrome consists in a symptomatic complex secondary to peripheral vasospasm in response to cold thermal stimulus and/or emotional stimulus in the distal parts of the body whose prevalence in adults varies from 3.7% to 13%. Objectives: To analyze the symptoms and topography of the manifestation of Raynaud's syndrome, as well as the achieving of normal sweating by the treatment protocol designed. Results: There is a significant reduction of perspiration, that is 66%, with a decrease in the number of episodes and increase of the periods between episodes, achieving normochromic coloring with the disappearance of the phases of chromatic change. Conclusions: The thermohygrometric and colorimetric findings lead us to consider iontophoresis electrotherapy with running water as a long-term effective procedure that makes it possible to achieve hidrosis of the affected area and improvement in the vascular changes associated to Raynaud's disease(AU)

Biofeedback as therapy in Raynaud's disease.

The following dimensions of Raynaud's disease are reviewed: (a) etiological factors, particularly those of a psychological nature, (b) proposed biological mechanisms of vasospastic episodes, (c) efficacy of pharmaceutical and surgical interventions, and (d) use of biofeedback as therapy. Emotional stress appears to be wholly sufficient to induce vasopastic episodes in victims. Some authors further hypothesize that suppressed anger may be involved in the phenomenon. Vehicles proposed to account for the symptoms include local vascular pathology, sympathetic discharge, and biochemical phenomena. Sympathectomy does not produce permanent remission and vasodilator medications tend to have undesirable side effects even when successful. Documented success with feedback techniques is sparse but encouraging. Published outcome studies are often confounded by the use of additional treatment modes such as relaxation training and hypnosis. The study of Raynaud's disease has enormous potential for the understanding of psychosomatic illness in a holistic fashion. Stresses induce immediate physiological responses, and corrective conditioning is easily implemented and monitored.