Musculoskeletal symptoms and assessment of the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic management in Hashimoto’s disease

Abstract

Introduction and objective Hashimoto’s disease, the most common cause of hypothyroidism, may present a variety of non-specific symptoms, including those related to the musculoskeletal system, such as pain in muscles, joints, stiffness or numbness. These symptoms significantly reduce the quality of life of patients and, therefore, require comprehensive treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the musculoskeletal symptoms in women with Hashimoto’s disease, as well as to assess the frequency of using the support of a physiotherapist by patients, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used Material and methods The research was carried out in a group of 123 women diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. The research tool was an author-constructed questionnaire consisting of 59 items concerning demographic data, information on Hashimoto’s disease, the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms, as well as questions about whether and how often they made use of the support of a physiotherapist. The obtained data were analyzed using the software Statistica 13 Results Almost all respondents experienced complaints on the part of the musculoskeletal system. The most common symptoms were joint and muscle pain, and muscle weakness. More than a half of the respondents used the support of a physiotherapist, and almost 80% declared such a need. Massage, soft tissue mobilization and cryotherapy were considered the most effective and helpful Conclusions Due to the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in patients with Hashimoto’s disease, there is a great need and willingness to use support of a physiotherapist. The study demonstrates a positive effect of physiotherapy on the reduction or complete resolution of musculoskeletal disorders, and confirms that physiotherapy can be an important element in treatment of the disease.

Keywords

• rehabilitation
• musculoskeletal system
• hashimoto disease