A Comparison of the ROM Dance Home Exercise/Rest Program with Traditional Routines

Abstract

This study compared adults with rheumatoid arthritis who participated in the experimental ROM Dance Program and adults on traditional home exercise/rest regimes. The ROM Dance Program incorporates principles based on the intrinsic value of meaningful occupation with principles from an ancient Chinese exercise form. Self-reports, body image data, and joint range measures were analyzed prior to the experiment, immediately following ROM Dance participation, and again four months later.

At four-months follow-up, program participants perceived the ROM Dance as more beneficial, more enjoyable, and performed with greater frequency than did control group members of their traditional exercise regimen. This suggests that a major advantage of the ROM Dance Program is motivational. Control group members described their arms and hands in a more positive way than did ROM Dance participants. This suggests that the program's emphasis on body awareness may result in a more realistic but less positive body image. No meaningful differences were observed for range of motion measures.

Keywords

efficacy study rheumatoid arthritis adults body image

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