Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)RANCT07487779
Efficacy of Structured Progressive Training Exercise on Muscle Strength of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
A study testing Progressive Resistance Training in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), run by Kufa University.
Trial summary
This study aims to find out if a specific exercise program helps patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes pain, weakness, and reduced function in the joints and muscles. While medication is common, exercise is also important for management. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- What is being tested?
- Progressive Resistance Training
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 118 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2026to 1 Jul 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis according to American College of Rheumatology criteria
- Age 18-65 years
- Both genders eligible
- Disease duration of at least 6 months
- Stable medication regimen for at least 3 months before study
- Mild to moderate disease activity
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- Able to walk independently with or without assistive devices
- Willing and able to provide informed consent
- Agree to participate in the exercise program for 6 weeks
- Attending AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital for RA management
Who cannot join
- Severe cardiovascular disease (unstable angina, recent MI, severe heart failure)
- Other inflammatory arthritis (psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus)-
- Recent joint surgery or fracture within the past 6 months
- Severe osteoporosis with fracture risk
- Pregnancy
- Severe cognitive impairment preventing participation
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- Uncontrolled hypertension (BP >180/110 mmHg)
- Active infection or fever at baseline
- Severe joint damage preventing exercise participation
- Participation in another exercise program during the study period
- Neuromuscular disorders affecting muscle function
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
This study aims to find out if a specific exercise program helps patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes pain, weakness, and reduced function in the joints and muscles. While medication is common, exercise is also important for management.
The study will test a program called "Progressive Resistance Training." About 118 adult patients with RA at AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital will participate. They will be divided into two groups. One group will perform specific resistance exercises for six weeks, while the other group will continue their usual care without this specific training.
The researchers will measure muscle strength, cardiovascular function, and energy levels before and after the six-week program. The goal is to determine if this exercise improves muscle strength and helps patients perform daily activities more efficiently. The study hopes to show that resistance training is a safe and effective way to improve quality of life for people with RA.
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Being tested
- Progressive Resistance Training
- Medical subject headings
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Progressive Resistance TrainingOther
Progressive Resistance Training (PRT) program for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The intervention consists of supervised resistance exercises targeting major muscle groups of upper and lower extremities.
Program Details:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Frequency: 3 sessions per week
- Session duration: 45-60 minutes
- Setting: AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital
Exercise Components:
- Warm-up exercises (10 minutes)
- Resistance training using resistance bands, light weights, and body weight exercises (30-40 minutes)
- Cool-down and stretching (10 minutes)
Progression Method:
- Intensity starts at 40-50% of maximum capacity
- Gradually increases to 60-70% over 6 weeks
- Repetitions: 8-12 per set
- Sets: 2-3 sets per exercise
- Exercises adjusted based on individual tolerance and disease activity
Supervision: Trained physical therapist/nurse supervision with regular monitoring of pain levels, fatigue, and joint swelling.
The program is designed specifically for RA patients with mild to moderate
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Resistance Training Group | Active comparator | Participants in this group will receive a supervised Progressive Resistance Training (PRT) program for 6 weeks. The intervention includes:
* Resistance exercises 3 times per week
* Sessions lasting 45-60 minutes each
* Exercises targeting major muscle groups of upper and lower extremities
* Use of resistance bands, light weights, and body weight exercises
* Progressive intensity starting at 40-50% and increasing to 60-70% of maximum capacity
* 8-12 repetitions per set, 2-3 sets per exercise
* Supervised by trained physical therapist at AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital
* Regular monitoring of pain, fatigue, and disease activity
The program is designed to improve muscle strength in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis while maintaining safety and avoiding disease exacerbation. Receives: Other: Progressive Resistance Training |
| Control Group - Standard Care | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Muscle Strength from Baseline to 6 Weeks
Muscle strength will be measured using manual muscle testing or dynamometer for upper and lower extremities
Measured: Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Mar 2026
- Study start1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 118 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Kufa University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mohammed Hakim Shamran Al-Hchaim, Kufa University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07487779
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Kufa-2026-01
- Acronym
- RA
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 17 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 1 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy of Structured Progressive Training Exercise on Muscle Strength of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07487779
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RA / Kufa-2026-01
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 118 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Kufa UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 23 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to find out if a specific exercise program helps patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes pain, weakness, and reduced function in the joints and muscles. While medication is common, exercise is also important for management.
The study will test a program called "Progressive Resistance Training." About 118 adult patients with RA at AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital will participate. They will be divided into two groups. One group will perform specific resistance exercises for six weeks, while the other group will continue their usual care without this specific training.
The researchers will measure muscle strength, cardiovascular function, and energy levels before and after the six-week program. The goal is to determine if this exercise improves muscle strength and helps patients perform daily activities more efficiently. The study hopes to show that resistance training is a safe and effective way to improve quality of life for people with RA.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Resistance Training Group | Active comparator | Other: Progressive Resistance TrainingParticipants in this group will receive a supervised Progressive Resistance Training (PRT) program for 6 weeks. The intervention includes: * Resistance exercises 3 times per week * Sessions lasting 45-60 minutes each * Exercises targeting major muscle groups of upper and lower extremities * Use of resistance bands, light weights, and body weight exercises * Progressive intensity starting at 40-50% and increasing to 60-70% of maximum capacity * 8-12 repetitions per set, 2-3 sets per exercise * Supervised by trained physical therapist at AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital * Regular monitoring of pain, fatigue, and disease activity The program is designed to improve muscle strength in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis while maintaining safety and avoiding disease exacerbation. |
| Control Group - Standard Care | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis according to American College of Rheumatology criteria
- Age 18-65 years
- Both genders eligible
- Disease duration of at least 6 months
- Stable medication regimen for at least 3 months before study
Key exclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Severe cardiovascular disease (unstable angina, recent MI, severe heart failure)
- Other inflammatory arthritis (psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus)-
- Recent joint surgery or fracture within the past 6 months
- Severe osteoporosis with fracture risk
- Pregnancy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Resistance TrainingProgressive Resistance Training (PRT) program for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The intervention consists of supervised resistance exercises targeting major muscle groups of upper and lower extremities. Program Details: * Duration: 6 weeks * Frequency: 3 sessions per week * Session duration: 45-60 minutes * Setting: AL-Najaf Teaching Hospital Exercise Components: * Warm-up exercises (10 minutes) * Resistance training using resistance bands, light weights, and body weight exercises (30-40 minutes) * Cool-down and stretching (10 minutes) Progression Method: * Intensity starts at 40-50% of maximum capacity * Gradually increases to 60-70% over 6 weeks * Repetitions: 8-12 per set * Sets: 2-3 sets per exercise * Exercises adjusted based on individual tolerance and disease activity Supervision: Trained physical therapist/nurse supervision with regular monitoring of pain levels, fatigue, and joint swelling. The program is designed specifically for RA patients with mild to moderate | Other | Progressive Resistance Training Group |
Primary outcome
Change in Muscle Strength from Baseline to 6 Weeks
Time frame: Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention
Muscle strength will be measured using manual muscle testing or dynamometer for upper and lower extremities
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Progressive Resistance Training in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), run by Kufa University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mohammed Hakim Shamran (+9647809417841, muhammedh.alhjem@uokufa.edu.iq), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Muscle Strength from Baseline to 6 Weeks (time frame: Baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Apr 2026.