Inpatient Rehabilitation Improves Physical and Mental Health in Multiple Myeloma: A Prospective Cohort Study

TL;DR

A three-week inpatient rehabilitation program significantly improves physical and mental health in multiple myeloma patients, with benefits lasting three months.

Contribution

Demonstrates that structured inpatient rehabilitation provides sustained physical and psychological benefits for multiple myeloma patients.

Findings

Rehabilitation improved physical performance, muscle strength, fatigue, depression, and quality of life in MM patients.

Three months post-rehabilitation, 80% of patients remained physically active and reported higher subjective fitness.

Non-rehabilitation patients showed no meaningful improvements in any assessed parameters.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of a standard 3-week inpatient rehabilitation program on physical and mental health outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Sixty patients undergoing standard rehabilitation were assessed at baseline (T0), after rehabilitation (T1), and 3 months later (T2) and compared with six patients declining rehabilitation. Rehabilitation resulted in significant improvements in physical performance, muscle strength, fatigue, depression, and health-related quality of life. At T2, most patients remained physically active and reported higher subjective physical fitness than at baseline. In contrast, patients who did not undergo rehabilitation showed no meaningful improvements. These findings indicate that structured rehabilitation may provide sustained physical and psychological benefits for patients with MM. Continued post-discharge support should help to maintain these benefits.

Introduction: This study evaluated the impact of standard inpatient rehabilitation on physical and mental health outcomes in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Since prior data showed that physical activity (PA) is beneficial for patients with MM, this study assessed (1) the onset and (2) durability of these benefits with and without rehabilitation. Methods: Sixty patients with MM, undergoing a three-week rehabilitation program in the rehabilitation clinic of the University of Freiburg between April 2022 and September 2023, were assessed at three time points: baseline (T0), post-rehabilitation (T1), and 3-months post-rehabilitation (T2). Six patients, declining rehabilitation, were also examined. Tests included the timed-up-and-go-test (TUGT), handgrip strength, laboratory parameters, subjective fitness-rating, validated questionnaires for PA, fatigue, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL: SF-12, R-MCI). Results: Patients showed meaningful improvements in physical function, TUGT, and grip strength from T0 to T1. Fatigue, depression, and HRQoL improved considerably. After their return home (T2), 80% of patients remained physically active. Patients reported substantially higher subjective physical fitness at T2 compared to T0, improving to 5.0 from 3.1 on a 10-point scale, respectively. Non-rehabilitation-undergoing patients were fitter at baseline but did not improve in any tests/questionnaires at T1. Conclusions: Structured three-week rehabilitation led to a substantial improvement in both the physical and psychological well-being of patients with MM, despite their compromised bone health. These effects persisted 3-months after patients’ dismission home. The non-rehabilitation group showed no comparable improvement, underscoring the potential benefit of structured rehabilitation in enhancing HRQoL, fatigue, and depression. Continued post-rehabilitation support is pertinent to sustain these benefits.

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