PHYSIOTHERAPY APPROACH IN THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF RARE DISEASES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Rare diseases are conditions of low prevalence, that is, they affect up to 65 out of every 100,000 individuals. Many rare diseases are incurable, with repercussions on various body systems, affecting quality of life and functionality due to characteristics such as chronicity, progression and often the lack of specific medications. Rehabilitation is a way to mitigate the symptoms and progression of the disease. Thus, the aim of the study is to analyze the available evidence on the physiotherapeutic approach in the evaluation and treatment of rare diseases, and its impact on the quality of life and functionality of people with rare diseases. This is an integrative review carried out with articles published between the years 2014 -2024 through the electronic databases PEDro, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane and PubMed. Repeated articles that did not use physiotherapy as a therapeutic approach and that were not indexed in free platforms were excluded, totaling an analysis of 14 articles with a sample of 452 individuals, with 20 different pathologies. Six studies addressed quality of life and five assessed muscle strength. Other outcomes observed were depression, aerobic capacity, and body composition. Ten studies analyzed used motor physiotherapy as an approach. Despite the characteristics of rare diseases, physiotherapy, regardless of the modality practiced, is a great ally in the treatment of these individuals. Since it promotes positive effects on your functional capacity and consequently on all aspects of quality of life.