[Emotional-volitional training in the combined treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

The development of placebo effect was found to be related to the psychological status and neurophysiological features of the body. This made it possible to elaborate the disadaptation hypothesis of the disease development and a total systems approach to its treatment, characterized by the necessity of conducting both conventional (aimed at suppression of the autoimmune process and inflammation) and activation therapy. The method of emotional volitional training (EVT) designed by the authors is advanced as one of the components of the activation therapy lying in the use of music therapy, auto- and heteropsychic actions together with application of an optimal variety of group physical training. Application of the EVT to the treatment of 86 patients with rheumatoid arthritis enabled the drug dosage to be reduced by as many as 50%, to improve the patients' mental status and to enhance work fitness, promoting the decrease of the hospital treatment by 4-5 days and prolongation of the remission from 6 months to 1.5 years.