In 2002, a study was published in the highly respected medical journal, Pain, on this issue. The researchers evaluated 53 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. They all received the standard medical treatment; half of them additionally received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Six months afterwards, the CBT group showed improvements in mood while the other group showed worsening depressive symptoms. The CBT group also showed a decrease in C-reactive protein, a general measure of inflammation in the body. The CBT group scored significantly better than the other group in terms of joint involvement. This suggests that CBT can improve both psychological and physical functioning in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
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