On May 16, 2019, Helene Alexanderson joined us for a live education session that covered safety and effects of exercise in recent onset and established adult and juvenile IIM. Dr. Alexanderson explained some mechanisms for muscle weakness and discussed anti-inflammatory effects of exercise as well as health-enhancing physical activity. In addition, this session also discussed how to get started with exercise, how to progress and stick to the exercise. Below is the recording for you to learn from along with resources for a PM/DM exercise program and a separate one for IBM patients.
About Helene Alexanderson
Helene Alexanderson is associate professor, PhD, physical therapist at the Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm Sweden. Helene has 20 years of clinical experience in adult myositis and her research focus is clinical and molecular effects of exercise, development of clinical outcome measures and outcome in adult myositis. Helene is a member of the Myositis Association advisory board and co-chair of the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Study group (IMACS) Exercise and Rehabilitation special interest group as well as the OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatic Diseases (OMERACT) myositis special interest group.
I have biopsy and MRI diagnosed DM and have been following Helene’s program since the very beginning in early 2016. I think it has been a life saver. Having never stopped, even when I could only lift one can of soup per arm, I now lift weights on regular basis and I feel strong and have good stamina. I can’t recommend her program and progression with enough encouragement.