A new study has discovered that regular weight-training routine may help treat rheumatoid arthritis.

The research, which comprised 28 sufferers, discovered that those who pumped iron showed improvements in basic physical function like walking.

Boffins at Bangor and Gwynedd Hospital stated that such high intensity exercising could play a vital role beside drug cure.

However, the specialists stated the exercise routine would not be apt for all sufferers.

Rheumatoid arthritis is mainly an illness that affects the joints, but a less well known symptom is that it also severely lessens muscle mass and strength and this happens even among sufferers whose illness is well managed.

Those with the condition are often given mild home workouts to do to stop their joints stiffening and becoming terrible.

The researchers split the 28 participants into two groups to test how effectual the weight training was.

One group did regular weight training for 24 weeks, while the others did the less strenuous standard home exercise regimes.

They found physical function improved by 20% to 30% in the group doing weight training.

Strength also grew by nearly 120%.

The high intensity training was found to increase the levels of an insulin-like growth factor (1GF-1) and insulin-like growth binding protein 3 - both of which promote the growth of muscles, bone and cartilage.

Study leader Dr. Andrew Lemmey said that muscle loss was a major contribution to the impairment related with the condition.

The research was published in the Arthritis Care and Research journal. (With Inputs from Agencies)