The role of physical therapy in the management of rare diseases: a systematic review.

The objective of this systematic review was to analyze the role of physiotherapy in the management of rare diseases. To this end, a literature search for clinical trials in Spanish and English was conducted across 8 databases. The PEDro scale, Van Tulder criteria, and the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool were used to analyze methodological quality and assess the risk of bias. A total of 13 articles were included, presenting moderate methodological quality. The included studies addressed 7 pathologies and showed positive results regarding functionality, quality of life, and respiratory function. There is moderate evidence that physiotherapy can provide clinical benefits for patients with rare diseases. Adapted therapeutic exercise was the most frequently used intervention, proving to be a safe and effective tool for improving various functional parameters in these populations.