Land‐Based Functional Rehabilitation Versus Aquatic Therapy on the Quality of Life of Individuals With Chronic Chikungunya: A Randomized Clinical Trial

ABSTRACT Background and Purpose Chikungunya may progress to a chronic phase marked by persistent pain and functional impairment, reducing the quality of life. Exercise‐based rehabilitation is essential, though comparisons between different modalities remain scarce. Exercises in an aquatic environment can be designed as a task‐oriented intervention that utilizes hydrodynamic properties to modulate sensorimotor reweighting and enhance movement confidence. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two functional rehabilitation programs—one land‐based and one aquatic—on the quality of life of individuals in the chronic phase of chikungunya. Methods A randomized clinical trial was conducted in Santa Cruz, RN, Brazil, with 53 participants of both sexes aged 18–75 years. Data were collected using a sociodemographic and health questionnaire developed for this study and 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36). Participants were randomly allocated to a land‐based Functional Rehabilitation Group (FRG) or an Aquatic Therapy Group (ATG) and underwent functional exercise interventions twice weekly for 6 weeks. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed model analyses were performed, considering Group (FRG vs. ATG) as a between‐subjects fixed effect, Time (pre‐vs. post‐intervention) as a within‐subjects fixed effect, and the Group × Time interaction, adopting a compound symmetry covariance structure. The effect size was estimated using partial η 2 . Results The analysis revealed significant time effects across SF‐36 domains, indicating overall improvement between pre‐ and post‐intervention assessments. A significant Group × Time interaction was observed for the social aspects' domain, with greater benefits in the FRG. Discussion Both rehabilitation programs, land‐based and aquatic, significantly improved the quality of life of individuals in the chronic phase of chikungunya, with the land‐based program showing superior results in social aspects.