Conservative Therapy for OA in the Fingers: A Literature Review
Filed under Treatments

Beasley, J., Ward, L., Knipper-Fisher, K., Hughes, K., Lunsford, D., & Leiras, C. (2018). Conservative therapeutic interventions for osteoarthritic finger joints: A systematic review. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32. 153-164.
The Skinny – The article reviews the evidence on the effectiveness of conservative treatment for those who experience osteoarthritis in fingers and in their finger joints (osteoarthritis treatment hands).
In the Weeds– Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Interventions reported in the literature review included active range of motion, gentle resistive exercises, joint protection strategies, electromagnetic therapy, paraffin wax, balneotherapy, as well as DIP orthoses.
The results from the review yielded that there is high quality evidence supporting the use of electromagnetic therapy combined with hand exercises to decrease pain and increase overall function. There is moderate to high evidence for the use and wear of a DIP orthosis to decrease pain in the finger joint. Finally, it was reported that there was moderate evidence to support resistive exercises to improve overall grip strength and decrease pain for individual experiencing osteoarthritis in their hands.
Bringing it home – The authors concluded there are a variety of conservative treatments that may be utilized for those experiencing pain and stiffness from hand osteoarthritis (oa hand). Interventions supported are electromagnetic therapy with thera-ex, use of a dip orthosis for painful joints and gentle resistive hand exercises. All should be performed within a pain free range.
Overall, the article is well written and easy to follow. It was difficult to analyze studies due to lack of homogeneity among the studies. The article provides evidence as to what conservative intervention are supported in the literature as well as insight into additional options for therapists.

More To Read
An evaluation of wrist and forearm range of motion during purposeful activities and exercises for distal radius fracture
An evaluation of wrist and forearm movement during purposeful activities and range of movement exercises after surgical repair of a distal radius fracture: A randomized crossover study Collis, J., Mayland, E., Wright-St Clair, V., Rashid, U., Kayes, N., & Signal, N. 2022. An evaluation of wrist and forearm movement during purposeful activities and range of…
Read MoreK-tape and Cerebral Palsy
Allah-Rastii, Z., Shamsoddini, A., Dalvand, H. and Labaf, S. (2017). The effect of kinesio taping on handgrip and active range of motion of hand in children with cerebral palsy. Iranian Journal of Child Neurology, 11(4), 43-51. The Skinny: Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive motor impairment caused by injury to the developing brain that can…
Read MoreGraded Motor Imagery in Hand Therapy
The 3 Stages of Graded Motor Imagery We’ve all heard of mirror box therapy, but do you know the details of how it works? There’s actually 3 stages involved that exercise the brain and take advantage of its plasticity. There is a great deal of evidence supporting these three stages and you can use them…
Read MoreTop 6 treatments for Pinky Fractures
Clients who have experienced a fracture of the finger or hand often find it difficult to participate in meaningful occupations. Everyday tasks from grasping items, cutting food, taking lids off containers, turning keys, and many others can be very painful. Pinky fracture is particularly challenging and painful. This is typical because the largest contributor to…
Read MoreSign-up to Get Updates Straight to Your Inbox!
Sign up with us and we will send you regular blog posts on everything hand therapy, notices every time we upload new videos and tutorials, along with handout, protocols, and other useful information.