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
Putting Occupation in Hand Therapy
It was early in my career, maybe a year out of school. I was working with a veteran physical therapist that had been practicing for thirty plus years. She was somewhat intimidating and one of those old school physical therapists that thrived on being aggressive. We were chatting about what areas of occupational hand therapy…
Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries Impact on Hand Function
By: Hannah Schleining Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries Impact on Hand Function The cervical region controls many of the muscles responsible for upper extremity movement,therefore, injuries at this level can dramatically influence strength, coordination, andindependence in everyday function. Understanding how cervical spinal cord injuries affect upperextremity function is essential for clinicians, caregivers, and individuals navigating recovery.…
Pediatric & Adolescent Shoulder Instability
Lin, K.M, James, E.W., Spitze, E. & Fabricant, P.D. (2018). Pediatric and adolescent anterior shoulder instability: Clinical management of first-time dislocators. Current opinion in pediatrics, 30, 49-56. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0000000000000566. The Skinny: Shoulder instability for pediatric and adolescent patients is fairly common and is often complicated by a high re-dislocation rate. Shoulder instability typically occurs after…
Orthotic Options for Hand Burns
By: Sophia Grimm Hand burns can be very challenging to treat, and successful rehabilitation begins early after acute injury. Following a burn injury, scar contractures are the primary reason for the deformity of the hand. Therefore, proper orthotic intervention is key to preventing joint and ligament contractures (Kelly, Berenz & Williams, 2019). Splinting goals following…
Sign-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.