Conservative Therapy for OA in the Fingers: A Literature Review

osteoarthritis in fingers

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.

Leave a Comment





More To Read

Management of a TFCC Injury in Hand Therapy

June 27, 2020

By: Taylor Volentine The wrist is composed of very complex joints that assists with movement in individuals of all ages and abilities. For instance, an active individual who participates in sports such as tennis, football, or gymnastics may increase the probability for wrist complications and injury (Morrison, 2019). Individuals with repetitive trauma from work or…

Read More

Taking Alpha-Lipoic Acid for 40 days after Carpal Tunnel Surgery can decrease the likelihood of developing Pillar Pain.

August 4, 2019

Filippo, B., Granchi, D., Roatti, G., Merlini, L., Sabattini, T., & Baldini, N. (2017). Alpha-lipoic acid after median nerve decompression at the carpal tunnel: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 4, 236–42. The Skinny – A double-blind, randomized controlled study was performed. Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned into two groups after median…

Read More

Hand Therapy: Conservative Management of Pediatric Monteggia Fractures

May 31, 2020

Conservative Management of Pediatric Monteggia Fractures Monteggia fractures in children comprise approximately 2% of pediatric elbow fractures and involve a fracture of the proximal ulna with dislocation of the radial head (Fig. 1). The primary concern of Monteggia fractures includes the treatment (monteggia fracture treatment pediatric) and relocation of the radial head, because if left…

Read More
Envelope_1

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.