Consultation and exercises improve grip strength in hand osteoarthritis – new study
When it comes to hand osteoarthritis, support and information is scarce, but now a new study has found that a single session of tailored information and exercises can improve grip strength and patient satisfaction.
A research group set out to evaluate the effect of a combined interdisciplinary intervention compared to routine care plus placebo in 151 people with hand osteoarthritis, and reported their findings in Arthritis Research and Therapy.
A total of 74 people were in the combined-intervention group in which rheumatology-trained health professionals from different disciplines delivered a one-session individual intervention with detailed information on functioning, activities of daily living, physical activity, nutrition, assistive devices, instructions on pain management and exercises. Meanwhile, 77 people were given routine care plus placebo.
Telephone follow up was performed after four weeks and after eight weeks, grip strength was tested.
Grip strength increased in the combined-intervention group and decreased in the routine-care group. Self-reported satisfaction with treatment also increased in the treatment group.
“The combined one-session individual intervention significantly improved grip strength and self-reported satisfaction with treatment in patients with hand osteoarthritis,” the group says. “It can be delivered by different rheumatology-trained health professionals and is thus also feasible in primary care.”
Click here to read the original findings.
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