Paraffin wax hand bath and exercises reduce symptoms of hand arthritis

Hand osteoarthritis symptoms can improve for sustained periods of time with a programme of exercises, education and paraffin wax hand baths, a team reports in Arthritis Care & Research.

Hand osteoarthritis can be distressing as it causes pain and reduces grip force, which limits activities. Although it affects millions of people, public awareness about what action to take is lacking.

A total of 49 people with hand osteoarthritis were given a paraffin wax hand bath, hand exercises and education for six weeks. Data was collected at the start and end of the study and after one year in the form of testing grip strength and functionality and questionnaires about pain and quality of life.

The data showed that after the six-week programme people had less pain, greater functionality and a better quality of life. And many benefits were still evident after one year.

“The hand osteoarthritis group intervention in primary care improves hand function, activity limitation and self-rated health,” the authors explain. “The benefits are sustained one year after completion of the intervention.”

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