Rheumatoid arthritis is a very common and debilitating condition for which there are no ideal treatment options. For those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a recent study published in the Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine (Silva et al, 2008), studied the effectiveness of night-time hand positioning splints in rheumatoid arthritis patients."OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a night-time hand positioning splint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
RESULTS: The groups were homogenous for all parameters at baseline. Pain, Health Assessment Questionnaire score, DASH score, grip strength and pinch strength were significantly different between groups over time and satisfaction with the splint was reported as "better" and "much better" by most participants.
CONCLUSION:
"The use of a night-time hand positioning splint reduces pain, improves grip and pinch strength, upper limb function and functional status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis."
Reference:
Silva AC, Jones A, Silva PG, Natour J. Effectiveness of a night-time hand positioning splint in rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial. J Rehabil Med. 2008 Oct;40(9):749-54.
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1 comment:
Hello Dr. Morrow,
How are splints applied, exactly? Are they rigid splints? I'm trying to visualize it as rigid splints applied onto individual fingers. I'd like to see how it's done if there's a video or a picture.
Tasha
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