Exercise and hand osteoarthritis symptomatology: a controlled crossover trial.

STUDY DESIGN Randomized Clinical Trial. INTRODUCTION Hand exercises have been recommended as treatment for hand osteoarthritis (OA) but research evidence is sparse. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To investigate effects of daily 16-week home-based hand exercise among persons with hand OA. METHODS Forty-six older adults completed a crossover trial with washout between exercise and sham treatments. The AUSCAN physical function sub-scale served as the primary outcome measure. Other outcomes included pain and stiffness sub-scales, dexterity, and grip & pinch strengths. RESULTS Changes in AUSCAN sub-scales did not differ between exercise and sham treatments. No changes in dexterity were seen. Grip and pinch measures modestly improved after exercise but not sham. CONCLUSIONS It is possible that our exercise protocol may have been too ambitious for this age group. Future research will further the understanding of the role of hand exercise in hand OA symptomatology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2b.