The internet is a poor source of information for rheumatoid arthritis patients. Quality information is scarce and finding it is time-consuming. Guidelines are needed to regulate information that is published on the internet and define who is eligible to publish it. Until then the internet should not be recommended as a single source of patient information unless professionally endorsed websites are recommended.
The management of the hand in the patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a challenge to all therapists and evidence for optimum management historically scarce. Given that it is estimated that hands and wrists are affected in 80-90% of RA patients (Maini and Feldmann, 1998), it is apparent that this is an important area for both the patient and practitioner. While acknowledging the importance of hand function to the patient with RA (Jones et al., 1991), it should also be admitted that there is little research evidence relating to the conservative management of hand function in this patient population. This paper reviews the research that has been carried out in this area and explores possible areas for further research.
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