Efficacy of Paraffin Bath Therapy in Hand Osteoarthritis: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Improved Hand Function, Self‐Rated Health, and Decreased Activity Limitations: Results After a Two‐Month Hand Osteoarthritis Group Intervention

“…Previous studies show that both education and exercise are important in the treatment of hand OA and that combining education with hand exercise leads to greater improvements in hand function and activity limitation after 3 months, compared to education only . However, there is evidence that exercise alone provides enhanced hand function , and that paraffin wax bath has an effect on hand function , as well as splinting in addition to exercises and education . To our knowledge, no similar studies of hand OA have shown sustained improvement in both hand function, activity limitation, and in self‐rated health for as long as a year.…”

“…The intervention focused on improving hand function, handling strategies, and activity performance . To improve hand function, the exercise part of the intervention was designed according to recommendations and began with a warm‐up using paraffin wax bath, which has proven effective for hand function over time . Though it is recommended to provide individually tailored hand exercise programs , no studies have shown individual programs to be superior to standardized programs in hand OA .…”

“…Splints were individually adapted if necessary. Each session started with a paraffin wax bath for 20 minutes . The participants lowered their hands in the paraffin wax bath (50°C) 4 times, and the hands were thereafter put into a cover to keep the warmth.…”

“…Education in combination with a home exercise regimen improves grip force, pain, fatigue, and activity performance compared to education only . The European League Against Rheumatism recommends local application of heat, such as paraffin wax bath, for the treatment of hand OA as a short‐term treatment option to reduce pain and tenderness and to maintain muscle strength .…”

Hand Osteoarthritis: An Update on Therapy

“…As well, range of motion was enhanced in one hand, and muscle strength was better maintained as compared to the control group. 22 Since leech therapy is known to be useful for knee OA, its effectiveness in TM OA was investigated in an RCT, which compared the results of a single treatment with two or three locally applied leeches with that of a 30-day course of topical diclofenac, twice a day, in two different groups. Leech therapy was superior in enhancing pain relief, and a single course was shown to be effective in relieving pain and improving disability and quality of life for a minimum of two months.…”