Nihan Cuzdan Coskun and Ilke Coskun Benlidayi
Hand Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disorder, particularly among female population aged 55 and above. It presents with pain and bony enlargements of the finger joints. Management of hand OA is based particularly on the non-pharmacological methods. These include joint protection education, use of splints intrapeziometacarpal joint OA and thermal agents for relief of pain and stiffness. In this article, a literature review was performed on the nonpharmacological management of hand OA, as a means of updating the current knowledge and revealing the level of evidence regarding the non-pharmacological modalities used for hand OA. Meta-analysis, systematic reviews, reviews and randomized controlled trials were included, whereas single case reports and non-randomized studies were excluded. In non-pharmacological management of hand OA, current evidence supports the beneficial effects of joint protection education, exercise treatment, splinting and heat application, whilst evidence on electrotherapy, aquatherapy, balneotherapy remains low. Magnetotherapy, yoga and acupuncture still require further well-designed studies with high methodological quality.
