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Published on: May 12, 2023
Short-term efficacy of paraffin therapy and home-based exercise programs in the treatment of symptomatic hand
Meliha Kasapoğlu Aksoy1, Lale Altan2
1Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
Objectives:
This study aims to investigate the effects of a home-based exercise program in combination with paraffin therapy on pain, functional status, grip strength, and quality of life (QoL) and to compare the outcomes of these two treatment modalities.
Patients And Methods:
This prospective, single-blind, randomized-controlled study included a total of 61 patients (8 males, 53 females, mean age 59.22 years; range, 35 to 78 years) who were diagnosed with hand osteoarthritis (HOA) according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria between November 2016 and February 2017. The first group (group 1) (n=31) received paraffin therapy + home-based exercise program and the second group (group 2) (n=30) received home-based exercise program alone. All patients were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Australian/Canadian (AUSCAN) Osteoarthritis Hand Index, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Hand Grip Strength (HGS), and Finger Pinch Strength (FPS) at baseline and at two and six weeks after the intervention.
Results:
In group 1, there were statistically significant improvements in all parameters at two and six weeks (p<0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed in the HGS and AUSCAN Osteoarthritis Hand Index scores in group 2 at two and six weeks (p<0.05). Inter-group analysis showed statistically significant differences in favor of group 1 in the VAS, HAQ, AUSCAN Osteoarthritis Hand Index, HGS, and FPS scores at two and six weeks compared to baseline scores (p<0.05).
Conclusion:
Paraffin therapy combined with home-based exercise program in patients with symptomatic HOA provides effective pain control and is effective in improving functional status, HGS, FPS, and QoL in short term.
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Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
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An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
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