Therapy for the Rheumatoid Hand

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of the hand results in the progressive, inflammatory destruction of multiple tissue types resulting in significant functional deficit. Occupational therapy for the hand often plays a synergistic role in the improvement of health-related quality of life outcomes when employed alongside biological, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and surgical regimens. Furthermore, postoperative therapeutic rehabilitation protocols in patients with RA have been shown to optimize surgical outcomes. While significant clinical data exist to support the role of occupational therapy in RA, further investigation is warranted to compare treatment protocols to further improve functional outcomes for the rheumatoid hand.