Many people suffer from arthritis in their hands, causing pain and stiffness. A common way they try to ease this pain is by getting steroid or hyaluronic acid shots right into their finger joints.
But, a recent study has found something surprising: these shots, often recommended, might not actually help.
The study compared joint injections for hand arthritis with placebo injections (which are like fake treatments). The results showed no real difference between the two.
This raises questions about current treatment advice for hand arthritis, which also often suggests using creams or gels for pain relief.
However, the effectiveness of these creams is also uncertain, according to Dr. Anna Døssing, who works in rheumatology in Copenhagen, Denmark.
So, what does help with hand arthritis pain? Dr. Døssing points out that taking certain pills can be effective. These include anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and glucocorticoids (a type of steroid pill).
The study, which Dr. Døssing was part of, showed that these pills helped reduce pain, improve hand function and grip strength, and even improve overall health, both physically and mentally.
The study involved reviewing 65 previous studies that included about 5,250 people with hand arthritis. It looked at 29 different treatments.
Besides finding injections not very helpful, the study also noted that hydroxychloroquine, a medication for arthritis that affects the immune system, wasn’t effective for hand arthritis. Also, it couldn’t clearly tell if topical creams and gels for pain actually worked.
These findings were published on September 28 in the journal RMD Open.
Dr. Daniel Polatsch, a hand specialist in New York, commented on these results. He was surprised to learn that glucocorticoid injections, a common treatment for arthritis in the thumb base, might not be effective.
This goes against what many hand surgeons, including himself, believed and practiced.
Dr. Polatsch suggests that treatment for hand arthritis should be tailored to each person. He recommends starting with treatments that have the lowest risk, like short-term use of oral NSAIDs or glucocorticoids.
However, he warns that using these medications for a long time can have side effects.
Long-term use of NSAIDs can lead to bleeding ulcers, and prolonged use of steroids can cause issues like high blood pressure, weight gain, thin skin, and infections.
Dr. Polatsch advises talking with your doctor about different treatment options to make a plan together. If symptoms continue, he suggests seeing a hand surgery specialist.
These specialists can offer a wide range of solutions, including medication, hand therapy, splinting, injections, and, as a last option, surgery.
If you care about arthritis, please read studies about extra virgin olive oil for arthritis, and pomegranate: A natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
For more information about arthritis, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing medical cannabis may help reduce arthritis pain, back pain.
The research findings can be found in RMD Open.
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