Therapy gloves for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a review.

557474 research-article2014

TAB0010.1177/1759720X14557474Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal DiseaseS. H. Nasir et al.

Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease

Therapy gloves for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a review Siti Hana Nasir, Olga Troynikov and Nicola Massy-Westropp

Review

Ther Adv Musculoskel Dis 2014, Vol. 6(6) 226–237 DOI: 10.1177/ 1759720X14557474 © The Author(s), 2014. Reprints and permissions: http://www.sagepub.co.uk/ journalsPermissions.nav

Abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain, joint stiffness and swelling leading to impaired hand function and difficulty with daily activities. Wearing therapy gloves has been recommended by occupational therapists as one of the alternative treatment methods for rheumatoid arthritis. This study aims to review the available literature on the effects of wearing therapy gloves on patients’ hand function and symptoms as well as to discuss the attributes of gloves that might influence the glove performance. An electronic databases search of MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Occupational Therapy Systematic Evaluation of Evidence, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial was performed. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria, and covered seven clinical trials and one case study. Seven outcome measures were identified from the included studies and were then classified into two categories: hand function and hand symptoms. The hand symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling improve substantially when the therapy gloves are used. However, marginal or no improvement in hand function (with the exception of grip strength) linked to the use of therapy gloves is being reported. Further research is needed to quantify the effectiveness of therapy gloves, especially in improvement of hand function and in patients’ interest in wearing therapy gloves. Furthermore, future studies should include parameters which might influence therapy gloves’ performance, such as duration of trials, interface pressure generated by the gloves on the underlying skin and tissue, glove fit and construction, as well as thermophysiological comfort.

Keywords: gloves, hand functions, hand symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis, therapy

Introduction The hand is one of the most complex anatomical structures in the human body and is capable of performing very sophisticated functions. It has the ability to execute complex tasks involving various combinations of different skills and abilities involving grip, movement, Sensory feedback and motor coordination [Buhman et al. 2000; Dianat et al. 2012]. To produce a required motion, the joints in the hand and wrist work together. This gives the fine motion needed to perform daily activities such as tying a shoe lace or threading a needle. When the joints are in pain, activities of daily activities can be difficult. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 0.5–1% of the general population worldwide [Veronesi, 2003; Quan, 2011]. Pain, stiffness, swollen joints,

fatigue and later joint deformities are common symptoms. RA can affect any joint of a human body, however the small joints in the hands and feet tend to be most affected [Combe, 2007]. Patients with RA have physical impairments compared with a healthy person because their affected joints become painful, stiff and deformed. The symptoms of RA would diminish the patients’ capabilities to perform daily activities such as grooming, brushing teeth, opening a door, turning a key or holding a cup [Steultjens et al. 2002, 2004; Merritt, 2012]. However, the impacts of RA on each patient is variable. In some patients, symptoms of RA will appear and last for a few days and then withdraw, but in some cases the symptoms are active most of the time, last for many years and lead to serious joint damage and disability. Despite the improvement in medication for the treatment of RA, the disease has a major

Correspondence to: Siti Hana Nasir, BSc, MSc School of Fashion and Textiles, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia sitihana.nasir@rmit. edu.au Olga Troynikov, MSc, PhD School of Fashion and Textiles, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Nicola Massy-Westropp, B App Sc OT, Hons, CHT (USA), M Health, PhD School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

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SH Nasir, O Troynikov et al. impact on a patient’s ability to carry out their daily activities, work and leisure [Zan-Bar et al. 2004]. This disease has an impact on patient’s ability to work, with one-third of patients’ work capacity restricted within 1 year and within 3 years about 40% will be registered as work disabled [Jantti et al. 1999; Combe, 2007]. Interventions that are currently used by medical professionals to help reduce arthritic pain and maintain independent performance of activity of daily living (ADL) and actively participate in workforce include increasing grip strength, reducing pain, creating adaptive behaviours or learning to use adaptive equipment [Ye et al. 2011]. Generally, initial treatment is nonsurgical and could include anti-inflammatory medication and steroid injection, hand therapy and hand or wrist orthoses. If these do not relieve the pain and do not improve overall function, surgical intervention may be suggested [Merritt, 2012]. One treatment recommended by occupational therapist is wearing of a therapy glove/s [Corcoran et al. 2010]. Broadly there are different types of gloves available on the market with use for different purposes and would fall under a broad umbrella of ‘therapy gloves’. Some of them are designed to provide warmth (i.e. ‘thermal gloves’), some to provide extra support (glove splints), some to provide compression and some to provide both warmth and compression. A glove is defined as a garment covering a hand with separate sections for each finger and thumb. It is designed for people who suffer from various hand conditions and aims to relieve pain and improve hand function in arthritis, as well as to manage hypertrophic scarring after a severe burn, and lymphedema [Dewey et al. 2007]. The use of therapy gloves is widely practiced by occupational therapists as rehabilitative treatment for patients with RA [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; Kavuncu and Evcik, 2004; Weiß, 2013], where it is demonstrated that wearing therapy gloves has a positive impact on patients’ hand functioning [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971; Askari et al. 1974; Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992; Barbarioli, 2001]. However, to date, limited research exists that quantifies the effectiveness of these gloves. There is no considerable body of research that addresses glove performance attributes, as well as materials that substantially influence their performance. In addition, there are no

structured literature reviews investigating the effect of therapy gloves on patients’ hand function and hand symptoms. Considering the prevalence of hand RA and limited evidence on the effectiveness of therapy gloves as rehabilitative treatments, the aim of this paper is to review the available research on the effects of using therapy gloves in general and also on the possible improvement in grip strength, pinch strength, range of motion (ROM), dexterity, finger swelling, hand pain and joint stiffness as a result of wearing these gloves. Methods The term ‘therapy gloves’ in the present review is used most broadly and all types of gloves were considered that aim to deliver various rehabilitative treatments for patients: to control and manage hand pain, to maintain or restore the patient’s hand function, or to psychologically help to relax or calm the wearer. Data sources To locate published studies documenting gloves as a treatment for adults with RA, an extensive literature search, irrespective of the year of publication, was conducted using relevant electronic databases: MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Occupational Therapy Systematic Evaluation of Evidence, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial. In addition, a search was also conducted using Google Scholar. The literature search strategy combined the use of two primary key words: ‘arthritis’ and ‘glove’. These keywords were combined with other keywords such as ‘glove splint’, ‘orthosis’, ‘therapy’, ‘compression glove’, ‘pressure garment’ and ‘rehabilitation’ to also explore the related existing research. The literature search was performed over a 7-month period, from April 2013 to October 2013, when the databases were accessed multiple times due to difficulty in sourcing some of the relevant sources and for further references. Furthermore, references of relevant studies were examined for additional studies to be included in this review. Only papers written in English were included as our search was not designed to be comprehensive, but to provide a comprehensive overview of the available research evidence. Study selection and data collection analysis Retrieved studies were screened independently by the first author using titles of papers and abstracts.

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Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 6(6) Once relevant studies were identified, the full publication was retrieved and reviewed independently by the second author to determine the suitability based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria identified. Any conflicts were resolved through the review conducted by the third author. For selection criteria, the studies were considered if glove or glove-splint was used as a therapy treatment. However, studies using splint only were not considered for this review. Only studies carried out on adults aged 18 years and older were considered for this review. Studies involving patients with any type of arthritis were included if at least one of the participants of the considered study was a patient with RA. Studies which included at least one measure from the following outcome measures were considered for inclusion in this review: grip strength, pinch strength, ROM, dexterity, hand pain, finger swelling, joint stiffness. Methodological quality approach was not adopted in this review for statistically segregating the quality of the clinical trials due to the limited number of studies. This review covers all types of study designs, including uncontrolled studies and case studies. The PEDro methodological quality discussed in the results section was based on the data extracted from the PEDro database. All the authors agreed to exclude studies in the form of abstracts or poster presentations due to insufficient information for discussion. Results A total of 27 articles were retrieved and after a closer inspection of titles and abstracts, the final number of relevant articles was reduced to eight, which consisted of seven clinical trials and one case study. Out of the selected eight studies, four were published in the 1970s, one in 1986, two in the 1990s, and the last one in 2001. Details of the study design and outcome measures from the selected studies are presented in Table 1. Five out of the eight studies were clinical crossover trials, two were clinical trials and one was a case study. In four of the studies [Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990], treatments for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, medication dosages or any therapy treatments remained the same. Inversely, in one study, the researchers stopped the use of splint, orthoses and steroid injection

treatments for all patients during the trials [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. Treatment durations ranged from 1 week to 1 year. All studies reported the outcome measures at least once a week except one study [Barbarioli, 2001], which reported the outcome measures after 52 weeks only. Seven outcome measures were identified from the included studies: grip strength, pinch strength, ROM, dexterity, hand pain, finger swelling and joint stiffness. The outcome measures identified were then classified into two categories: hand function and hand symptoms. Out of the eight studies included in this review, only three were found to be rated by PEDro methodological quality, where PEDro is based on a quality rating scale which includes 10 criteria. The items are scored as either present (1) or absent (0), and a score out of 10 is obtained by summation [De Morton, 2009]. Two studies [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992] received 4 out of 10 points and one study [Swezey et al. 1979] received 2 out of 10 points. Effect of therapy gloves on hand function Hand function is defined as ‘the ability to use the hand in every activity’, which involves dexterity, manipulative skills and task performance skills [Dellhag and Bjelle, 1999; Lin et al. 2013]. Limitation in hand function in patients with RA is related to their quality of joint motion as well as muscle strength [Ouellette, 1991]. Although there are various aspects of hand function measures available, it is possible that not all of these measures can adequately evaluate and reflect the changes in hand function in all patients [Jarus and Poremba, 1993]. Grip strength, pinch strength and ROM are the most commonly used outcome measures reported in the literature [Lin et al. 2013]. There are other outcome measures such as performance-based tests as well as the patient self-reported measures [Dipietro et al. 2003; Nicolay and Walker, 2005; Björk et al. 2007; Brorsson et al. 2009; Poole, 2011]. Obtaining the outcome measures of hand function could be useful for planning of treatment (drug prescription, surgery and conservative therapy), assessment of treatment effectiveness and determination of patients’ readiness to use their hands for self-care, work and leisure activities [Sollerman and Ejeskär, 1995; Fraser et al. 1999; Dipietro et al. 2003].



SH Nasir, O Troynikov et al. Table 1. Study design and outcome measures. References

Study design

No of subjects

Concurrent therapies

Trial durations

Follow up

Outcome measures

Oosterveld and Rasker [1990] Askari et al. [1974]

Clinical crossover trial

8 patients

Yes

3 weeks

Weekly


23 patients

Not mentioned

Periodic, every 1 or 2 weeks

Barbarioli [2001] Culic et al. [1979]

Case study

1 patient


23 patients

Not mentioned Yes

Group 1: 20 weeks Group 2: 8–52 weeks 12 months

Grip strength, finger swelling, pain and joint stiffness Finger swelling, grip strength, ROM, pain and joint stiffness

Dixon et al. [1986]


18 patients

Yes

2 weeks

Daily except for Sunday

Ehrlich and Dipiero [1971] McKnight and Kwoh [1992] Swezey et al. [1979]

Clinical trial

44 patients

Not mentioned

2 weeks

Clinical trial

39 patients

No

1 week

Baseline before treatment Weekly 1 week


15 patients

Yes

6 weeks

7 visits

8 weeks

Not clearly mentioned Weekly

Self-reported hand function Finger swelling, grip strength, pinch strength, dexterity, pain and joint stiffness, self-reported rating scale on hand symptoms Finger swelling, grip strength, dexterity, pain and joint stiffness Finger swelling, grip strength, pain and joint stiffness Finger swelling, grip strength, ROM, pain and joint stiffness Grip strength, finger swelling, ROM, pain, joint stiffness, dexterity

ROM, range of motion.

In this review, grip strength, pinch strength, ROM and dexterity were selected as the outcome measures to measure the effectiveness of using therapy gloves on hand function in patients with RA. Due to the date of the selected studies, the outcome measures used were traditional measures and thus do not include more recently developed functional measures such as grip ability test (GAT), arthritis hand function test (AHFT), Jebsen hand function test (JHFT), Sollerman hand function test (SHT) and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand. Effect on grip strength Grip is critical in many daily activities and because of that it is often used as screening tool in assessing a person’s overall health [Nicolay and Walker, 2005]. Measurement of grip strength is a widely used measure due to its ease of conduction and reliability [Innes, 1999]. It also has been listed as part of the performance-based measure such as in

GAT, AHFT and SHT [Sollerman and Ejeskär, 1995; Poole, 2011]. Hand grip strength can be evaluated by measuring the amount of static force that the hand can squeeze around a dynamometer. The force is commonly measured in kilograms or pounds, but sometimes it can be measured in millilitres of mercury or in Newtons [MassyWestropp et al. 2011]. Measurement of grip force provides an objective measure of the strength of a patient’s hand and thus the degree of limitation imposed by ADL in patients with RA can be determined in comparison to healthy hand strength [Nicolay and Walker, 2005; Brorsson et al. 2009]. Wearing therapy gloves led to the improvement in hand grip strength in eight of the included studies (Table 2) [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971; Askari et al. 1974; Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992; Barbarioli, 2001]. However, only two studies demonstrated that the



Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 6(6) Table 2. Therapy gloves and the effect on hand function. References

Grip strength

Dixon et al. [1986] McKnight and Kwoh [1992] Barbarioli [2001] Culic et al. [1979] Ehrlich and Dipiero [1971] Askari et al. [1974] Oosterveld and Rasker [1990] Swezey et al. [1979]

p < 0.05 p < 0.05 +* + + + + +

Pinch strength

ROM p < 0.05 +*

+/– + +

Dexterity + p < 0.05 +

p < 0.05, improved significantly; +*, improved but no statistical data analysis included; +/–, no improvement; +, improved but not statistically significant. ROM, range of motion.

improvement was statistically significant (Table 2), and none of the studies could specify how the gloves improved hand grip strength [Dixon et al. 1986; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. McKnight and Kwoh compared two commercially available therapy gloves, Isotoner and Futuro, which are used at night [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. The Isotoner (Totes-Isotoner Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States) glove is composed of nylon and elastane fibre blend, while the Futuro (The Kendall Company, Massachusetts, United States) is composed of a blend of wool and elastane fibres. Although both gloves improved the hand grip strength, the researchers could not identify which glove was superior and similarly what was the mechanism which influences the gloves on improved hand performance [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. They concluded that patient’s preference is mainly related to the fit and comfort of gloves, which may ultimately determine the suitability of the gloves to be used. Patients’ complaints related to the warmth (‘hot’), sensation (‘scratchy’) and fit (‘tight’) should be certainly taken into consideration at the process of glove design. However, the studies included in this review did not objectively analyse the glove attributes relevant to its comfort properties. Effect on pinch strength Other than grip strength, pinch strength is the accepted method of measuring activities involving power and precision grip [Ouellette, 1991]. Although pinch strength is a broadly used measure of hand function due to its ease of use and good reliability [Innes, 1999; Lin et al. 2013], only one study under review included the pinch strength as a hand function measurement. In the

study conducted by Culic and colleagues the use of a therapy glove was compared with a control glove which acted as a placebo [Culic et al. 1979]. Each patient received a pair of ‘compression gloves’ and a pair of loosely fitting gloves made of the nylon fibre (no details on fabric construction were provided). These gloves were to be used during sleeping hours, however the minimum hours required wearing gloves was not mentioned. Although patients expressed a preference for the therapy gloves over the control gloves with regard to a feeling of improved wellbeing, there was no consistent effect of gloves noted on pinch strength (Table 2). The pinch strength was slightly lower in therapy gloves at 9.17 lb, in control gloves at 9.03 lb compared with when patients were not wearing any gloves (at 9.30 lb). As the gloves were all the same size and were not fitted to the patients’ hand size, it is most likely that the fit of the gloves in some of the patients influenced the hand movement, as well as ROM, which could have affected the resultant pinch strength. Effect on range of motion ROM is frequently used as an assessment tool for evaluation of the effectiveness of the rehabilitative treatment. ROM limitation of hands is a serious problem that is seen in most patients with RA [Lin et al. 2013]. Established methods of ROM measurement include visual estimation, goniometry, torque range of motion and composite finger flexion [Askari et al. 1974; Swezey et al. 1979; Ellis and Bruton, 2002; Formsma et al. 2008]. The effect of wearing therapy gloves on ROM was investigated by four of the eight studies included in this review (Table 2) [Askari et al. 1974; Swezey et al. 1979; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992; Barbarioli,



SH Nasir, O Troynikov et al. 2001], in which ROM was measured using composite finger flexion methods. In this method, the distance between the distal palmar crease and the tip of the finger is measured using a ruler or a tape to assess the ability of the patient to flex their fingers and make a fist. Distance between the distal palmar crease and the tip of the finger is normally zero for a normal hand. McKnight and Kwoh studied the short-term efficacy of wearing two types of ‘compression gloves’ during night time and reported a significant improvement in ROM by an average of 1.0–1.3 cm (p < 0.05) (Table 2) for each finger [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. Although both ‘compression gloves’ improved ROM, there was no detailed information on the ‘compression gloves’ themselves. Similarly the amount of compression exerted by the gloves to the skin, which would significantly influence the hand movement, was not studied. In the case study conducted by Barbarioli, after 12 months of using a glove splint, the patient reported improvement in ROM, especially in managing daily activities such as meal preparation and washing up [Barbarioli, 2001]. The improvement in ROM was due to elastane (Lycra, INVISTA. 4123, Kansas, United States) glove pattern used as a soft splint. The design of the glove had an opening at the ulnar side seam with a Velcro closure, incorporated to permit easy donning and doffing. Although it was reported that this glove splint was very helpful in contributing towards the independence of the patient, the conclusion made from this statement was based solely on patients’ subjective experience, not on any objective measurements. However, two studies [Askari et al. 1974; Swezey et al. 1979] reported no significant improvement in ROM after wearing therapy gloves every night. In one of the studies [Askari et al. 1974], the trial duration for which the gloves were worn was different for each patient and periodic measurements at 1- or 2-week intervals were taken until patients stopped wearing gloves, which was between 2 and 20 weeks. These variations in wear trial protocols would have affected the overall reported ROM results. Effect on dexterity The effect of wearing therapy gloves on hand dexterity was investigated by three studies [Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986] (Table 2). Dexterity is defined as the ability to perform a specific task, such as pushing,

grabbing or pulling an object [Dianat et al. 2012]. Swelling, stiffness and pain in the hand could limit a person’s ability to perform even a simple everyday task such as switching a light on or off, which in turn would affect their quality of life. The methodology adapted to assess hand dexterity involves recording the number of small metal pegs which the patient is able to insert into a ‘Purdue Peg Board’ during a 30 s time interval. All three studies reported improvement in dexterity when wearing gloves in comparison to not wearing gloves, however only one study demonstrated that the improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.05) [Culic et al. 1979]. In addition, the details of the gloves used, their fit and the amount of pressure generated were not given. Effect of therapy gloves on hand symptoms As mentioned above, patients affected by RA usually have hand symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling, especially in the joints [Combe, 2007]. The use of therapy gloves has been widely practiced to reduce hand symptoms in RA [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; Kavuncu and Evcik, 2004; Weiß, 2013], however the exact mechanism of symptomatic relief has not be ascertained [Askari et al. 1974; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990]. The measurement of RA symptoms is subjective and usually self-reported using rating scores, questionnaires or interviews, with hand symptoms being measured by assessing finger swelling, hand pain and joint stiffness. The assessment of the severity of RA symptoms is very important in monitoring the progression of the disease, measuring the effectiveness of treatment, and maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of patients [Ouellette, 1991]. Effect on finger swelling The swelling resulting from inflammation of the synovial tissues of the joints and tendons may lead to cartilage destruction, bone erosion and weakening of supporting joint structures [Prosser and Conolly, 2003]. For the measurement of finger swelling, the circumference of proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints on each finger is usually taken, where the mean circumference of PIP joints is normally used for the evaluation of the difference in the size of fingers [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990]. The effect of wearing therapy gloves on finger swelling was investigated by seven studies (Table 3)



Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 6(6) Table 3. The effect of therapy gloves on hand symptoms. Reference

PIP swelling

Hand pain

Joint stiffness

Dixon et al. [1986] McKnight and Kwoh [1992] Culic et al. [1979] Ehrlich and Dipiero [1971] Askari et al. [1974] Oosterveld and Rasker [1990] Swezey et al. [1979]

p > 0.01 p < 0.05 p = 0.05 Slightly improved* Not significant* p < 0.001 p = 0.038

p < 0.001 p < 0.05 p = 0.01 Improved* Moderate improvement* p < 0.05 Not significant*

p < 0.001 p < 0.05 p = 0.01 Improved* Moderate improvement* p < 0.001 Not significant*

*No statistical indicators reported. PIP, proximal interphalangeal joint.

[Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971; Askari et al. 1974; Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992; Barbarioli, 2001]. One of the studies reported significant improvement in finger swelling after the use of therapy gloves (p = 0.05). In this study, measurements of swelling of the fingers were taken by measurement of the circumferences of PIP joints on each finger, and also by interviewing the patients [Culic et al. 1979]. The gloves used in this study were ‘compression gloves’ made from nylon and elastane fibre blend and manufactured by the Aris group (Cincinnati, Ohio, United States), however no details of fabric construction or construction of the gloves was given. The study conducted by Swezey and colleagues observed the effect of wearing therapy gloves on 10 patients with RA [Swezey et al. 1979]. Patients were assigned each hand twice (using a random numbers table) to wear a ‘pressure gradient glove’ and a control (nonstretch) glove, and comparisons were made with the opposite ungloved hand. Measurements were taken weekly at approximately the same day and time. The study demonstrated that the circumferences of PIP joints reduced significantly, with p = 0.038 (Table 3), compared with wearing the control glove and when not wearing any glove [Swezey et al. 1979]. The figures supplied by the gloves manufacturer, Jung Company (Cincinnati, Ohio, United States), indicate that the expected amount of pressure exerted by the ‘pressure gradient gloves’ is 28 mmHg at the fingers, 20 mmHg at the metacarpal, 15 mmHg in the hands and 10 mmHg in the wrists. However, the actual pressure exerted by these gloves on patients’ hands in the above studies was not measured or reported. Similar results were noted in the studies carried out by McKnight and Kwoh, as well as by Oostervald and Rasker, with the average

circumference of PIP joints reduced by 0.2–0.4 cm and 0.9 cm respectively after the use of therapy gloves over a period of 1 week [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. In the study conducted by Ehrlich and Dipiero, two types of gloves, worn by 44 women with RA, were compared. The results demonstrated that circumferences of PIP joints were reduced by 0.5 cm with use of ‘nylon knit glove’ and by 1.0 cm with use of the ‘spandex/nylon’ glove [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971]. It is interesting to note again that even though almost all the studies reported a reduction in finger swelling, no details of the gloves’ construction and fit, generated pressure or suggestions on how wearing the gloves reduced the finger swelling were given. In contrast with the studies discussed above, no significant improvement in finger swelling was noted in the study by Dixon and colleagues. The fingers’ circumferences were measured using Geigy spring-loaded loop and a scoring system indicating ‘+1’ for improvement, ‘0’ for no change and ‘–1’ for deterioration was used [Dixon et al. 1986]. Effect on hand pain Pain relief has been reported as a primary goal for hand therapy treatment in RA due to its direct association with increased hand function [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. The measurement of pain is subjective and is usually self-reported by patients using rating scores, questionnaires or interviews. The evidence on pain reduction as a result of wearing therapy gloves is strong. This can be seen in six of the seven studies (Table 3) reviewed in this paper. A significant improvement of p < 0.05 in nocturnal pain was reported in four of the studies [Culic et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. Dixon and colleagues studied the



SH Nasir, O Troynikov et al. Table 4. Method used to measure level of pain. Reference

Method to measure level of pain

Dixon et al. [1986]

Scoring system: –2 = maximum negative score, –1 = deterioration, 0 = no change, +1 = improvement, +2 = maximum positive score 10 cm visual analogue scale ranging from ‘no pain’ to ‘the most intense pain’ A series of questions regarding pain Self-report by patient Scale written as none, mild, moderate, severe Numerical rating scale: 0 = no pain, 4 = worst pain Likert scale: 0 = none, 1 = mild, –2 = less than usual, 2 = usual, +2 = more than usual, 3 = severe

McKnight and Kwoh [1992] Culic et al. [1979] Ehrlich and Dipiero [1971] Askari et al. [1974] Oosterveld and Rasker [1990] Swezey et al. [1979]

effect of wearing a ‘stretch glove’ on 18 female patients and found that the use of Isotoner stretch gloves at night was helpful in decreasing the pain [Dixon et al. 1986]. The ‘stretch gloves’ used in this study were made from polyester stretch fabrics and were compared with gloves made of nylon warp knit fabric. What causes the elimination of arthritic pain has not been determined. The details of fabric construction and glove parameters were not given, however an attempt at explanation of the elimination of the pain was made. It was postulated that the mechanism of the glove covering the hand could provide warmth, which led to the reduction of pain [Askari et al. 1974; Swezey et al. 1979; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990]. The way in which the materials, fabric construction and compression exerted by gloves on the patient’s hand influenced the pain was not determined. Another two studies [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971; Askari et al. 1974] also reported improvement in pain reduction at the end of the period of wearing therapy gloves, however no statistical indicators were included, as these studies used subjective measurement methods such as self-reporting and scale rate of pain levels as ‘none’, ‘mild’, ‘moderate’ and ‘severe’. Even though there were improvements in pain reduction in the study, the duration of wearing the gloves varied among patients [Askari et al. 1974]. Periodic measurements at 1or 2-week intervals were taken until patients stopped wearing the gloves, which was between 2 and 20 weeks. The methods of measuring pain were different in all studies (Table 4). Effect on joint stiffness Measurement of joint stiffness especially in the morning is nonspecific and difficult to quantify because it wears off gradually with no

demonstrable end point [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990]. In patients with RA, joint stiffness is prolonged and interferes with grip and pinch strength [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971]. Measurement of joint stiffness is taken by recording duration of stiffness of the hand in the morning and it is usually self-reported by patients [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990]. The effect of wearing different types of therapy gloves was investigated in seven of the reviewed studies, with six studies reporting improvement in joint stiffness (Table 3). In one study [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971], joint stiffness reported in the morning lessened to the point of virtual disappearance in almost all patients. Patients were given two types of ‘stretch gloves’, as described above in ‘Effect on finger swelling’ and were instructed to wear the gloves from bedtime until morning for 1 week. The measurement of joint stiffness was taken every morning at the same time over the period of 1 week. However, no further suggestions were given on the mechanism of reduction of joint stiffness through wearing a therapy glove every night for 1 week. A randomized controlled trial conducted by McKnight and Kwoh demonstrated that joint stiffness improved significantly at p < 0.05 (Table 3) after using therapy gloves for 1 week [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. This study compared the shortterm efficiency of wearing two types of ‘compression gloves’ every night during sleeping hours. Two methods were used to measure the joint stiffness in this clinical trial: in one method patients were asked to rate their level of stiffness ranging from ‘no stiffness’ to ‘most intense stiffness’ at the end of each treatment. The second method was based on measurement of the rate of finger motion. An automatic counting device was used to record the number of repetitions of metacarpophalangeal flexion



Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 6(6) and extension of all four fingers over a set distance during a 10 s period. Researchers concluded that there were no significant differences between the results of wearing two types of ‘compression gloves’, indicating that neither type of glove was more effective than the other in reducing the joint stiffness. However, one study [Swezey et al. 1979] reported no improvement in joint stiffness after wearing a ‘pressure gradient glove’ for 6 weeks. The researchers reported that the scale used to measure joint stiffness might be the reason for a lack of improvement because patients were unable to differentiate ‘mild’ or ‘moderate’ on the scale used to measure joint stiffness. Again, as no details of the gloves, their fit and construction were given, it is impossible to comparatively assess the outcomes of these studies. Discussion This review revealed very few quality clinical trials, with highly rated methodology, investigating the effect of therapy gloves available to hand therapists and patients for the management of hand RA. The methodology quality rating in the review is based on PEDro methodological quality data extracted from the PEDro database. Most studies failed to receive high ratings for the following reasons: no blind subjects, no blind therapists, no adequate follow up, no concealed allocation and many others. The length of time during which the therapy gloves influenced outcome measures such as grip strength, pinch strength, swelling, pain and others was not observed or noted, as well as the duration of effectiveness. Most of the studies mentioned that the gloves were worn during sleeping hours [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971; Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979; Dixon et al. 1986; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992], however no minimum hours’ requirement was specified which is important as this would certainly influence the results of the therapy. This can be seen especially in outcome measurements of hand function when researchers could not ascertain whether the improvement in hand function was due to wearing therapy gloves. The effect of wearing therapy gloves on hand symptoms, especially in pain and stiffness, is very strong. However, researchers could not explain or propose the mechanism by which the therapy gloves provide symptomatic relief in arthritic hands. It was found that the mechanism of gloves covering the hand is able to provide warmth to the wearer and thus might be the reason for pain

relief [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990]. This can also be seen in the study conducted by Swezey and colleagues in which a significant elevation of skin temperature is reported in hands while wearing ‘pressure gradient gloves’ in comparison to the skin temperature of the ungloved hand [Swezey et al. 1979]. The proposed theory behind this is that when the skin and joint temperature increases, blood flow will increase as well. The increase in blood flow reduces pain by effectively supplying oxygenated blood and nutrients to the inflamed tissues, thus providing better healing [Sluka et al. 1999]; and thus having a possible positive effect on the symptoms of pain and swelling. In addition, the researchers could not substantiate that the relief of pain and stiffness is due to compression from the gloves, because there was no correlation between diminished swelling of PIP joints with pain or stiffness. The parameters such as the type of compression needed, the amount of compression generated and the optimum amounts of compression to provide to the wearer were not critically observed or discussed in the reviewed studies. Only two studies included the figures for the amount of compression exerted by the gloves [Culic et al. 1979; Swezey et al. 1979]. The pressure exerted by ‘pressure gradient gloves’ used in the study conducted by Swezey and colleagues was 10 mmHg at the wrist, 15 mmHg at the hands, 20 mmHg at the knuckles and 28 mmHg at the fingers [Swezey et al. 1979]. However, in the study by Culic and colleagues, the pressure exerted by the ‘compression gloves’ was 12 mmHg at the fingers [Culic et al. 1979]. From these studies it was found that the amount of pressure exerted on each type of gloves is quite different and thus it is not possible to conclude what amount of pressure applied to the wearer’s hand would be beneficial. Moreover, measurements of hand function in the reviewed studies were based on the traditional component measurements using clinical testing. These measurements may not provide enough information about the ability to use the hands by patients for daily living, work and leisure. Selfreporting and performance-based hand function tests such as JHFT, GAT and AHFT should be used to provide the outcome of capacity to perform daily activities. However, a patient’s ability to participate in active work or services, if not on a pension, should be measured. Early management of



SH Nasir, O Troynikov et al. RA could improve a patient’s physical, emotional and social functioning [Combe, 2007]. Adherence to a recommended treatment such as wearing gloves every day requires high motivation from a patient, so the fit and comfort of the therapeutic gloves are paramount, along with the delivery of the necessary amount and distribution of pressure to the hand [Culic et al. 1979; Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. Only a few studies have noted complaints of gloves being ‘too hot’ or ‘too tight’ to wear, resulting in a few patients withdrawing from the study [Oosterveld and Rasker, 1990; McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. Glove fitting and design could influence the outcome results measures of hand function because fit can influence a wearer’s hand movement, sensation and overall comfort. Improper fitting may also lead to hand swelling and burning sensation at night [Ehrlich and Dipiero, 1971]. One study described that patient preference in choosing which glove is superior related to fit and comfort rather than glove efficiency. Improving these factors may improve patient satisfaction and enhance patient compliance to prescribed treatment [McKnight and Kwoh, 1992]. Furthermore, none of the studies examined the thermophysiological comfort properties of the glove. Since therapy gloves are recommended to be worn for at least 8 h (sleeping duration), it is essential that they should be comfortable to wear. The gloves should not cause physiological discomfort due to excess warmth or sweat production. Conclusion This review paper revealed that wearing therapy gloves could have a beneficial effect in patients with RA patients, although exact mechanisms of their action remain unclear. The improvement in hand symptoms reported from the use of therapy gloves is strong. This suggests that therapy gloves can be used to reduce the pain, stiffness and swelling in hand RA. Future studies are needed to quantify the effectiveness of therapy gloves, especially to improve hand function and patient tolerance. Parameters that would influence the performance of the therapy gloves and the outcomes for the patients such as duration of trials, interface pressure generated by the gloves on the underlying skin and tissue, glove fit and construction, as well as thermophysiological comfort properties should be examined and be taken into consideration. The outcome measurements of hand function and hand symptoms should be reported not only using the traditional outcome measures but

should also include performance measures and patient self-reported outcome measures. Last but not least, it is also hoped that the knowledge from this review will be helpful in guiding future clinical practice for individuals with a diagnosis of hand RA, as well as further research. Funding This research received no specific grants from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or notfor-profit sectors. Conflict of interest statement The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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