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Treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis improved dramatically since introduction of the first biologic agent, etanercept (Enbrel). However, adjunctive modalities, such as hand exercises and occupational therapy, which were used aggressively by rheumatologists in the pre-biologic era, are no longer used extensively.
In this multicenter study, researchers evaluated 490 U.K. patients who had received stable medical regimens for ≥3 months. Patients were randomized to usual care or to usual care plus a hand-strengthening and hand-exercise program. The intervention involved six sessions with a therapist who promoted patient-directed goal-setting and instructed participants in mobility and strength-and-endurance exercises that were to be perfor…