Investigation of the effects of neuromobilization, tendon gliding and robotic assistive device use on pain, grip strength and hand functions in patients with hand osteoarthritis

It was aimed to investigate the effects of neuromobilization, tendon gliding and robotic assistive device use on pain, grip strength and hand functions in patients with hand osteoarthritis. The study included 30 women, 9 men and 39 patients aged between 45 and 87 years. Individuals were divided into three groups: neuromobilization (n=13), tendon gliding (n=13) and robotic assistive device (n=13) groups. Exercise training was given to all groups. In addition to the neuromobilization (NM) group, median, ulnar and radial nerve mobilization, tendon gliding exercises were applied to the tendon gliding (TG) group, and passive joint movements with robotic gloves were applied to the robotic assistive device (RYC) group. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Australian-Canadian hand osteoarthritis index (AUSCAN), McGgill Pain Scale, arm, shoulder and hand problems quick questionnaire (QUICK DASH), Jebsoen Taylor hand function test (JTHF) and dynamometer were used to evaluate the individuals. The study was conducted for 8 weeks, 3 days a week. When examined in terms of pain, a significant difference was seen in the NM and TG groups compared to the RYC group (p <0.05). While pain decreased in the NM and TG groups throughout the study, the pain did not change in the RYC group (p>0.05). Grip strength improved throughout the study in all groups, although it was not statistically significant (p>0.05) and there was no difference between groups. An improvement was seen in AUSCAN and QUICKDASH scores in all groups before and after treatment (p<0.05). When comparing the QUICKDASH score between NM and TG groups, the improvement was in favor of the NM group (p<0.05).As a result, while NM and TG applications can be preferred for pain control in hand OA, all three of the NM, TG and RYC applications can be used as alternatives to each other to improve grip strength and functional status. As robotic devices take their place in rehabilitation programs, the effectiveness of wearable devices can be investigated by comparing them with different physiotherapy techniques.