The evidence for non-pharmacological therapy of hand and hip OA.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide. Evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for the treatment of OA consider non-pharmacological modalities as the cornerstone of modern OA management. Nonetheless, research evidence from clinical trials on non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of hand and hip OA is scarce and considerably less than that for knee OA. In addition, research on non-pharmacological interventions for OA appears highly on the list of patients' research priorities. Thus, there is a clear mismatch between the available research evidence for non-pharmacological interventions for hip and hand OA and both the treatment guidelines and the interests of patients.