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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Minimizing Deformity And Preserving Function In The Hand, Cindy Gillespie
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Minimizing Deformity And Preserving Function In The Hand, Cindy Gillespie
Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease of the synovial joints. The hand and wrist are the most commonly involved. The disease is characterized by pain, inflammation, limited range of motion, and destruction of bone and articular structures. In the later stages of RA, the person usually exhibits deformity of the affected joints. This can result in the inability to use the hand in a functional manner.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately one percent of the population. A person with RA usually has increased medical expenses. It is likely that the person will experience a loss of productivity and income due …
The Effect Of Various Shoulder And Elbow Positions On Grip Strength, Melanie Wentz
The Effect Of Various Shoulder And Elbow Positions On Grip Strength, Melanie Wentz
Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects
This study investigated the effect of various shoulder and elbow positions on grip strength in 42 subjects. Both dominant and non-dominant upper extremities were tested using the Jamar dynamometer. The subjects were tested in the following positions while standing: 1) 90 degrees shoulder flexion and 90 degrees elbow flexion, 2) 90 degrees shoulder flexion and full elbow extension, 3) 90 degrees shoulder abduction and 90 degrees elbow flexion, and 4) 90 degrees shoulder abduction and full elbow extension. A repeated-measures ANOVA showed that shoulder and elbow position does significantly (p<.05) affect grip strength. A significant difference between genders was found for each position and hand dominance was significant (p<.05) for position 2. Both males and females were strongest with their shoulder in 90 degrees of flexion. The findings suggest that 90 degrees of shoulder flexion may be more of a position of function than 90 degrees of abduction. When measuring grip strength, position of testing and gender are two important variables to consider when trying to help patients attain their highest grip strength score.