The three most common components of PT/OT for RA hands are exercise therapy, joint protection advice and provision of functional splinting and assistive devices [ 7].
However, for other conditions such as osteoarthritis, 9 the main recommended treatment is advice about maintaining physical activities and provision of a structured exercise programme rather than hands on therapy.
Senior students in the osteopathy program take on the responsibility of conducting the entire patient consultation including taking a clinical/medical history, physical examination, manual therapy treatment, and provision of advice related to exercise and lifestyle factors as part of the management of the patients' presenting complaint.
Past smoking status showed less than 50% agreement and provision of advice on diet and exercise showed 70-75% concordance with kappa levels all <.2.
Future developments must include an improved harness to apply higher gravity replacement loads during locomotor exercise and the provision of greater resistance exercise capability.
The cost of exercising and the provision of facilities (equipment, supervision, and gyms) also have to be taken into account if this form of exercise is to have a mass impact.
2 3 The importance of such an evaluation was highlighted by a recent study that found that there was an early reliance on pharmacological treatments at the expense of non-pharmacological treatments such as weight loss, exercise, and the provision of written advice.
While many schemes promote physical activity and healthy eating through educational means (45 and 46 respectively), some take a more hands-on approach to health promotion, providing opportunities for exercise; and provision, preparation or tasting of healthy foods (43; 19 respectively).
The SUPPORT trial will compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of (1) US-guided corticosteroid injection to unguided (blind) corticosteroid injection and (2) a physiotherapist-delivered individualised, supervised and progressed exercise programme to provision of a standardised advice and exercise leaflet, for treatment of patients with SIS.
All participants received usual care that could include medical and medication management, physiotherapy (e.g., exercise, advice, provision of walking aids, gait training), occupational therapy (e.g., modification of home hazards, provisions of aids or adaptations) or speech therapy.
