Partnering with people living with rheumatoid arthritis for care of their hands: Four case reports using relative motion orthoses

Adult onset Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the most common form of auto-immune systemic inflammatory joint disease, with acute joint inflammation presenting most commonly between the ages of 30 and 60.1 Approximately 1.5% of people in North America are living with RA (prevalence: 51-56/10,000 people).2,3 Females are 2 to 3 times more likely than males to have RA.4 Clinically RA typically presents with an acute onset of inflammation in the smaller joints of the hands and feet, as well as in multiple other joints, in a bilateral pattern that does not settle over several weeks.
Source: Journal of Hand Therapy - Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Source Type: research