Video: Knock on Wood| Webinar: ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice
fa-facebookfa-linkedinfa-youtube-playfa-rss

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

  • Conditions
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis
    • Gout and Crystalline Arthritis
    • Myositis
    • Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders
    • Pain Syndromes
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Sjögren’s Disease
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    • Systemic Sclerosis
    • Vasculitis
    • Other Rheumatic Conditions
  • FocusRheum
    • ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis
    • Gout
    • Lupus Nephritis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
  • Guidance
    • Clinical Criteria/Guidelines
    • Ethics
    • Legal Updates
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence
      • Other ACR meetings
      • EULAR/Other
    • Research Rheum
  • Drug Updates
    • Analgesics
    • Biologics/DMARDs
  • Practice Support
    • Billing/Coding
    • EMRs
    • Facility
    • Insurance
    • QA/QI
    • Technology
    • Workforce
  • Opinion
    • Patient Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Rheuminations
      • Video
    • Speak Out Rheum
  • Career
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Awards
    • Career Development
  • ACR
    • ACR Home
    • ACR Convergence
    • ACR Guidelines
    • Journals
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
    • From the College
    • Events/CME
    • President’s Perspective
  • Search

Heated Gloves May Improve Hand Function in Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis

Rosemarie Curley, MPT, DPT, & Jeananne Elkins, PT, PhD, DPT, MPH  |  Issue: October 2017  |  October 16, 2017

According to Carol Tresolini and the Pew-Fetzer Task Force at the University of California, San Francisco, “To be therapeutic, the relationship between healer and patient should have as its foundation a shared understanding of the meaning of the illness.”21

Medical providers have focused primarily on the major medical complications of dSSc and, thus, most often prescribe medications.13,16,18,22 However, patients with dSSc focus on pain and function.12,18 Raynaud’s and digital ulcers are devastating for people who are often working, caring for themselves or caring for others. Loss of function and inability to go outdoors in the cold limit both work and family activities.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Multiple modalities have been investigated to address hand limitations in dSSc, including heat, paraffin, gloving and stretching exercises.23-27 However, in research studies, heat is typically applied for short durations of 15 to 20 minutes. Moreover, few, if any, studies address the effects of heat on pain, Raynaud’s, ulcers or acro-osteolysis.

Historically, researchers formulate research questions and design a study to answer those questions. Participant input is minimal. More recently, groups including PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) and SPIN (Scleroderma Patient-Centered Intervention Network) have spotlighted the need for research studies to focus on outcomes meaningful to the patient population.12,28 In dSSc, as well as other major life-threatening and life-changing illnesses, patient-centered approaches offer a unique opportunity for patients to participate in their own care and inform designs for future research, including research questions, interventions and outcomes.12,28

Figure 2: Heated Gloves in Action

Figure 2: Heated Gloves in Action
The heated gloves can be worn alone or under other gloves. They are shown here (A) covered with vinyl gloves during cooking, (B) covered with knit and vinyl gloves to make a snowman (45 minutes), powered by a wall adapter for home (C) and a car adapter while driving (D) (blue arrows).

Barb, a healthcare professional and patient with dSSc, undertook a personal study examining the use of continuous superficial heat via battery-operated heated gloves. Use of continuous superficial heat has not been investigated and may provide beneficial results for patients with dSSc. She researched the topic through publicly available online databases, including PubMed, and used her clinical and personal experiences using heat to address pain, Raynaud’s, DU and range of motion (ROM) to formulate her research question and to design a study to answer the question.

Research question: How does the prolonged application of heat affect digital pain, ulcer development and hand function in a patient with dSSc?

Case Study

History: Barb, a 50-year-old physical therapist, developed Raynaud’s phenomenon in December 2008. Immediately thereafter, in January 2009, she developed severe bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. After undergoing bilateral carpal tunnel releases, the neurological symptoms resolved, but tightness and swelling in the hands continued.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | Single Page
Share: 

Filed under:ConditionsOther Rheumatic ConditionsResearch Rheum Tagged with:Clinicaldrug therapyhand functionhand warmersheated glovesinterventionnon-pharmaceutical therapiesoutcomepatient careRaynaud’s phenomenonResearchrheumatologistSclerodermastudiesSystemic sclerosistissue fibrosisTreatmentvasculopathy

Related Articles

    Heated Gloves Provide Relief from Hand Pain, Dysfunction in Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis

    November 10, 2017

    Raynaud’s phenomenon in scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc) is associated with significant discomfort and functional disability, especially in the presence of digital ulcers.1 Having lived with diffuse systemic sclerosis (dSSc) for nearly a decade, I can attest to this. It has been my experience that the hand pain and dysfunction in dSSc stems from Raynaud’s…

    Capillaroscopy a Safe and Direct Method for SSc Diagnosis

    June 13, 2011

    Seeing vessels clearly can help with discovery and timely treatment

    Rheumatologists Find Nailfold Capillaroscopy an Increasingly Useful Diagnostic Tool

    October 18, 2017

    Interest in viewing the nail capillaries dates to the late 17th century. Later research by Maurice Raynaud and others in the late 19th and early 20th century first established a direct link between the nailfold capillaries and certain medical conditions. Although underutilized in the past, with the advent of modern digital equipment and the validation…

    Diffuse Scleroderma: A 1991 Case Through the Lens of Today

    Diffuse Scleroderma: A 1991 Case Through the Lens of Today

    February 17, 2018

    The year was 1991. It was my first Tuesday as a rheumatology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh’s Presbyterian Hospital. Navigating a maze of buildings and hallways, I delivered myself to the entrance to the scleroderma clinic. Running late and not knowing whether there was a separate entrance for staff, I clicked open the door….

  • About Us
  • Meet the Editors
  • Issue Archives
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
fa-facebookfa-linkedinfa-youtube-playfa-rss
  • Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. ISSN 1931-3268 (print). ISSN 1931-3209 (online).
  • DEI Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Preferences