{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T08:29:51Z","timestamp":1786350591735,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MJS Publishing, Medical Journals Sweden AB","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JRM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of heat therapy for hand osteoarthritis.\nDesign: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).\nSubjects\/Patients: 9 RCTs (n\u2009=\u2009627) from 13 identified studies included in meta-analysis.\nMethods: Databases were searched up to 19 December 2025. Risk of bias was assessed via RoB 2.0. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and meta-regression were calculated using Stata 17.0.\nResults: Heat therapy significantly reduced Visual Analog Scale (SMD\u2009=\u2009\u22120.60, p\u2009=\u20090.01), Australian\/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index \u2013 Pain Score and Health Assessment Questionnaire (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.05), and improved grip strength (SMD\u2009=\u20090.43, p\u2009=\u20090.01). No significant changes were observed for other outcome indicators. Subgroup analysis showed multimodal therapy (paraffin: heat + mechanical compression; mud: heat + chemical\/mechanical stimulation) outperformed monotherapy (-heated gloves: pure thermal) for pain (SMD\u2009=\u2009\u20130.85) and grip strength (SMD\u2009=\u20090.55). Additionally, meta--regression analysis found that longer single -treatment duration (p\u2009=\u20090.03) and higher weekly t-reatment frequency (p\u2009=\u20090.04) were key moderators for better grip strength recovery.\nConclusion: Heat therapy, especially multimodal approaches, effectively alleviates short-term pain and improves grip strength in hand osteoarthritis. Clinicians may ensure adequate treatment frequency and duration to optimize outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2340\/jrm.v58.45883","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T07:55:56Z","timestamp":1786348556000},"page":"jrm45883","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The short-term efficacy of heat therapy for osteoarthritis of the hands: a systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.2340","volume":"58","author":[{"given":"Kai","family":"Cheng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhongyi","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiaju","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yi","family":"Tang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wen","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinyu","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fangjie","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peijian","family":"Tong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shuaijie","family":"Lv","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1183","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"165153","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhang W, Doherty M, Leeb BF, Alekseeva L, Arden NK, Bijlsma JW, et al. 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Effectiveness of paraffin bath therapy for the symptoms and function of hand diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Hand Ther 2023; 36: 706\u2013712.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jht.2022.10.005"},{"key":"165163","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Malanga GA, Yan N, Stark J. Mechanisms and efficacy of heat and cold therapies for musculoskeletal injury. Postgrad Med 2015; 127: 57\u201365.","DOI":"10.1080\/00325481.2015.992719"},{"key":"165164","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, Oatis C, Guyatt G, Block J, et al. 2019 American College Of Rheumatology\/Arthritis Foundation guideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Arthritis Rheumatol 2020; 72: 220\u2013233.","DOI":"10.1002\/art.41142"},{"key":"165165","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Courties A, Daste C, Homs AF, Kouki I, Alliot-Launois F, Bial\u00e9 L, et al. French Societies of Rheumatology and of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine recommendations for the management of people living with hand osteoarthritis. Joint Bone Spine 2026; 93: 106000.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbspin.2025.106000"},{"key":"165166","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ye L, Kalichman L, Spittle A, Dobson F, Bennell K. Effects of rehabilitative interventions on pain, function and physical impairments in people with hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Arthritis Res Ther 2011; 13: R28.","DOI":"10.1186\/ar3254"},{"key":"165167","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kjeken I, Bordvik DH, Osteras N, Haugen IK, Aasness Fjeldstad K, Skaalvik I, et al. Efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatments for hand osteoarthritis in 2024: a systematic review. RMD Open 2025; 11: e004963.","DOI":"10.1136\/rmdopen-2024-004963"},{"key":"165168","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Follmann D, Elliott P, Suh I, Cutler J. 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