Grip Strength Test A Simple Functional Adjunct Tool for Rheumatoid Arthriris

Authors

  • Fuad Shaikh
  • Nasim Karim
  • Khalid Mahmood
  • Mohammed Ishaq Ghauri

Keywords:

Grip Strength, Pneumatic Method, Adjunct Tool, Hand Joints, Rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of Grip Strength Test as an adjunctive tool for patients having rheumatoid
arthritis.
Materials And Methods: A twenty four (24)-week, single-blind, interventional, prospective study was carried
out from October, 2009 to March, 2011 in 126 patients of either sex, between 19-64 years of age. They were
diagnosed to have rheumatoid arthritis according to the American College of Rheumatology Criteria. They were
given tablet Methotrexate, 10 mg (4 tablets of 2.5 mg, orally) weekly for six months. Grip strength was
measured by pneumatic method. Patients were made to compress a locked, aneuroid, sphygmomanometer cuff,
inflated to 20 mm of Hg, in their palms. The level of pressure reached was recorded as a measure of grip
strength.
Results: All patients had morning stiffness, symmetric arthritis, soft tissue swelling and arthritis of hand joints.
Baseline values of Hb, TLC, ESR, PC, CRP, serum creatinine and SGPT were 10.76 +1.12g/dl, 8572.06
+1445.08 per cubic mm, 81.03 +17.98 per cubic mm, 290,277.78 + 68,813 per cubic mm, 2.33 + 0.69
microgram/dl, 0.95+ 0.16 mg/dl, and 31.67 + 7.37 IU/L respectively. Grip Strength increased from a baseline of
71.10 mm of Hg to 154.04 mm of Hg in the right hand and from 70.58 mm of Hg to 151.53 mm of Hg in the left
hand, both values being significant statistically [p< 0.001].
Conclusion: Grip strength test is a useful, simple, effective, functional, adjunct tool for assessing patients’s
response to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

References

Allaire SH, Prashker MJ, Meenan RF. The costs of rheumatoid arthritis. Pharmaco Economics, 1994; 6:513–22.

Del Puente A, Knowler WC, Pettit DJ, Bennett PH. High incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Pima Indians. Am J Epidemiol. 1989; 129:1170-8

Akhter E, Bilal S, Kiani A, Haque U. Prevalence of arthritis in India and Pakistan: a review. Rheumatol Int. 2011; 31(7):849-55.

Plenge RM, Seielstad M., Padyukov L, Lee AT, Remmers EF, Ding B, et al., TRAF1- C5 as a risk-locus for rheumatoid arthritis: a genome-wide study, N Engl J Med., 2007; 357:1199-209.

Padyukov L, Silva C, Stolt P, Alfredsson L, Klareskog L., A gene-environment interaction between smoking and shared epitope genes in HLA-DR provides a high risk of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, Arthritis Rheum. 2004; 50:3085-92.

Álvarez-Lafuente R., Fernández-Gutiérrez B, Miguel S de, Jover JA, Rollin R, Loza E et al., Potential relationship between herpes viruses and rheumatoid arthritis: analysis with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2005; 64:1357-59.

Pope RM. Apoptosis as a therapeutic tool in rheumatoid arthritis, Nature Reviews Immunology 2, July, 2002, 527-35.

Choy EHS, Panayi GS, Cytokine pathways and joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, N Engl J Med, 2001, 344: 907–16.

Majithia V, Geraci SA, Rheumatoid arthritis: diagnosis and management, Am. J. Med. 2007, 120 (11): 936–9.

Turesson C., O'Fallon WM, Crowson CS, Gabriel SE, Matteson EL, Extra-articular disease manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis: incidence trends and risk factors over 46 years, Ann. Rheum. Dis., 2003, 62 (8): 722–7.

Arnett FC, Edworthy SM, Bloch DA, McShane DJ, Fries JF, Cooper NS, et al, The American Rheumatism Association 1987 revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis, Arthritis Rheum, 1988, 31 (3): 315-24.

Lee P, Baxter A, Dick WC, Webb J. An assessment of grip strength measurement in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol. 1974; 3 (1):17-23.

Hart FD, Huskisson EC. Measurement in rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 1972 Jan 1; 1(7740):28-30.

Scott, JT. Morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis, Ann. rheum. Dis. 1960, 19, 361.

Richards, L., Palmiter-Thomas, P., Grip strength measurement: A critical review of tools, methods, and clinical utility. Critical Reviews in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 1996, 8, 87–109.

Smith, DA., Lukens, SA, Stress effects of isometric contraction in occupational therapy. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 1983, 3, 222–42.

John H, Douglas K, Kitas G. Why is life span shortened by Rheumatoid Arthritis? Dudley Group of Hospitals Foundation Trust, Dudley, Original article. 14/08/2001; Reviewed: 07/10/2010.

Warrington KJ, Kent PD, Frye RL, Lymp JF, Kopecky SL, Goronzy JJ et al. Rheumatoid arthritis is an independent risk factor for multi-vessel coronary artery disease: a case control study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2005; 7(5): R984–R91.

Smith HR. Rheumatoid arthritis. Updated Sep 22, 2010; www.emedicine. medscape.com/article/331715

Tilley BC, Alarcon GA, Heyse SP, Trentham DE, Neuner R, Kaplan DA et al for the MIRA Trial Group, Minocycline in Rheumatoid Arthritis, A 48-Week, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Annals of Internal Medicine 15 January 1995 Volume 122 Number 2.

Johnsson PM, Eberhardt KH. Deformities are important signs of disease severity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, received April 3, 2009. Revision received July 20, 2009.

Clark P, Casas E, Tugwell P, Medina C, Gheno C, Tenorio G et al, Hydroxychloroquine Compared with Placebo in Rheumatoid Arthritis; A Randomized, Controlled Trial, Ann Intern Med December 1, 1993, vol. 119 no. 11 1067-71

Kowanko IC, Knapp MS, Pownall R, Swannell AJ, Domiciliary self-measurement in rheumatoid arthritis and the demonstration of circadian rhythmicity, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 1982, 41, 453-55

Ferraz MB, Ciconelli RM, Araujo PM, Oliveira LM, Atra E, The effect of elbow flexion and time of assessment on the measurement of grip strength in rheumatoid arthritis, J Hand Surg [Am]. 1992, Nov; 17(6):1099-103.

Wessel J, The effectiveness of hand exercises for persons with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review, J Hand Ther, 2004, 4 Apr-Jun; 17(2):174-80.

Blair, SJ, McCormick, E., Bear-Lehman, J., Fess, EE, Rader, E., Evaluation of impairment of the upper extremity. Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 1987, 221, 42–58.

Downloads

Published

2013-12-12

How to Cite

Shaikh, F. ., Karim, N. ., Mahmood , K. ., & Ghauri, M. I. . (2013). Grip Strength Test A Simple Functional Adjunct Tool for Rheumatoid Arthriris . Journal of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, 3(2), 56–61. Retrieved from https://jbumdc.bahria.edu.pk/index.php/ojs/article/view/58

Issue

Section

Original Articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)

<< < 1 2 3 > >>