Reuters reports on the findings of a study revealing people with thumb-base osteoarthritis who receive a combination of conservative treatments including education in self-management, ergonomics, and hand exercises may experience clinically meaningful improvements in hand function.

It's not surprising that a combination of interventions were more effective in reducing pain and increasing function, particularly because splinting has been previously proven an effective intervention for thumb-base osteoarthritis, said HSS occupational therapist Alexandra MacKenzie OTR/L, CHT, who was not involved in the study. A combination of strategies provides a multifaceted approach targeting multiple aspects of thumb-base osteoarthritis, whereas education alone only targets one aspect, added MacKenzie. "The take-home message is that a combination of interventions, individualized to each patient, can be beneficial to improving patient outcomes, and that such interventions can have long-term benefits," she noted. 

This article originally appeared on Reuters Health.