This study showed that isometric and isotonic hand exercises decrease pain and disease activity and improve hand functions, dexterity and quality of life as well as mildly increasing muscle strength in patients diagnosed as RA. Basically, isotonic exercises are similar to isometric exercises in that they support strength, however they involve the expansion and contraction of muscles and therefore have a wider range of motion than isometric exercises do. DAS 28 scores decreased in both exercise groups (p = 0.002 p = 0.0001, respectively), while isometrics showed a significant increase in dominant HS (p = 0.029), and isotonics showed a significant increase in non-dominant HS (p = 0.013). Isotonic Isometric exercise refers to equal length, whereas isotonic exercise refers to equal tension. VAS, DHI, NHPT, and RAQoL scores significantly improved in both groups by the end of 6th week compared to the baseline scores of the study (for isotonics p = 0.036, p = 0.002 p = 0.0001, p = 0.003 for isometrics p = 0.021, p = 0.002, p = 0.005, p = 0.01, respectively).

The study was completed with 47 patients (isotonics n = 23 isometrics n = 24). We evaluated the difference in the above parameters between baseline and 6 weeks by Wilcoxon paired t test. Disease activity was determined by disease activity score (DAS 28). Dominant and non-dominant handgrip strengths (HS) were measured. Their pain was assessed with visual analog scale (VAS), their hand functions with Duruöz Hand Index (DHI), dexterity with nine hole peg test (NHPT) and quality of life with Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life questionnaire (RAQoL). Isometric exercises, on the other hand, are. Isometric exercises increase strength only at a single joint angle, whereas isotonic exercises strengthen muscles throughout the full range of motion of the. All patients were applied wax therapy in the first 2 weeks. Isotonic exercises would refer to an exercise where muscles shorten against a constant load, which would constitute any typical exercise done in the weight room: squats, bench presses, lat pulldowns, pec flys and even curls done in the squat rack. Patients were randomized into isotonics and isometrics groups. This randomized, parallel, single-blinded 6-week intervention study enrolled 52 female patients between 40 and 70 years of age, who were diagnosed with RA according to American College of Rheumatology criteria, had disease duration of at least 1 year and had a stage 1-3 disease according to Steinbrocker's functional evaluation scale. Our secondary objective was to assess the changes in handgrip strength and disease activity.

The primary objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of 6-week-long isotonic and isometric hand exercises on pain, hand functions, dexterity and quality of life in women diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Isometric exercises vs isotonic