Finger/hand/wrist joints can be affected in the early period in patients with RA, and as the disease progresses, it can significantly limit the patient's functionality. Damage to articular and periarticular structures seen in inflammatory arthritis may affect the sense of proprioception by destroying mechanoreceptors located in these areas. Hand functions may worsen as a result of the worsening of the sense of proprioception, which can be defined as being aware of body parts.~SARAH (Strengthening and Stretching for Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Hand) home exercise program, which is a widely preferred approach in the case of hand involvement in patients with RA, includes exercises to increase hand-wrist strength and mobility. Although the effectiveness of this program on pain, muscle strength, and range of motion has been demonstrated in large patient groups, its effect on proprioception and hand functions, which may be caused by inflammatory arthritis, has not been studied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the SARAH home exercise program on wrist proprioception and hand functions in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the SARAH home exercise program to be applied for 12 weeks on wrist proprioception and hand functions in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis.