Overview
The aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of water-filtered Infrared-A radiation on patients suffering from hand osteoarthritis. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does water-filtered Infrared-A radiation reduce pain and improve the function of finger joints over time?
- Are patients satisfied with the treatment results when compared to those who were on a wait-list?
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of finger polyarthritis (confirmed by a specialist, radiological findings available)
- Local pain for more than 50% of the day in the past 3 months.
- Subjective pain intensity of local pain in the last 24 hours on a VAS scale of 0 to 10 being >4.
- No planned local treatment in the next 6 months.
- No planned intra-articular injections within the next 6 months.
- The patient must be able to understand the study explanations and appropriately follow the instructions of the investigating physician.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Chronic inflammatory joint diseases.
- Poor general health.
- Febrile diseases.
- Fibromyalgia syndrome.
- Psychotic disorders.
- Severe comorbidities.
- Acute unclear skin diseases.
- Heat urticaria.
- Painful diseases/diagnoses of the shoulder and/or arm.
- Lymphatic vessel diseases (lymphedema, lymphangitis).
- Porphyria.
- Pain-associated diseases/diagnoses of the shoulder and/or arm.
- Intra-articular injections or arthroscopies within the last 3 months.
- Previous or planned surgical procedure on the affected joints in the last 8 weeks or in the upcoming 6 months.
- Intake or application of photosensitizing drugs or extracts (e.g., porphyrins, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, psoralenes, St. John's wort).
- Systemic medication with glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants.
- Pain medication with opioid analgesics.
- Known pregnancy.
- Concurrent participation in another clinical trial.