New study: App may be useful for hand osteoarthritis

Nearly half of us develop hand osteoarthritis. A new study suggests that a self-help app could make it easier to follow treatment and manage the disease in everyday life.

Hand osteoarthritis can cause fingers to become so stiff that it can be difficult to button buttons. The disease can also cause significant pain. There is no treatment that can cure osteoarthritis. The question is therefore how to live as best as possible with the disease.

Research has documented that knowledge and hand training have a positive effect on osteoarthritis. However, not everyone follows through with the exercises and advice over time. This results in less effective treatment.

Happy Hands

This study investigated how people with hand osteoarthritis experienced using the Happy Hands . This app was developed specifically for people with hand osteoarthritis. The results suggest that the app can make it easier to manage the disease in everyday life.

– The interviews also showed that many people with hand osteoarthritis experience not being taken seriously. They also experience that there is little help available, says Kristine Aasness Fjeldstad.

She is a doctoral fellow at Diakonhjemmet Hospital, where the research is taking place.

The work is a substudy of a larger randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of Happy Hands. The substudy is based on interviews with people who have used a coping program in the app for 12 weeks. The program consisted of informational videos and hand exercises.

The aim of the sub-study was to understand how participants experienced the app. The researchers analyzed the interviews and identified three main themes in the material.

Taken seriously

– A clear finding was that several people thought it was important to be part of the study, says Fjeldstad.

Some described a feeling of being seen and taken seriously – both by the researchers and through the content of the app. For many, hand osteoarthritis had previously been something they had to deal with on their own, without much support or follow-up.

New understanding of hand osteoarthritis

Through the program, participants learned what hand osteoarthritis is and what are the common symptoms. They also learned what they can do themselves. This knowledge helped to change the perception that “nothing can be done.”.

– Several people said that they went from thinking that this was just something they had to live with, to experiencing that they could influence their own situation, says Fjeldstad.

From knowledge to new habits

Many of the participants began doing the hand exercises regularly. Some incorporated them into regular routines throughout the day, supported by the app. Eventually, they were able to perform the exercises without following the instructions in the app.

Several described changing the way they performed daily activities. Small adjustments in how they used their hands at work and at home contributed to them experiencing less strain and better function. This is how knowledge was translated into practical action.

Although most people benefited from the app, the study showed that not everyone had the same experience with the program. Some experienced increased pain at times. Some stopped using the app because their life situation changed or because they wanted more variety in the exercises.

Can strengthen self-mastery

The findings suggest that such an app could be a useful intervention for hand osteoarthritis, providing access to recommended treatment in a format that is available when it is convenient for the individual.

– This can help strengthen self-management, especially for those who otherwise do not receive structured follow-up, says Fjeldstad.

At the same time, the study showed that this offer was not suitable for everyone.

– Some will still need closer follow-up in the healthcare system.

The study also points to the need for further development of the app, including better adaptation to pain and greater variation in the exercises.

– The study suggests that Happy Hands can be a valuable tool for managing everyday life with hand osteoarthritis, says Kristine Aasness Fjeldstad.

The Happy Hands app is not yet widely available

Currently, the Happy Hands app can only be used in research projects, but the developers are actively working to get it approved for general use.

Films showing hand exercises for osteoarthritis can be found here: https://www.diakonhjemmetsykehus.no/avdelinger/nkrr/filmer/handtreningsovelser/

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Facts

Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research (2026).

Hand osteoarthritis: A joint disease in the fingers and thumb base that can cause pain, stiffness and reduced function.

Method: Qualitative study with focus groups

Part of: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the effect of the Happy Hands app.

Intervention: 12 weeks of app-based program with information and hand exercises

Participants: 26 people with hand osteoarthritis from primary and specialist health services

Average age: 67 years

Data collection: 7 focus groups with semi-structured interviews

Analysis: Inductive thematic analysis (reflexive thematic analysis)

Main findings:

– Experienced being seen and taken seriously

– Gained new understanding of the disease

– Changed habits and started exercising