I’m slightly confused because my lovely physio has suggested wax bath therapy for my hands … and referred me to an occupational therapist for it. My confusion arises from the fact that I would have thought that wax bath therapy was a physio sort of thing to do and definitely not an OT thing! I wonder if the OT will say the same when I see her? I wonder how long it will take to see her, given that it took seven months to get a physio appointment.
Anyway, if anyone has ever used a wax bath could they let me know; I’d be really interested to know if it helped at all. I did find a research paper that said it could be helpful in RA if combined with exercises but not on its own – well my hands certainly get plenty of exercise with all the typing and craft stuff, and I do some simple range of motion type exercises in the mornings too, so perhaps the wax thing will do some good.
I have a paraffin wax therapy machine at home, and I love it…just the other night I double-dipped: once before my evening class, and once after.
I’ve been told that as long as my hands are not too inflamed, it is okay to use wax therapy. I usually dip, leave the wax on for about ten minutes, apply a pain-relief lotion, and then cover back up with my thermoskin arthritis gloves.
In the U.S. at least there are two commercial models. The most common is by Homedics (I think), but I got another model by Revlon. My model allows for the wax to melt in about an hour, compared to the many hours required to melt in the other model.
As an added plus, I also dip my feet on occasion. The heat is wonderful, especially when the small joints are hurting.
Good luck, I’d love to hear how it works for you!