PURPOSE: This meta-analysis examined the effects of foot orthoses (FO) on pain and disability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. METHODS: Medline, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Embase, SPORT SciELO, and CINAHL were searched through July 2014 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of orthoses on pain and disability in RA patients. Two reviewers selected studies independently. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. RESULTS: Three studies, involving 110 patients who received FO and 108 control patients, met the study criteria. Relative to controls, FO had a positive impact on pain (WMD 0.40; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.57). Between group differences in disability were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: FO may improve pain in RA patients, but their impact on disability remains undetermined. Additional large RCTs are needed to investigate the effects of these devices in RA patients.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher