Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects the immune system. It usually attacks joint tissues located in the fingers, thumbs, or wrists and it’s generally diagnosed between the ages of 35 and 60, especially in women.
Having this chronic condition, you may experience swelling around the joints, which leads to pain and stiffness, especially in the hands that become progressively weaker. These symptoms tend to worsen over time and, at a later stage, will affect the elbows and shoulders as well.
The most common way to relieve the pain is to take anti-inflammatory drugs, but their use should be short term.
How does rheumatoid arthritis affect hand function?
Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis often lose the ability to pinch, grip or turn objects with their hands. Simple tasks such as turning a doorknob, holding a fork or a knife or even grasping a toothbrush will soon become a problem.
Joint pain and stiffness are usually more severe in the morning because the body has stood still for several hours. With compromised hand dexterity and grip strength, most people will need assistance to perform daily tasks such as eating or grasping objects.
NUADA: A robotic glove that reduces pain and empowers hand strength!
NUADA is a soft exoskeleton that allows its users to hold and squeeze objects easily and in a very intuitive way.
To activate the system, the user simply needs to bend the wrist back and forth. This movement range is defined and controlled by the person wearing the glove.
Once the system gets activated, the powerful artificial tendons will be placed around the object that the person wants to grasp or hold. From here the desired force can be applied.
There are several reasons for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis to start wearing NUADA today! First of all, this glove is extremely light yet powerful. The user can lift and hold objects up to 40 kgs weight while keeping their hands completely relaxed. Our users report less pain while holding objects, because of the support provided by our glove structures.
There are other benefits of using this wearable device. It is discreet, non-intrusive and it feels just like a regular glove.