What should you know about paraffin hand therapy?

A therapist checks the skin and sensation before applying layers of warm, liquid paraffin or using a wax bath according to the treatment plan. The wax holds gentle heat around the hand and wrist for a limited session, after which it is removed. This may temporarily make joints and soft tissues feel more comfortable and mobile, allowing stretching, tendon gliding, or strengthening to follow. It does not repair a fracture, release a compressed nerve, or correct a contracture by itself.

Use paraffin only at a temperature and duration chosen by a trained clinician. Tell the therapist about reduced sensation, fragile skin, open wounds, infection, circulation problems, or difficulty sensing heat. Treatment may be paired with hand therapy for conditions such as hand osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, stiffness after a distal radius fracture, or selected tendon problems. The active part of rehabilitation usually includes movement practice and home exercises after the heat has been removed.

Stop the session and tell the therapist if the wax feels painfully hot, causes burning, itching, marked redness, blistering, or dizziness. Seek medical advice for a new swollen, hot, draining, or increasingly painful hand, or for sudden weakness, colour change, or loss of sensation. A therapist should reassess the plan if stiffness is worsening or function is not improving.

Is heat appropriate for my diagnosis and skin condition? Can I sense temperature reliably in the hand? What exercises should follow the session? How often should the treatment be used? Would a different hand-therapy technique be safer or more useful for my goals?