By Angelica Bottaro 

 Medically reviewed by David Ozeri, MD

Arthritis gloves, or compression gloves, are specialized gloves designed to reduce pain for people with arthritic conditions that affect the hands. They are meant to be worn during the day to improve a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. Wearing them at night improves sleep, morning stiffness, and pain. They should be worn for a minimum of eight hours per day to see effects and not for 24 hours straight.1 They can benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis (UIA).

This article discusses the benefits of wearing arthritis gloves, what they are made of, and when to wear them to improve symptoms.

nito100 / Getty Images

Wearing Gloves for Arthritis: What Are the Benefits?

Arthritis gloves are meant to reduce pain and stiffness in people with arthritic conditions affecting the joints in the hand and wrist.

While the science behind the benefits is lacking, research has found some validity to claims that they work. Some of the possible benefits associated with wearing arthritis gloves include:23

• Increased warmth on the hands

• Reduced pain

• Reduced swelling and stiffness in the morning if worn throughout the night

• Increased grip strength

• Increased pinch strength

• Improved range of motion

• Improved dexterity

It is thought that the compression caused by the gloves helps to remove fluid that causes swelling and, by doing so, reduces pain and stiffness. Arthritis gloves have varying levels of pressure and can yield different results.

Studies investigating the use of arthritis gloves found that these effects, although positive, were heavily influenced by changing conditions of people's arthritis, such as weather changes or when they take their pain medication.

Because of that, a combination of wearing gloves while continuing with other interventions for arthritis pain appears to be the best approach. Some people involved in the study also reported that they made no difference compared to wearing regular gloves.3

Downsides of Arthritis Gloves

While the gloves can help with some pain felt in arthritic conditions, there are also downsides. Research shows that people often forgo wearing arthritis gloves for aesthetic and social reasons. Not wanting to wear them around others or outside the home can reduce their benefits.3

When to Wear Arthritis Gloves

Arthritis gloves can be worn day and night. During the day, you can wear them as long as you need to help with symptoms, removing them occasionally. It is recommended to wear them for at least eight hours to experience effects, and they should not be worn 24 hours per day.1

They should be avoided while driving since the gloves can interfere with gripping a steering wheel, affecting your safety. Arthritis gloves can be worn while you sleep. At first, wear them during the day to to get used to them.

In some cases, wearing arthritis gloves for too long can lead to adverse effects, such as:4

• Numbness

• Pins and needles

• Itchy skin or skin irritation caused by an allergic reaction to the glove materials

• Sleep disturbances

Wearing arthritis gloves day and night can help with symptoms. However, you should be mindful of any other effects and speak to your healthcare provider if you find they are not helping or are causing any of the above-mentioned effects.4

Starting Off With Arthritis Gloves

While arthritis gloves can be worn day and night, when you are first trying them, you should avoid wearing them for too long at one time. Short periods are better so that you can get used to them and gauge any adverse reactions.

Arthritis Glove Materials and Sizing

Compression gloves can be made of several different materials, including:24

• Lycra

• Nylon

• Cotton

• Neoprene

• Copper fibers

• Nylon and elastane blends

Arthritis gloves should feel snug on your hands but not overly tight. Most brands of arthritis gloves come in several sizes.

When choosing the right size, you’ll want to start by taking different measurements of your dominant hand. One measurement is from the top of your wrist to the tip of your middle finger and measures length.

For the width measurement, wrap the tape measure around your hand just below the knuckles, avoiding the thumb. The sizes and their correlated measurements are:

Popular Arthritis Glove Brands

Arthritis gloves come in many brands, including:

• Vive Health

• Dr. Frederick’s

• Copper Compression

• Orthosleeve

• IMAK

• ComfyBrace

• Hempvana

Summary

There is minimal research on using arthritis gloves for pain and improved symptoms. That said, studies have shown that they can help in various ways, such as reducing swelling, improving hand strength, and helping with dexterity. Adverse effects associated with their use include numbness or allergic reactions to the materials used.

Arthritis gloves should be used in combination with other therapies and are not meant to replace any treatment or medication. When using arthritis gloves, speak to a healthcare provider if you notice any negative reactions to the gloves. They are not suitable for everyone.

Sources

CreakyJoints.org. Arthritis gloves: Do they actually relieve swelling and pain?

Nasir SH, Troynikov O, Massy-Westropp N. Therapy gloves for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A review. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2014 Dec;6(6):226-37. doi:10.1177/1759720X14557474

Prior Y, Bartley C, Adams J, Firth J, Culley J, O'Neill TW, Hammond A. Does wearing arthritis gloves help with hand pain and function? A qualitative study into patients' views and experiences. Rheumatol Adv Pract. 2022 Feb 12;6(1):rkac007. doi:10.1093/rap/rkac007

NHS St. Georges University Hospitals. Compression gloves.

By Angelica Bottaro
Angelica Bottaro is a professional freelance writer with over 5 years of experience. She has been educated in both psychology and journalism, and her dual education has given her the research and writing skills needed to deliver sound and engaging content in the health space.