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Media Releases
Handshake or Agony? Time to Rethink Our Greeting Tradition
Columbia, Mo. (Apr. 11, 2006) - A handshake--simple etiquette we practice throughout our whole life without giving it a second thought. We meet someone, extend our hand, grip the other's palm firmly, and then--simply shake. But what if the hand you are shaking is stiff, swollen and aching from arthritis?
With 70 million people having arthritis in the United States today, chances are that one out of three people you come across is affected. For this population, especially those with arthritis of the hand, a vigorous handshake that is supposed to exude confidence, sincerity and warmth probably is not a pleasant experience.
"An American traditional firm handshake can be a complete agony," Kathy Donovan Hanson puts it in a quite straightforward way. A senior researcher at the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC), Hanson is used to thinking in the shoes of her research subjects. She is dedicated to making the society more arthritis-friendly. The problem with a firm handshake, explains the researcher, lies in the smashing, crushing and twisting of the knuckles, joints and bones, which can lead to intense pain in the hand and the wrist.
As more social occasions--especially weddings--come up on the calendar, Donovan Hanson suggests it might be the time to give it a little thought before we reach out our hands. "This also applies to the business setting. Would it be good for business if you cause a customer to cry or wince with your well-intentioned but joint-crushing handshake?" she asks.
From the standpoint of those with arthritis, there are things one can do to avoid the unnecessary pain from a handshake. Hide your right hand in a pocket or fill your right hand with some objects may do the trick. However, if you can't avoid a handshake, Hanson suggests you to try the patented handshake invented by rheumatologist William C. Shiel.
Instead of extending your hand in the vertical position with thumb pointing up, the new handshake instructs the person with arthritis to reach out with the palm facing down, which forces the other person to grasp your hand palm up. "This hand position alters the dynamics and is much less powerful," Hanson explains, "It is also less likely for the bones to be crushed in this hand position."
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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