It’s no secret that people with Rheumatoid Arthritis frequently have hand pain. It is commonly one of the first symptoms of those who are diagnosed with RA. Swollen and stiff joints, weakness, numbness, and pain, are all too common among the hands of those with RA.
Online forums for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are often filled with people seeking relief and asking for suggestions to ease their chronic hand pain. Compression gloves are often recommended, which many RA warriors swear by, for helping to bring relief. More recently, though, there has been much talk about these portable hand massage units which offer a powerful compression massage and can help to ease the pain.
As someone who suffers from chronic hand pain, I was eager to try one of these massagers out. I was thrilled to be gifted this one from Handology in exchange for my HONEST opinion on it.

Receiving the Handology Hand Massager
My Handology package arrived very quickly and was packaged well to protect it from the bumps and bruises it might experience in the shipping process. I live up north so packages have a long way to travel to get to me and can be worse for the wear sometimes, but this one was well packaged and protected.
The box contains a tagline which I love ” Your Hands Need A Vacation“. I couldn’t agree more!

My Handology Experience
I love the portability of this unit and the ability to use it anywhere since it’s wireless. It was fully charged and ready to go when it arrived. It came with a USB-C cord for charging.
The compression on this machine is quite surprising, it packs a powerful punch hidden behind the light frame. If you love the feeling of compression, then you are in for a treat!
There are three modes of massage (gentle, soothing, strong) however I found them similar and hard to distinguish between them. There are two hand sizes to choose from: his/her options. Heat is optional and adds a very subtle yet comforting warmth to the experience. The lining of the unit has little bumps all over it which are designed to help activate pressure points on the hand.

I know everyone is different but I generally find compression comforting, and when my hands are in pain I often go to my husband and ask him to squeeze my hands…this massager would definitely do the trick and would enable me that relief even when I’m alone.
The single charge lasted several massages. I easily enjoyed a massage at my desk, on the couch, in my bedroom, and it would be easy to bring it on the go if I wanted to bring it into the office. (This might be a nice treat at coffee break time to give some extra attention to my tired typing fingers!)
Compression Strength
I contacted Handology as I was curious about the strength of the compression, I felt like for some people the pressure might be too much. They explained how they had an earlier model that wasn’t as strong, but after consultations with arthritis specialists, they concluded that the intensity needed to be there in order to receive the benefits of it.
I currently don’t have joint deformities in my hands, so I’m not sure how this would feel if you did have deformities. My left hand enjoys the compression massage more than my right hand. I have swelling and the beginning of some deformities on my right hand, so it just depends on the day and the amount of swelling as to whether the massage feels enjoyable or if it feels like too much. There was a time, years ago, when I couldn’t even handle a gentle handshake, let alone a firm handshake, but my hands are less sensitive now and I find the compression to be soothing in small doses (the 15 minute timer is the perfect amount fo me).

Summary – Pros & Cons
Everyone’s opinions or experiences may be different, but these are the pros and cons in my opinion.
PROS
- Easy to use
- Portable – Wireless
- Lightweight
- Rechargeable – no batteries required
- Helps to improve blood circulation
- Strong compression massage
- Massage is slow and calming
- Gentle heat is soothing
- Automatic shut off after 15 minutes
- Satisfaction Guarantee (You can see their refund policy here. Please note there is a re-stock fee)
CONS
- Compression may be too strong for those with sensitive hands or deformities
- The three different modes are very similar and hard to distinguish between
Conclusion
If you enjoy firm pressure/compression and find it comforting for your hands, then this may be a product worth investing in. You can add it into your daily or weekly self-care routine, to give those hands some extra love, attention, and relief.
If you want to get YOUR hands on this hand massager you can check out Handology.co .
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I bought one on your recommendation and love it – but have no deformities. My neighbour, however, does, and it was not useful to her and you do need to be able to start with a relatively flat hand.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoy yours and thank you for confirming my suspicions about deformities, that’s really useful to know.