Arthritis- Performing Tasks Easier without the Pain

May is National Arthritis Month.  Therefore, it is a great time to focus on fixing your arthritis pain.  Do you hurt after preparing a meal?  Do you have difficulty doing everyday things or leisure activities?  If so, it may be worth while taking time to find a simpler or easier way to do them. 

Identify – what are you having difficulty or pain doing?

Analyze – is there another way of doing it?  Do you need equipment to make it easier?

Explore – are their new products (or old ones like a buttoner) that will make the task easier or less painful?

Organize – look for ways to make what you use frequently easily available between shoulder and hip height.  “Use your head, not your back.”

I have found a few items very helpful and readily available.  Here are a few suggestions.

1. Reacher – long handled gadget for reaching.  Look in the pharmacy area of discount stores like Walmart.

2. Long handled shoehorn – I found an inexpensive one at Cabela’s in the shoe section.

3. Elastic shoe laces or curly laces – My patient told me that Payless carries these.

4. Electric jar/can opener – I saw one at Sears in the kitchen department.  It is made by Black and Decker.

 

If you have found something that has helped you let us know what it was and where you found it.

 

Susan Gordon, PT

Lead Arthritis Therapist