ADVICE FROM DR. ARTHRITIS: HANDY TOOLS FOR ARTHRITIC HANDS

Last week, we wrote about some of the most clever tools available in the market today to help anyone suffering from chronic joint pain manage their condition better. And we truly hope that you find our recommendations useful.

But we wanted to drill down to the specifics. After all, arthritis affects numerous parts of your body—and that means you’ll need specific tools and aids to help you manage them effectively.

So today, we wanted to highlight the best tools for one of the most common areas affected by arthritis: your hands.

Anchored on our experience with the disease and the countless conversations and consultations we’ve had from people who share this condition, here are our top picks for handy tools to help you manage arthritic hands.

1. Compression Gloves

Compression gloves are specifically designed to reduce pain symptoms and swelling by providing gradual compression that encourages efficient blood flow to your hands. Regularly wearing them can alleviate pain, improve mobility, and give arthritis sufferers more functionality.

There are numerous options available of course, and it all comes down to choosing the right one. For instance, our line is recognized for its copper-infused fabric, which provides anti-bacterial properties and comes in very handy when you consider that you have to use compression gloves everyday. We also developed a line specifically for women.

It’s also important to make sure that you purchase your gloves from a trusted brand. While brands try to provide standard sizing, it’s typical for sufferers to go through a lot of trial and error before the right size and pair. This means you need a brand that will help facilitate exchanges and answer your questions to address your concerns.

2. Writing aids

People who suffer from arthritis struggle with anything that requires gripping and turning; this includes simple tasks writing.

North Coast’s Ergowriter is a simple tool developed by occupational therapists to help alleviate pain experienced from gripping pens or pencils. It helps comfortably position the thumb to reduce stress and pressure on the wrist, fits most standard pens and pencils, and can be used whether you’re left or right handed.  

3. Door knob Covers

Gripping becomes a problem for people who have to deal with arthritic hands. Great Grips makes it a whole lot easier for anyone who suffers from swollen fingers and joints or painful wrists to turn doorknobs. It serves as an inexpensive alternative to completely replacing awkward doorknobs.

4. Knob Turners

Twisting your hands to turn appliances on and off can be difficult when you suffer from arthritis. This universal grip turner is made to fit most burners knobs, turn keys, and washing machines so that you don’t have to struggle with twisting your wrist to operate household appliances.

5. Hand Exercisers

Gentle exercise for your fingers and hands are very helpful when you’re trying to strengthen your hand and improve your grip. This portable hand exerciser is a flexible, durable device that can help strengthen your wrist, forearm, and elbow. It also comes with a handy instruction guide to help ensure proper use and deliver effective results.

If you suffer from arthritis of the hand and know of any more tools (such as thumb support or ankle support)
that have helped you manage your pain, maintain independence, and improve your quality of life, leave a comment and tell us all about it below.