7 Hacks That Can Help Rheumatoid Arthritis Hand Pain

Sometimes you’re not near your specially purchased gadgets. Or maybe you don’t want to spend money on an item you might not use too often. That’s where "hacks" come in. Hacks are a clever way of repurposing tools you already have in new and useful ways.

“You can transform things that are on hand in a way that’s helpful, especially if the specially made items aren’t handy,” says Genie Lieberman, director of the physical rehabilitation institute at the Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida.

Here are seven hacks to consider for help with painful hand joints:

1. Use a kitchen sponge for stability. Gripping a mixing bowl in a pinching manner while you stir the contents is tough on the joints. But if you place a damp sponge under the bowl, it will stay in place with much less hand support. A damp cloth is equally effective.

2. Try an apron as tool belt. Whether you’re doing minor repair work or cleaning around the house, holding supplies like a hammer and nails or a scrubber and sponge when you’re not actually using them fatigues your fingers. If you wear a kitchen apron, you can store the items in the pockets until you need to use them.

3. Use headbands as pullers. When you have RA, it’s better to pull things with your forearms rather than your fingers. That’s why she suggests wrapping headbands with Velcro closures on the refrigerator and oven doors. Simply loop your arm into it before you pull.

4. Try cuticle scissors for cutting condiment packets. Those tiny packs of ketchup, mustard, and other condiments served in many family-style restaurants can be painful to open. That’s why some people with RA keep a dedicated cuticle scissor in their purse or car to use on these packets. If you get a scissor with a larger, padded grip, all the better.

5. Stick a tennis ball on your toothbrush. If you don’t have a specially made grip for your toothbrush, simply slice a tennis ball and insert the handle end inside. This gives you a larger surface area to hold during the two minutes you should be brushing.

6. Bring your pot holder to your ironing board. Lifting a heavy iron is murder on your joints, which is why experts suggest you slide the iron as much as possible. What do you do when you have to adjust the item you’re de-wrinkling? Keep a potholder on the ironing board and slide the iron onto it until you’re ready to slide it onto the garment again.

7. Try dryer sheets or rubber bands to help with gripping. Opening lids of jars is one of the hardest actions when you have RA. Using a dryer sheet, which stops your fingers from sliding, enhances your grip. Another alternative is to place rubber bands on the jars, which similarly increases your traction. Use big bands for pickle-sized jars, and smaller bands for nail polish.

Source: everydayhealth.com

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