• Tip: Support Joints
• Tip: Maximize Hand Strength
• Tip: Save Energy
• Tip: Prevent Stiffness
• Tip: Increase Agility and Mobility

One in seven Americans (that's 43 million people, according to the latest Arthritis Foundation data) suffer from arthritis. As baby boomers age, that number is expected to reach 60 million by 2020, say The National Arthritis Data Workshop and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

The staff of Dynamic Living, Inc. believes that the right tools and techniques can help arthritis sufferers maintain their independence. Joint inflammation caused by arthritis can turn routine tasks into painful obstacles. It's important not to get discouraged.

Arthritis does not have to rule your life. You can overcome many barriers caused by arthritis with a little ingenuity and the right tools. At one time, doctors used to advise people with arthritis to rest, especially during flare-ups. However, we now know that inactivity leads to stiff joints, weak muscles and low energy levels. Today, most doctors recommend a strategic balance between rest and activity. With more than 100 different forms of arthritis, it's important to discuss your personal situation with your doctor. There are many low cost ways to help take care of daily tasks around the home. When shopping for products to assist an arthritis sufferer, look for tools that provide the following benefits:

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Tip: Support Joints.

Tender fingers, wrists and knees can make the simplest tasks a painful exercise. Opening drawers and cupboard doors, for example, is a frequently repeated task. Reduce resistance by lubricating drawer-runners with oil. Then, take the pressure off individual joints by looping a piece of rope through handles on cupboards and drawers. Make the loop big enough to slip an arm through so that the force of the whole body helps pull open doors and drawers.

To relieve strain on hips, back and knees, sit on a high stool while cooking, washing dishes or working on crafts projects.

When seated in most chairs, or on the toilet, your hips and buttocks are positioned higher than your knees. This forces the knees to do most of the work in lifting the body out of a sitting position. To ease the strain on your knees, raise the height of the seat or look for seating alternatives.

• Lift Chair Recliners provide the needed boost to get you up and off of the chair with minimal use of your knees.

• The Uplift Manual Seat Assist or Uplift Power Lift Seat are also options. These lifting cushions add two inches to the height of the chair when you are seated. For the manual version, simply shift your weight forward and push off gently with your arms and/or legs. The Power Lift Seat is controlled by a hand control. Both lift seats will help to gently raise you up to an almost standing position.

• The Toilevator is a spacer that goes beneath your toilet and raises the seat 3" so you don't have to rise as far. The Toilevator is less likely to move, like the surface toilet seats, and it is much less noticeable aesthetically.

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Tip: Maximize Hand Strength.

Leverage is a key design element in many assistive products because it maximizes your effort with minimal energy.

• Replace faucets and doorknobs with levered handles. Great Grips are doorknob covers that enable you to grip and twist handles, knobs or faucets with less effort. These soft covers are easy to install - just soak them in hot water for a few minutes then stretch over any doorknob or handle. The small, extended lever makes it easy to turn the knob. The door knob lever adapter is another way to inexpensively adapt an existing knob.

• For hands-free faucet operation, try the EZ-Flo water control valve. Simply place your hand (or wrist) under the faucet and by moving the rod off-center the water is released. Set your desired water temperature and leave it on. Releasing the rod will allow it to return to center, shutting the water off. Another option is the the infrared EZ Faucet™ adapter.

• Look for key turners that give you more holding surface and the Universal Turner, a handle that can help with the gas cap on your car or the knob on your stove.

Look for utensils with larger handles. For example, Oxo kitchen and hardware tools are designed with soft oversized handles and good leverage. For an inexpensive alternative, use foam tubing (or pipe insulation) to make handles thicker and easier to grasp, from toothbrushes to gardening tools.

For additional support and comfort for your hands, try mild compression gloves that insulate the hand. The additional warmth improves circulation and increases flexibility.

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Tip: Save Energy.

Whenever possible, reduce the number of steps it takes to accomplish a task.

• A Portable Shopping Cart can help carry groceries or laundry.

• A basket at both the top and bottom of the stairs can cut down on the number of times you climb up and down during the day.

• A sheet of wax paper on the table top while doing crafts or cooking eliminates a lot of wiping and scrubbing when it's time to clean up. Simply crumple and toss the paper when you're done.

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Tip: Prevent Stiffness.

Remain physically active by engaging in a number of small motor skill activities.

• Use a kitchen timer to remind you to stretch every 30 minutes when working on a hobby or task for long periods of time.

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Tip: Increase Agility and Mobility.

Make it easier to reach, bend and maneuver.

• To get at hard-to-reach objects on the top shelf or to pick up dropped items without bending, try a Reacher. The pistol grip allows for a full, four-finger trigger making it easier to grasp any object. The secure lock handles slightly heavier objects.

• Consider long handled tools, like a comb, back scrubber and dressing stick. These items alleviate uncomfortable stretching that some tasks require.

• Try Button Tabs as an alternative to buttons. These fasteners provide easy press together closure. They fit most standard button holes and are machine washable.

Arthritis does not automatically sentence you to a life of inactivity and dependence on others. In many cases, the level of independence you can achieve is limited only by your willingness to approach some of the same old tasks a new way.

Please visit our Arthritis Aids page for more helpful products.

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© Copyright 2001 Dynamic Living, Inc.
Dynamic Living Newsletter may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission from the editor must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter.

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