Hand Joint Protection: Simple Tips to Make Tasks Easier and Protect Your Joints
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can cause debilitating changes in the hands. The progressive stiffness and pain can impact your ability to grasp items and perform simple everyday tasks such as food preparation, dressing and turning doorknobs – activities that can also place damaging stresses on these delicate hand joints.
Hand joint protection techniques offer ways to be gentle on your joints, helping you prevent damage and feel and function better. All it takes is a few simple changes.
Modify everyday items
Small diameter handles are more difficult to hold. Building up the handle of a toothbrush, razor, pen or pencil by placing it in a small piece of foam tubing helps to enlarge the handle and will make grasping it easier.
Use the best tool for the job
Writing: Use a pen with a large-barreled rubber grip to place less stress on your hand joints.
Utensils: Choose utensils with bigger handles made of non-slip material.
Preparing food: Specialized adaptive knives with upright handles allow the wrist to remain in a neutral position when cutting and preparing foods. In addition, you can purchase a cutting board with nail pegs that will stabilize food and not require the hand to position or hold it in place.
Opening a jar: Inexpensive, specialized jar openers are available that use the stronger muscles of the arm and leverage to open a new or tight jar lid.
Cutting: Automatic scissors use a spring to open the scissors repeatedly and reduce the work of the hand when cutting.
Let the big joints do more of the work
Distributing forces more across the stronger, larger joints of the arm and body can protect the fingers and wrist. When reading or using a tablet, rest the object in the open palms of your hands instead of grasping the sides for long periods. You can also use a lap desk or book stand in place of your hands. Carry tote bags or purses with a shoulder strap or cross body strap as opposed to holding them by a small handle.
Hand joint pain from arthritis can impair many daily activities. It’s important to protect your joints so they function well for your entire life. Simple modification of everyday items, using the ideal-shaped tool or utensil, and transferring the load to larger joints can help preserve the health of your hands.