Doctors and physical therapists share the tools that help their patients live with less pain and more mobility.
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If you’re part of the 21% of American adults who deal with achy, stiff or swollen joints from arthritis and other similar conditions, you know how difficult it can be to do ordinary tasks during a flare-up. Something as seemingly straightforward as buttoning pants or gripping a spoon can be incredibly painful — if not impossible.
Because arthritis can manifest in different ways, each person’s experience is uniquely hard. For instance, “the degenerative changes caused by rheumatoid arthritis create painful, swollen joints and atrophy of the muscles, which can make simple movements like grasping and gripping very challenging,” says Kristen Gasnick, P.T., D.P.T., a board-certified doctor of physical therapy practicing in outpatient rehabilitation in Livingston, New Jersey.
Fortunately, there are tools that not only reduce pain and lessen the strain that arthritis puts on damaged joints, but also help people with the condition maintain their independence. To help you figure out the best products for arthritis in your hands, we asked top physical therapists and physicians to share the products that have helped their arthritis patients the most.
Continue reading to find out what tools might help with your arthritis and what complementary treatments might be worth looking into so you can feel better.
What types of arthritis can affect the hands?
No matter what kind of arthritis you have, it can result in pain, swelling and stiffness in the wrist and the joints of the hand and fingers. A variety of conditions can affect the health of your joints, but arthritic conditions fall into these two categories:
For some people, arthritis pain and stiffness comes and goes and an occasional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen) will keep them comfortable, says John Dowdle, MD, a hand and upper extremity surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Sadly, that’s not the case for everyone.
“You should visit a doctor for arthritis of the hands when significant pain and joint stiffness interfere with your daily activities,” says Gasnick. “Arthritis is typically progressive, meaning that it gets worse over time. If treatment isn’t started early on, your arthritis can get worse and cause significant issues with your day-to-day tasks.”
In particular, she notes, you should flag swelling, redness, warmth or tenderness to your doctor because they can be signs of an autoimmune form of arthritis that requires a specific treatment plan.
There are a variety of treatment options for arthritis:
Neoprene compression gloves help reduce swelling, stiffness and joint pain. They also provide support when holding or gripping something, says Alex Sherman, PT, a physical therapist at Riverdale Sports Physical Therapy in New York City. “If you wear them while you sleep, it can help you wake up with less stiffness.” The open finger design of these gloves also means you can wear them throughout the day to perform tasks with more ease, she adds.
More and more research suggests that cannabidiol (CBD, a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant) can help relieve arthritis pain. “CBD creams have been quite beneficial without THC,” says Dr. Henry. “It’s not a pill, and it can be applied topically and has provided relief for many people.” R&R is the brand she recommends to her patients.
Putty can help people with rheumatoid arthritis perform hand exercises such as squeezing, pinching, stretching and rolling, according to some research. Having your own set like this, which includes several different resistance levels, means that you can do any exercises that your healthcare provider recommends from the comfort of your home between office visits.
Grasping a small button and pulling it through a button-hole sounds easy enough, but if you’re in the midst of an arthritis flare up, getting dressed may be a painful and frustrating ordeal. This dressing aid can be a game-changer, says Sherman, thanks to its comfortable (and easy-to-grip) handle and semi-flexible wire that can squeeze through small buttonholes on blouses, sweaters and more.
We all know how frustrating it can be when you try to occasionally open a tight lock, but if you have arthritis, that frustration may occur every day with locks that aren’t even stuck. That’s why Gasnick is a fan of this product, which holds up to three keys in place so you can unlock doors by turning the big handle instead of a tiny, hard-to-grip key. (Just be sure to read the specifications before purchasing to make sure your keys will fit on it.)
Bending over to put on your shoes should be simple. Yet, stiffness and swelling in your hands can make it difficult, especially when shoes are tight. If you also have arthritis in your neck, back or hips, it can be doubly tough. Fortunately, an adjustable shoe horn can help, says Sherman. The handle on this model can be adjusted between 16 inches and 31 inches, making it ideal for people of different heights. There’s also a spring connection between the shoehorn and the handle, which means you can insert the shoehorn into your shoes from different angles.
For many, RA causes deformities in the finger joints, says Gasnick. “Degenerative changes in the hands and fingers can create painful, swollen joints and atrophy of the muscles of the hands, making fine motor skills and the ability to grasp and grip utensils challenging,” she says. “Adaptive utensils like these are good for reducing stress on the finger joints.” The wide, ribbed handles with raised, textured grips also help improve control and dexterity — important skills when grasping and gripping become difficult.
Both Gasnick and Dr. Dowdle recommend at-home paraffin baths to people with arthritis in their hands. “I tell my patients to dip their hands in the warm, melted wax until they’re fully encased, then remove them from the wax long enough for it to harden before dipping again,” says Gasnick. This process is repeated about 10 times, followed by covering the hands with thermal mitts (included with the bath!) for 15 minutes to seal in the heat. “The warm paraffin wax applied all over the hands and wrists helps the heat penetrate deep into the finger joints, offering amazing relief,” says Gasnick. Bonus: Your hands will be softer than ever.
The soft grip handle on this kitchen gadget will make opening jars a lot easier — a task that’s often tough for patients with RA, says Gasnick. Even better, this assistive tool can be mounted under a cabinet to provide even more leverage for weak hands.
For arthritis patients who use a walker, these hand grips provide extra cushioning—minimizing excess strain on already weakened joints. “The inflammatory processes of rheumatoid arthritis causes progressive joint destruction," says Gasnick. "Too much pressure on your wrists and hands can make things worse. These hand grips minimize that pressure.”
Kaitlyn Phoenix is a deputy editor in the Hearst Health Newsroom, where she reports, writes and edits research-backed health content for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day. She has more than 10 years of experience talking to top medical professionals and poring over studies to figure out the science of how our bodies work. Beyond that, Kaitlyn turns what she learns into engaging and easy-to-read stories about medical conditions, nutrition, exercise, sleep and mental health. She also holds a B.S. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University.
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