Hacks That Can Help with Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Hand Pain in Vacaville

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can cause pain, stiffness, or swelling in your hands which could make daily chores challenging. However, there are assistive devices on the market in Vacaville that could save your joints and conserve your energy.

Unfortunately, there will be instances where you won't have access to your specially purchased gadgets. Or perhaps you don't want to spend money on something that you're not going to use too often. If that is the case, knowing these "hacks" are a clever way of repurposing tools that you already own.

You can use these things in a way that could help your RA hand pain, especially if the specially made items aren't handy.

assistive devices on the market in Vacaville

So, the next time your hand pain strikes, follow these creative ways so that you can still carry on with your tasks:

1. Use a kitchen sponge for stability - If you're gripping a mixing bowl in a pinching manner while stirring, it could make it tough on your joints. To make it more convenient, you can place a damp sponge under it so that it will stay in place without the need for extra hand support. If a sponge is not available, you can also use a damp cloth since it can be equally effective.
2. Use headband as pullers - When you have RA, you will find it convenient to pull things with your forearms instead of your fingers. This is the reason why using headbands with Velcro closures on the refrigerator and oven doors are recommended. You can easily loop your arm into it before pulling.
3. Use cuticle scissors for cutting condiment packets - If you have tiny packs of condiments at a restaurant or at home, it can be difficult and painful to open them even though it used to be simple. This is the reason why cuticle scissors are a must-have item for RA patients since it could make the task easier for them. If the scissors have a larger, padded grip, then it's even better.
4. Use a potholder when ironing clothes - Lifting something like iron can tax your joints, which is why experts suggest that you slide the iron as much as possible. When adjusting the item you're de-wrinkling, you should have a potholder on the ironing board so that you can easily slide the iron onto it until you're ready to use it on the garment again.
5. Try an apron as a tool belt - When you're doing some cleaning or minor repairs around the house, holding supplies like hammer and nails when you're not using them can cause fatigue on your fingers. But with the help of a kitchen apron, you can easily store them in its pockets until you need to use them.
6. Stick a tennis ball on your toothbrush - If your toothbrush doesn't have a specially made grip, you can simply slice a tennis ball and insert the handle end inside. This will provide you with a larger surface to grip onto during the time that you will be brushing.