Living with Arthritis

Aging is something that occurs naturally and despite the many commercials and advertisements to the contrary, there is no way to prevent aging. Through the natural aging process, it is not unnatural for the brain to begin to take a little longer to process information and for the body to slow down in general, however when this happens the underlying intelligence is not affected. There are also a number of diseases and conditions that are more likely to occur in the elderly, which do in fact have a very big impact on the mind and body.

The most common disease to affect seniors is arthritis, which is a joint disorder, commonly characterized by joint inflammation, joint swelling, and reduced movement. The actual term arthritis is rather broad and refers to more than 100 different diseases, but there are two types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which represent the majority of all reported cases. Since those who are over the age of sixty five are more likely to develop arthritis and there is no direct cure for arthritis, it is usually necessary to find ways to making living with arthritis much easier.

Understanding the Triggers of Arthritis Pain

A big part of living with arthritis revolves around understanding how your arthritis works and making an effort to understand what triggers arthritis pain. Once the triggers of arthritis pain are known, it is easier to take measures to avoid putting yourself in positions where you are affected by them.

For example, say that every Wednesday, you take your laundry to the laundry room of your apartment building, but each day, you end up suffering from severe wrist pain afterwards. It is important to determine what aspect of doing the laundry is causing this pain. It could be that it is caused by carrying the laundry basket down the stairs, so start by attempting to find an alternative way of carrying the laundry. This could involve using a cart on wheels or some sort of back pack, which evenly distributes the weight of the clothes. It may also be a good idea to start splitting the laundry up and doing it twice a week, so that less stress is put on the wrists.

By spending some time troubleshooting, you can help determine what is causing the arthritis pain and then try to find ways of completing the same tasks, but so that less stress is put on your body.

Using Helper Tools

In addition to spotting tasks that contribute to your arthritis pain, it is also important to use devices and techniques that makes everyday tasks much easier.

For example, wheels can make moving loads much easier and many find that using bags with wheels can make transporting items puts much less stress on the arms and back. This could mean investing in a purse that has wheels, using a laundry system with wheels, or applying it to any other items you carry around on a regular basis.

Another problem many arthritis patients have is grasping small items. This can make using a pen or opening a door with a key extremely difficult. The key here, as it were, is to use items with bigger handles, which can make grasping small items easier. For example, a low cost way of making a pen easier to use involves simply taping the pen to a larger piece of wood. There are of course special pens made as well that have larger handles. There are also special key holders available that are specifically designed for those with arthritis and feature large easy to grasp handles.

There are also jar openers and many other aids that are specifically designed to make everyday tasks easier for arthritis patients.

Using Your existing Tools and Body More Efficiently

As much as using helper tools is important, it is also often possible to use your existing tools more efficiently.

For example, using a rolling pin can be very hard if you grasp the two handles, but by placing your palms on either side of the rolling pin itself, you can turn the pin easily without grasping the handles themselves.

Another example involves using your body to carry items by holding them close to the chest. This way, you are not only holding them with your hands and wrist, but instead your upper body is also supporting some of the weight.