Make Daily Activities Easier for Your Joints

Having arthritis and other conditions can make tasks like getting out of bed or standing up from a chair difficult to do. Monica Bozeman McClain, OTR, an occupational therapist at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Texas suggests that older adults focus on two things: 1.) energy conservation and 2.) joint protection.

With these two in mind, McClain suggests that seniors experiencing arthritis do the following things, to help ease joint tension:

1. Consider getting out of bed slowly. Nice and easy helps you work out the cricks you get from sleeping and makes it less painful for you to get up.
2. Get a toothbrush with a fatter handle. Since arthritis often manifests in the hands, it can be a pain for seniors to try and clutch normal-sized toothbrush handles. A looser grip will feel less uncomfortable.
3. Switch to using adaptive devices in your house and in your car. There are tons of adaptive devices on the market nowadays that can help seniors with everyday things, from sitting, standing and other things that they may find difficult to do without assistance.
4. Finally, keep the items that you often use nearby. If you see that it is something you need daily, make sure that it’s not too far away. This lessens your need to get up and put more pressure on your bones.

It’s essential that you take care of your joints when you have arthritis. Although, if the pain is unbearable or worsens, you may want to consult your healthcare team about what you can do to better manage it.