More Comfortable Environment for the Arthritis Sufferer

I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all found that in just about every situation that we find ourselves in, the fact that we suffer from arthritis poses some kind of problem. For the next few posts, I’ll try to show some changes that can be made so as to help towards giving some pain relief, and making things a trifle easier.

If we look and try hard enough, a solution can be found for just about any problem. Maybe we cannot get rid of our arthritis, but we can modify our environment, whether it be in the home, at the workplace, or travelling. We can do this without any special arthritis relief aids or major adjustments. A lot of things which can help can be bought fairly cheaply at a chemist’s, discount store, by mail order, or online.

I’ll run through basic things that can be done around the home first of all. Try to arrange furniture so that you will have an easy and safe passage through each room. Have something such as a strong table near where you like to sit if you need help when getting up. If you can feel drafts in a room, find out where they’re coming from, and find a way of eliminating them. Rearrange your cupboards etc. so that your most frequently used things are within easy reach. If you have standard door knobs, get lever handles that fit over them, so that the doors will be easier to open. If you’re buying items that have to be carried or pushed, such as a vacuum cleaner, make sure that you get the lightest ones available. Build up the handles of hard to hold tools with pipe insulation or bubble wrap. Try to have long handled utensils, feather dusters for example.

A few years ago, a mate of mine who worked in a woollen mill gave me a stack of bobbin holders (hard plastic cylindrical tubes which fit into each other), and they have proved invaluable. I fit the handle, say, of a paintbrush into one of them, then add as many as I need to, depending on the job to be done. The finished ceiling might not be up to Sistine Chapel standards, but I get satisfaction from the fact that I’ve managed to achieve something with improvisation. Step stools are also very handy to have around to deal with items that are above normal reach. Replace hard snapping light switches with soft touch wall switchplates and touch attachments for lamps. Moving lower down, if you cannot carpet all the floors, put a rug or rubber mat wherever you stand for longer periods of time, such as at the kitchen sink, and get rid of other scatter rugs in case you trip on them, especially if you use a walking stick or crutch. I’ll have a look at changes that can be made in individual rooms in my next post.