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THE PLAN: Protect Your Joints and They Will Serve You Better
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Have you ever heard the phrase work smarter not harder? This should be the mantra for your joint protection plan. Strategies for protecting your joints, techniques and labor saving products are all part of a well thought out joint protection plan. Together with your physical therapist you can customize THE PLAN. Arthritic joints that have lost the shock absorber value of the cartilage do not tolerate as much stress as normal joints. So pushing, pulling or twisting motions can cause pain. A good plan can reduce stress and subsequent pain.
One of the greatest strategies for reducing the load placed on the weight bearing joints of the body is to maintain your ideal weight. We all know what we should weigh, but knowing and doing are not always the same. If you want to know how stressful it is on your body to weigh an additional 30 pounds, carry a 30-pound bag around for an hour and monitor the effects. Are you much more fatigued? Do your knees become more sore or swollen than usual? Maintaining idea weight can be a chore but one that your health care team can assist you with if you have the motivation. Working together with your health care team or in a group can make all the difference.
We hear a lot about protecting the joints of the arms and legs, but what about the numerous joints of the spine? It is also important to care for them. The spinal joints move more freely if the spine is properly aligned. As you walk by a mirror glance at yourself and see if your spine is straight and your head is not forward of your shoulders. The ears should be in line with the shoulders. If this is not the case, stand up straighter and try to maintain this position most of the time. If you find you have lost the ability to stand up straight a consultation with a physical therapist can be helpful. An upright sitting position is also important. Oftentimes we slouch down in the chair not sitting on the buttocks, as was intended, but we sit on the sacral bone, better know as the tailbone. This puts a lot of stress on the joints and the discs of the back. With arthritis joints tend to get stiff. Frequently changing positions can really spare the joints of the spine. So it is wise to interrupt sitting every 30 minutes, to limit standing to 15 or 20 minutes and to rest the arms periodically during tasks. Also remember to balance heavy tasks with lighter ones during the day.
Consider the many ways to conserve energy and reduce the wear and tear on joints. For example, when you enter a room, choose a higher chair preferably with arms that will make getting up and down easier. Carrying objects closer to the body, while using both arms to lift better distributes the load. Always choose a work surface high enough that you do not have to bend over to do your work. A sewing table or kitchen counter top is a great place to wrap Christmas gifts, if you haven't decided that gift bags are the way to go. While at work or at home sitting at the computer, the surface should be 2 inches below your forearm with the elbow at a right angle. You should always sit in a straight back chair with your feet resting on the floor.
Let's don't forget to hand it to our hands.... It is very important that we care for our hands, especially in people with rheumatoid arthritis. We as hand therapists want to reduce the development of deformities. Having to squeeze a utensil harder increases the stress on joints. By using a sheet of rubber or a commercial jar opener you can greatly reduce the amount of force required opening jars. Using both hands to lift a pan rather than one distributes the force between your two hands. Lifting a pan with one hand tends to push the fingers toward the little finger side of the hand, which promotes deformity. Using your hand as a hammer is a no-no. Take the extra minutes to go find one. The painful consequences are not worth it.
Rather than squeezing objects between your thumb and index finger rest them in your open palm. For example, while reading a book support the back of a book in your palms instead of holding it between the thumb and index fingers of both hands. Using built up handles on tools and kitchen utensils can reduce the amount of energy required to hold and use them. Many of these ergonomic, labor saving items are more readily available in stores and catalogues. The catalogue we use most often is Functional Solutions. You can receive a catalogue by calling the toll free number 800-235-7054 or go online to
www.beabletodo.com The items in this catalogue can make great Christmas gifts.
Using the larger stronger joints for a job should be your choice, rather than the smaller more fragile ones. Think about how you carry your purse, tote bags, and groceries.... Do you carrying them by holding it in your hand? Placing the strap around your forearm right below the elbow or over your shoulder is a much better plan. Placing a loop around the refrigerator door or the cabinets so you can pull them with your wrist or forearm rather than your fingers is another way to project those joints.
It is never easier than now to have a plan and make changes with the access you have to information and health care providers. You may think that making changes are difficult but making one change every day can pay off greatly in the future. Initially working with rehabilitation specialists may help you to think about new ways of doing things, but soon it will become second nature. Start today to develop " THE PLAN" to protect your joints to serve you in the future.
Sally Oxley, Certified Hand Therapist
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