Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I thought that I would start a list of the little things that have made a big difference and/or been a big help to me and maybe others could share theirs and we could all come away with some new helpful things.
1. Imak gloves ( bought mine on amazon) have slight messaging effect and have slight compression on the joints to helps keep swelling down. I wear theses night and day.
2. Veturo infrared arthritis gloves - keep your hands and joints a lot warmer and your hands functioning. Help keep hand mobile.
3. Tiger balm, and patches- works better than bengay type products
4. Electric blanket - it is wonderful for helping keeping body temperature regulated at night and joints warm.
5. Tempurpedic thick pillow to sit on. It has made a world of difference to my hips and lower back. Was having lots of pain sitting for just 30 min, but this made a huge difference. Was able to take a 6 hr car drive without being in terrible pain.
6.pen and pencil grips for arthritis from arthritis supplies online.
https://www.storesonline.com/site/371928/page/911493
7. Heating pad and gel pad that can be heated up. But heating pad on bottom and gel pad on top in front of PC keyboard and warm your hands between them periodically and rest your wrists on them.
8. Finger massager- feels really good on swollen fingers.
http://www.supportplus.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?ACTION=DETAIL&ITEM=FD1972&websource=GOOGLSH&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PLA&coupon_code=SPGOOGLE7&gclid=CLHm0K-nyLsCFQ9rfgodvDIAeg
9. Dietary changes- cutting out gluten, red meat, night shades, and most processed or foods with sugar.
10. Drink lots of alkaline water. Can buy water pitcher from vivah2o.com. They will discount it 50% if you tell them you have RA.
11. High dose vitamin C. Message me for more info on this point if you're interested.
I hope some of these things can help others as much as they have helped me.
1. Imak gloves ( bought mine on amazon) have slight messaging effect and have slight compression on the joints to helps keep swelling down. I wear theses night and day.
2. Veturo infrared arthritis gloves - keep your hands and joints a lot warmer and your hands functioning. Help keep hand mobile.
3. Tiger balm, and patches- works better than bengay type products
4. Electric blanket - it is wonderful for helping keeping body temperature regulated at night and joints warm.
5. Tempurpedic thick pillow to sit on. It has made a world of difference to my hips and lower back. Was having lots of pain sitting for just 30 min, but this made a huge difference. Was able to take a 6 hr car drive without being in terrible pain.
6.pen and pencil grips for arthritis from arthritis supplies online.
https://www.storesonline.com/site/371928/page/911493
7. Heating pad and gel pad that can be heated up. But heating pad on bottom and gel pad on top in front of PC keyboard and warm your hands between them periodically and rest your wrists on them.
8. Finger massager- feels really good on swollen fingers.
http://www.supportplus.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?ACTION=DETAIL&ITEM=FD1972&websource=GOOGLSH&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PLA&coupon_code=SPGOOGLE7&gclid=CLHm0K-nyLsCFQ9rfgodvDIAeg
9. Dietary changes- cutting out gluten, red meat, night shades, and most processed or foods with sugar.
10. Drink lots of alkaline water. Can buy water pitcher from vivah2o.com. They will discount it 50% if you tell them you have RA.
11. High dose vitamin C. Message me for more info on this point if you're interested.
I hope some of these things can help others as much as they have helped me.
my list goes
1. a vegetable chopper from amazon
2. IMAK arthritis gloves that i wear 24/7
3. hand warmers and booties (microwavable)
4. IMAK arthritis socks too which i wear every night
5. heating pads for my neck and back
6. penetrex topical cream - works THE BEST for inflammation
7. i take calcium bcoz i am on prednisone
8. vitamin C, magnesium, a multivitamin, B-Comples, D3
9. i do take folic acid for mtxt
10. i have a revolving high chair that i use while cooking when my knees doesnt support me to stand. (i do a lot of cooking. we dont eat out. we eat only homemade indian cooked food - ya, we are typical indians)
11. i have a stool that i use in shower (my legs get shaky if i stand for too long). once i step into the hot hot shower - i dont feel like coming out. I LOVE THOSE HOT HOT SHOWERS
12. i have a cane to use at home in case if i need to use it. my knees are so bad sometimes its hard for me to take a few steps.
13. memory foam mattress that gives me a good night sleep every night. i love it. in case if i have to sleep in another bed (visiting the family) I FEEL THE DIFFERENCE.
so far this is what i remember. i wanna try the patches and thinking of getting a toilet raiser.
I have the IMAK gloves both the active with nubby grips & the regular. I prefer the nubby ones at work. But the heated ones sound divine.
Thanks for the info. I couldn't survive without my heating pad, Brookstone gel pillow w/shoulder cut outs & temperpedic mattress. Now I need to figure out how to lay on my side without my shoulders and hips waking me up & my ears going numb. Not sure what's up with that. A new development that's driving me crazy. And the new numbness that's moving down my leg into my foot. Time for an mri I guess.
gloves from amazon that hold heat pads for sleep at night
working less
something to hold a book or newspaper open for me. i have a stand for my recipes, but it hurts to hold the newspaper
working less
my massage table - giving them helps my hands
working less
wrist wraps for work
working less
ankle braces
working less
the gel pad for my forearms at my work station and my mouse pad elevation item at work
working less
human vegetable chopper volunteers i recruit them
working less
five (added one) heating blankets throughout the house
working less
inserts for chair at work and a stool underneath the desk at work
working less
teeny tiny dumb bells at work and latex bands for breaks at work
i am going to look up that finger massager iretz
Ros
As for the best thing for helping: having two 14 year olds at home that are always looking for jobs to make $$$. I get them to do almost all house cleaning when I'm flaring. :)
- Voltaren gel
-switching my volunteer work from something physical (cooking dinners in a homeless shelter) to something requiring less of my hands
-replacing my mattress with a good quality, softer model
-a brace that my physical therapist recommended worked wonders on my SI joints (they connect your pelvis to your spine)
-a memory foam steering wheel cover
- a great therapist (who specializes in helping people cope with chronic illness)
- a damn good sense of humor!
Caren
>>I don't want to have to call IT again to unlock my computer because I broke the "trust relationship" with the security system by typing incorrectly in the morning.
Steering wheel cover is now on my shopping list-who carries them?
You're right, sense of humor and focusing on others really does make a difference.
Sticking to an early bed time
Massage
Chiropractor
Sleeping in my own bed... sorry hubbie
Yoga
where do you do your hot dry sauna? the Y is the only place I can think of
ah Caren I never thought of a memory foam steering wheel cover. Should I look on amazon?
i have incorporated my volunteer work into work work, and now have a special needs woman who I coach at work a few hours a week. this has made the difference as I have dropped the youth group facilitation that I used to drive to one hour each way. I rather be on the hotline but that is a longer drive also to Boston. that's the part where I make the choice to do less interesting things for volunteer work because they are kinder to my disease.
Ros
i am definitely a newbie in my dx, but i second the bedtime thing. even if i'm not tired, i get into bed at 10pm and at least relax, maybe watching some cartoons. the last few days around the holiday have been rough and i'm paying for it now.
caren, i've been considering finding a therapist who specializes in chronic illnesses. i haven't had luck finding one yet - most don't seem to list it as a speciality, and i'd like one that also has some experience with my other 'problems'.