Four tips to improve life when you have arthritis pain in the hands

arthritis pain in hands

Your body contains hundreds of joints whose purpose is to allow for flexibility in your body without sacrificing its structure. Many people never give their joints much thought because, when they’re working correctly, you shouldn’t have to think about them. However, when you have a condition like arthritis wearing down the cartilage in your joints, taking care of them suddenly becomes a priority.

Arthritis can affect any of the joints in your body, including those in your hands. Each of your hands and fingers contain many joints that allow you to have dexterity and coordination in your hands, so when arthritis strikes, it can be difficult to do many normal daily tasks or enjoy your favorite activities.

Four tips for managing arthritis pain in the hands

Arthritis has no known cure, but there are treatments that can help reduce the pain and improve your range of motion. One treatment option that benefits many people with arthritis pain in the hands is physical therapy.

Physical therapists specialize in a wide range of treatments that aim to manage the arthritis pain and help you improve the use of your hands, wrists and fingers. However, as you cannot spend all your time doing physical therapy, you’ll need to make some adjustments in your day-to-day life as well.

Here are some tips that can help you improve your day-to-day life when you have arthritis pain in the hands:

  1. Exercise — Gentle exercises and stretches help improve your strength and flexibility. Strong and flexible muscles provide better support for the joints and are more capable of gripping objects than weak or tight muscles. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about some exercises that are safe for you to do on a regular basis.
  2. Wear a brace — Wear a brace or splint whenever doing something demanding with your hands. A splint or brace can help support your hand and wrist, which can reduce a lot of stress on your arthritis joints.
  3. Improve your diet — Eat a lot of fried food, red meat, white bread or sugar? It’s time to stop and switch to something healthier. Foods that are rich in lean proteins, unsaturated fats, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains all contain nutrients that your body needs to promote joint health.
  4. Simplify your life — Do you use a manual can opener in your kitchen? Do you mix ingredients by hand? What about opening a bottle of wine — do you use a manual corkscrew? Switch to using electric devices that do the hard work for you, so you don’t have to stress your hands or fingers to do simple activities in the kitchen.  

Visit Whatcom Physical Therapy for arthritis treatment

Is arthritis making it difficult to get through daily activities that used to be simpler? Our team at Whatcom can help you reduce your pain and improve your range of motion, so you can live more independently and continue enjoying your favorite activities. Contact our team today about arthritis pain in the hands or to schedule an initial appointment.