Joint protection involves the use of assistive devices to your everyday tasks. Most of the objects that we hold or manipulate everyday with our hands such as can openers, door handles, faucet knobs, have been designed mainly on the basis of function or what these objects are suppose to do. Most often, designers fail to consider the stress effect of these objects to the body of the users. Even to normal functioning hands you would find that common household tools or utensils are very difficult to manipulate. Think of the nail clipper, that small silvery tool that grooms your nails but makes your fingers sore at the same time. Or what about opening the cap of a new food jar, the type that promises to seal in the freshness. You can try all the tricks you know to open a tightly sealed jar only to find yourself shaking your hands in pain afterwards. Studies have always indicated the direct relationship between product design and health of users. And this is just referring to the potential health effects of product design to normal individuals. But think of this, what if your wrist or finger joints are already "ill", and you subject them to the stresses of daily hand use, would your hands "die" on you eventually?

I can't help but emphasize the importance of joint protection and use of assistive devices for people with arthritis. A study indicated that compared to standard utensils, usage of assistive devices and altered working methods can reduce pain levels and perceived difficulty in the performance of various tasks for women with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Nordenskiold,1998). As power tools save construction workers from body aches and pain at the end of their work day, assistive devices can prevent you from experiencing a symptom flare-up from your daily hand use. Assistive devices have been carefully designed to take stressors away from your joints when you use your hands to everyday tasks. Remember that arthritic joints are weak and unstable. What may be a simple activity for others, like cutting food with knife, could be quite deforming to your arthritic hand. The daily, cumulative effect of these stressors on your joints is the main culprit that causes increased pain and deformities.

Assistive devices accomplish this by helping you maintain your wrist and finger joints in proper alignment when you do highly resistive grasping tasks. These devices have been designed in consideration of joint protection principles. They prevent your joints from being swayed or twisted when you use your hands to heavy grasping activities. Assistive devices absorb the pressure away from your hands. Examples of assistive devices include right angled knives, lever door knobs, or button hooks just to name a few. Automated appliances such as an electric can opener or food processor are also considered assistive devices since they take the work load off your hands. There is a wide variety of assistive devices covering almost all aspects of daily activities from self care to housekeeping. They are inexpensive and is definitely worth the investment.

By using assistive devices consistently to your daily activities you can prevent aggravation of your joint pain, swelling, and deformities. These symptoms can slowly creep up on you if you are not careful. Do not wait until your symptoms get worse. Arthritis is a progressive joint disease and it's symptoms are facilitated by the stresses of daily hand use. Your arthritic hands need a break from these stressors. Use assistive devices as part of a lifestyle re-design for effective long term symptom management. The Joint Savers Store offer affordable high quality assistive devices that have been recommended by occupational and hand therapists.

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