Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and is one of Missouri’s most prevalent chronic health problems. Arthritis affects 1.4 million Missourians, with a projected increase of 1.72 million by 2030. Therefore, it's easy to see how arthritis has an impact on the lives of our friends, coworkers, neighbors, family members, and even us! What's hard to see is just how arthritis impacts an individual. Arthritis can be especially impactful to our daily routines and activities – but it doesn't have to be. Sometimes it just takes a little modification to keep going!
In Jane Brody's most recent blog post for the New York Times Well blog, she identifies that "[t]he trick is to decide what activities are important to you and then modify them in ways that ease symptoms like pain, stiffness and fatigue". Brody provides several great suggestions for maintaining an active lifestyle and asking for assistance. Additionally, there are many assistive devices available to us that can assist with performing daily tasks. Here are some resources that may be helpful to you and/or others with arthritis:
- Healthy Cooking with Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Struggle with writing? Check out an ergonomic pen!
- Everyday gadgets – Top 10 cool gadgets to assist people with arthritis/hand pain
- Assistive devices for every day activities
Do you have any recommendations for ways that you and/or others try to not let arthritis stand in the way?