Nearly 4.5 million Canadians suffer with arthritis and 100,000 people are diagnosed with it every year, according to the Arthritis Society of Canada. If you think you're predisposed to arthritis, if you've been diagnosed with this joint disorder or know someone who has, read on for important ways to ease daily living.
What is arthritis?
"Arthritis is really a family of diseases," says David Prowten, national vice president of revenue development and marketing for the Arthritis Society of Canada. "There are literally a hundred types of arthritis, with the two primary types [that] people are familiar with being osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis."
Arthritis is a joint disorder that's characterized by inflammation; symptoms include limited joint function and stiff joints and pain. The most common form of arthritis -- osteoarthritis -- occurs when the cartilage that covers and protects the ends of your bones breaks down. While many of us believe arthritis is a disease of the aging, juvenile arthritis affects 1 in 1,000 Canadian children under the age of 16.
Tips
1. Your first tool: Early diagnosis
September is National Arthritis Month in Canada, with a focus on raising awareness of this disease and related treatment. If you suspect you might have arthritis, make an appointment to see your doctor today.
"If you notice joint pain or discomfort that's lasting more than four to six weeks, it may be arthritis that's starting to flare on you," says Prowten. "It's important to get an early diagnosis, particularly with inflammatory arthritis, because joint damage can happen early in the stage of the disease. The faster you can get an accurate diagnosis, the more effective the treatment plan."
Arthritis can affect people because of joint pain, loss of movement or range of movement, joint stiffness, and weakness during acute flares of inflammatory arthritis, adds Philip Ambury, occupational therapist and director of arthritis programs and services in Ontario. "It's part of my job to try to give people tips on how to assess a product in a store to see if it will work for them."
2. Choose tools with fat handles.
Increasing the size or diameter of a tool makes it easier for your joints to work with it and reduces strain on the small joints in your hands. Add padding to garden tools and steering wheels and use foam tubing on kitchen utensils to fatten handles.
3. Look for comfortable handles.
"Sometimes by changing the shape of the grip handle, you can make the job easier," says Ambury. "Any round-sized grip, the size of a baseball, is a nice, neutral grip."
Using small vegetable peelers and cutting with a conventional knife can position your hand at an awkward angle. "There's a knife on the market, called an L-shaped knife (the handle of the blade points up and angles slightly toward the blade) that allows you to cut, but keeps your wrist and fingers in a more comfortable position."
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