Some Comfort Techniques to Protect Your Arthritis Joints from the Weather

Joint Protection

If you have arthritis, you need to be constantly aware of how much stress you are putting on your joints. Your aim is to prevent undue strain on your joints, so as to minimise your pain and keep them working for as long as possible. You need to balance activity with rest. Do not use your joints unnecessarily if they are painful - and try to avoid using them at all if they are hot and swollen.

Joint protection means using your joints wisely. Make sure that you lift, stand and move in a way that puts least stress on your joints. Use the larger stronger joints to do the work, and try to distribute any load you are carrying over several joints.

Think before you try to do a particular task. You are very likely to dis­cover an easier, less stressful way of doing it.

There are various aids and devices which have been developed to take the strain off tender joints. Do you know that you can obtain gad-lets which help you to put on stockings and socks, comb your hair, men cans and jars, turn on taps, hold pens and cutlery, pick things up oil the floor, do the gardening, pull out plugs from the wall and many other daily activities? An occupational therapist or Arthritis Care can give you advice on where to obtain these useful devices.

The Weather

Do you believe you can predict the weather with at least as much accuracy as a meteorologist? Many people find that their arthritis Items to be aggravated by an impending change of weather - i.e. when the barometric pressure is rising or falling.

As far as general climate is concerned, it seems that dampness and humidity have the most disturbing effects, so both cold and wet days 01 hot and humid ones can be very uncomfortable. Windy changeable weather is also not well tolerated. Although the climate does not ' mi to be related to the prevalence of arthritis, the day-to-day weather often has some bearing on the amount of pain experienced in arthritic joints.

It is worth noting whether the weather seems to affect your arthritis, because it may account for a particularly bad day and at least you know it will pass!

Comfort Techniques

You have probably found that it is the continual day-to-day pain and discomfort of arthritis that is most upsetting. To cope better with this, you can build up a store of techniques which you know will help to Blake you more comfortable. This is a big part of 'living with arthritis'. These comfort techniques can make quite a difference to the amount of pain relief you require from drugs:

■ Usually warmth helps to ease the pain. Wrap a towel around a hot water bottle or a hot pack (available from chemists) and cover the painful area. Caution: this should feel warm, not hot. Be especially careful if you have sensitive skin.

■ There are many heat rubs available which you can massage into your joints. Caution: never use these with other forms of direct heat, and be careful if you have sensitive skin.

■ Soak your hands or feet in a basin of warm water or your whole body in a warm bath.

■ A gentle soothing massage from friendly hands is very comforting.

■ During the day, thermal underwear, gloves and scarves help keep you warm,- and when you are considering what to wear, remember that wool retains warmth better than synthetic materials.

■ Electric blankets, woollen underlays and feather duvets help keep you warm through the night.

■ Try wearing socks, gloves, leg warmers, knee or elbow socks to bed and retain the warmth in your joints.

■ If possible, warm the room before you get up.

Do not apply heat to a hot swollen joint - it won't help. If at any time heat is making your joint feel worse instead of more comfortable, then don't keep on with it.