Osteoarthritis can affect the small joints of your fingers, and this issue can make it much harder to do normal daily activities. There are many types of treatment for hand arthritis that can help. However, one treatment option that you may not have considered is simple lifestyle changes.
What are some lifestyle changes that can help?
Broadly speaking, the word “lifestyle” refers to the way you live your life. So, what is meant by lifestyle changes is that you can change the way you do normal daily tasks. Making these types of changes can be very helpful for treating arthritis in the hands, and there are two easy changes that can be particularly helpful for treating this issue.
1. Daily hand exercises
Adding some easy hand exercises into your daily routine is one lifestyle change that can help treat hand arthritis. Some people may be worried that these exercises may require lots of equipment and take up lots of time, but this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, you can get benefits like reduced pain and increased range of joint movement just by doing simple exercises for a few minutes a day.
For example, making a fist is just the type of simple exercise that’s both easy and helpful. Start with your fingers straight and slowly bend them into a fist with your thumb on the outside of your fingers. You should hold the fist for two to three seconds before opening your hand. You can also squeeze a little once you’ve made the fist, but don’t squeeze so hard that it causes lots of pain. After the two to three seconds is up, slowly open your hand until it’s straight again and repeat these steps five to 10 times for each set. You may find it helpful to do several sets of this exercise three or four times per day.
2. Make some changes in the kitchen
Cooking is one activity that requires a lot of hand movement, and this is why it can be much harder to cook with hand arthritis. However, there are some changes you can make in the kitchen that can also help treat arthritis in the hands.
One change you can make in the kitchen to help your hands is to switch out your manual can opener for an electric one. You can also purchase an electric jar opener to help open those tightly sealed jars. Both changes can help by placing less pressure on your hands during cooking, and this means your hands may not tire out as quickly. It can also help reduce the chances that cooking-related hand movements are increasing inflammation in your finger joints.
Panther Physical Therapy offers treatment for arthritis in the hands
If you’re looking for effective hand arthritis treatment, Panther Physical Therapy has all the tools to help you. Find out how our experienced physical therapists can help you.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.