18 Holiday Gifts that Ease Joint Pain
You may never think of activities such as getting out of bed, getting dressed, or cooking a meal, as a challenge. But if you or anyone close to you suffers from arthritis, these daily activities can be very painful. Holiday time is a time for giving, so why not give your loved ones, or yourself, some tools and items that make life easier, better and more joyful? Here are 18 holiday gift ideas to ease joint pain and bring a smile to a loved one’s face.
1. When typing is painful, try speaking instead. Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software turns your spoken words into text. Once you train your Dragon, it recognizes your voice commands and types whatever you dictate, at a rate of at least 100 words per minute—faster than the speediest transcribers! 2. For anyone working at a computer all day, using a mouse for hours on end can lead to pain and strain, especially if you have [caption id="attachment_494" align="alignright" width="300"]
Get a grip!
For anyone challenged with everyday activities, many utensils and tools are easily available to make routine tasks easier, and increase independence. Check out kitchen and hardware stores, specialty stores, and arthritis supply stores. 3. For eating, look for utensils with grip handles that make them easier to hold and use. Knives that work with a rocking motion also reduce stress on the hands and wrist. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"]
Kitchen aids
For foodies with arthritis, it can be painful to chop fruits and vegetables, grip utensils or open jars. Here are a few kitchen aids to help. 9. To peel, cut and chop food safely, look for peelers and knives with nonslip handles. OXO Good Grips are widely available and have a large variety of kitchen items that make food preparation easier. 10. Cutting boards can make cutting, slicing and peeling easier. Look for cutting boards with stainless steel spikes that hold food fruits and vegetables in place. You can find cutting boards with handy corner guards to keep food from sliding off the board. These cutting boards are mounted on suction cups to anchor them to your counter so they don’t slip. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"]
Rejuvenate and pamper
13. A massage can be a wonderful way to ease joint pain and provide deep relaxation that promotes well-being. A gift certificate for a massage with botanical oils can be a lovely gift for someone special on your list. 14. Acupuncture is shown to relieve pain and stiffness in joins. Why not give your loved one (or yourself) a gift of an acupuncture session? Acupuncture also provides stress relief and increases feelings of well-being. 15. The gift of movement: Regular activity is crucial for improving overall physical health. Yoga, Qi Gong, and stretching or Pilates can improve mobility and build muscle. Why not give some exercise videos such as an arthritis workout, or a gift certificate for a local yoga, Qi Gong or Tai Chi class? 16. Gel-lined mitts and booties provide deep soothing relief for hands and feet, along with botanicals that soften your skin. They give you a spa treatment in the comfort of your own home, making them a perfect gift for the people you want to pamper. 17. In the holiday season, why not play cards and have a little fun? For people with arthritic hands, trying to hold multiple playing cards in one hand can be challenging. You can get hands-free inexpensive playing card holders, to put the zest back into card playing. 18. Everyone wants to look their best during the holiday season, and that includes wearing their most dazzling jewelry. But achy, swollen finger joints can make it difficult to fasten a favorite bracelet, necklace or earrings. The innovative Magnetic Jewelry [caption id="attachment_497" align="alignright" width="300"]