Jan 30 2012
Managing Daily Chores With Osteoarthritis Pain
Dealing with osteoarthritis pain? Sometimes it’s hard to even complete your daily chores. When your hand joints, wrists, or knees are hurting from pain and stiffness, it’s hard to pull weeds, unload the groceries, fold the laundry, or even put dishes away.
But skipping chores isn’t the answer. In fact, daily activity can help keep joints loose and limber. You just have to do all the movements in the right way, to keep you safe and pain-free.
Here are some tips:
- Take breaks during chores that require bending at the waist. Bending forward at the waist – which we do when vacuuming the stairs, unloading the dishwasher, picking up toys, etc. – can add to back pain and stiffness. If you suffer from this type of back pain, find ways to complete these chores without so much bending at the waist. For instance, unload only a few dishes at a time from the dishwasher and then take a break; vacuum the stairs by kneeling on the lower stair and keeping your back straight; or “rake” or “sweep” toys into one area of the room, where you can sit down on a bench to put them away. (Or have your kids put them away!)
- Keep knees cushioned during chores that require kneeling. Kneeling on the ground for gardening, washing floors, cleaning low cabinets, or scrubbing tubs can wreak havoc on knee joints that are already sore from arthritis pain. To minimize osteoarthritis knee pain, use knee pads when doing these tasks. Or try putting your weight on only one knee (putting the other knee out in front of you) and switching legs frequently to give each one a rest. If your knees get sore regardless, ice them down with a pack of frozen peas when you’re done. Twenty minutes should do the trick.
Check out Lifescript.com for more tips on how to manage chores with daily osteoarthritis pain.
Also, be sure to visit Lifescript’s new online Osteoarthritis Health Center for more osteoarthritis information.
The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not, nor is it ever intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice or professional recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician(s) or other qualified healthcare provider(s).
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