Arthritis and grip??

[Teacher Terry]

My mom had a lot of arthritis and she said that the best thing to do is to keep using your hands with exercises and activities that involve handwork. That’s what I have been doing.

[Tybee]

I'm knitting again but they feel so stiff and clumsy. Same with playing my viola. But I'll keep at it,

[Tradd]

I’ve had carpal tunnel/repetitive stress injury for years due to typing a ton from a young age. I don’t have a ton of hand strength. I find mugs with handles are easier to handle. I don’t use glasses anymore. I have several Hydroflask insulated stainless steel drink containers for tea and water. With being a large round they are easier to handle and the exterior is ever so slightly textured. Plus they’re not breakable.

[CathyA]

I meant to show this earlier and forgot. I got this last year. It mounts under the cabinet. It works great, but sometimes it does leave some small spikes on metal jar lids. But I love it. It's the Grip Jar Opener.

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[frugal-one]

I find the best solution for me is to lift light weights. If I do not do this I have pain as well as weakness. Worth a try.

[KayLR]

Yes, thank goodness I have someone else in the house who can open jars.

Sometimes it momentarily astonishes me to look down and see my mom's hands at the end of my wrists.

[JaneV2.0]

Yes, thank goodness I have someone else in the house who can open jars.

Sometimes it momentarily astonishes me to look down and see my mom's hands at the end of my wrists.

So far, I haven't met a jar I couldn't open, but I'm sure I have diminished hand strength.

[CathyA]

My fingers are bent. It's amazing what you can't do, when they're just a little bent. Picking up something like a needle or a toothpick is almost impossible. It's weird!

[KayLR]

My fingers are bent. It's amazing what you can't do, when they're just a little bent. Picking up something like a needle or a toothpick is almost impossible. It's weird!

Or how about pointing in a straight line! LOL!

[SiouzQ.]

I'm right there with you. This week I have dropped an astonishing number of things, the worst being a full jug of water I was using to water the plants on the high window sill. Well, so the floor below got washed at the same time. As some of you may remember, I've had a bad time with my wrists and hands in the past few years with the ulna-shortening surgeries, then the subsequent titanium plate removals, the torn cartilage, and now Duputreyn's Syndrome. I am glad I have my guy around to help with stubborn jar lids and child-proof caps (I had asked the pharmacy for old-people medicine caps last year, but I guess they forgot this time around). I also have trouble opening cans with a hand-powered can opener, so at some point I will probably have to get an electric can opener.

I am making a little jewelry, albeit very slowly. It takes me four times as long to make a batch of rings these days. And guitar playing is going very slowly. I manage about 15 mins twice a week right now. I have no idea if things will improve over time. I am a little over two months out since the last surgery. So frustrating, really....