Arthritis sufferer Lisa Bielstein uses a lightweight pruner with fat, easy grips and long handles to trim a tree.

Cox News Service

Lisa Bielstein knows that arthritis can make simple things, such as opening a jar or pruning a rose, a painful experience.

Diagnosed at age 29 with rheumatoid arthritis 10 years ago, the mother of three was racked with pain and fatigue for almost a year before doctors diagnosed her condition. But she wasn’t about to give up on the things she loved to do. On medication to prevent joint damage, she has learned to look for tools that help her adapt to her daily tasks.

“I look for everyday little things that can make life easier,” she said.

To help her continue gardening, she has sought a bench with wheels; pruning shears and trowels that have big handles with soft grips; and soft-sided buckets that are easier to carry. In the kitchen, she uses lightweight pans, lever-style bottle and jar openers; and soft-handled utensils for cooking. “I invested in a signature stamp at work because I sign a lot of checks,” she said. For writing, she uses a large-barreled pen with a cushion grip.

Braces help reduce the stiffness and pain in her wrists and shore up her knees.

She can’t afford to be sedentary, even with the stiffness, she said. She owns a business and has three active sons.

“Arthritis can just be so devastating — daily activities like getting a jar open can be painful. I want to get out and enjoy life,” Bielstein said.

Dr. Hayes Wilson, chief of rheumatology at Piedmont Hospital, estimates that in Georgia alone, 1.7 million people — about one in five — have some arthritic illness, causing their joints to become inflamed and painful. Of that 1.7 million, 9,200 are children with juvenile arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation, Georgia chapter.

Many of Wilson’s patients are women like Bielstein. “Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of young women of child-bearing years — one of the biggest misconceptions is it is a disease of older people,” Wilson said.

People with arthritis often have to learn to use their body power in a different way to tackle projects and hobbies, he said. Avid walkers can switch to bikes; golfers with hand arthritis can use clubs with a bigger grip.

These days, ergonomic tools for everyday tasks are more readily available for those with injuries or whose physical conditions, such as arthritis, limit mobility, said Debi Hinerfeld, president of the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association. (Occupational therapists help people become as independent as possible after an injury, disease, developmental delay or social/emotional crisis, she said.)

Hinerfeld remembers when adaptive tools were available only through her professional catalogs. “Now you can buy these practically anywhere, even Wal-Mart,” she said.

WHERE TO FIND PRODUCTS

Although here is no “adaptive tools” aisle in stores, look for specific designs in everything from cooking utensils to gardening tools. They include:

•Built-up handles that allow someone with a poor grasp to have a better grip.

•Tools that have extended reach and possibly an adjustable angle at the bottom.

Some sources for adaptive and assistive products.

• www.assistivetech.net offers a list of products that are suited for people with limited hand function or mobility. Go to the site and click on function/activity.

• www.arthritis.org, the official site of the Arthritis Foundation, offers tips, from cooking to gardening with arthritis.

•Oxo is a brand that offers numerous easy-grip products, from corkscrews to kitchen knives to gardening tools. Go to www.oxo.com for more information.

•Home Depot has a variety of tools for gardeners with arthritis, says Craig Fishel, a company spokesman. Some are available in the store; others are only online ( www.homedepot.com). He suggests: Vigoro Hand Tools and Vigoro Plus, with ergonomic handles designed to provide comfort, soft gel-grip inserts to cushion the hand and stainless steel heads for durability.

Stand-up tools from Hound Dog, such as the Hound Dog Stand-up Bulb Planter, the Garden Brand Comfort Garden Kneeler (online only) and Garden Brand Two-in-One Rake (online only).THINK ABOUT COMFORT, SIMPLICITY

•Be selective. Think about the tasks that are difficult for you on a regular basis and look for products that can make them easier.

•Select products with texture. For example, when selecting glassware, drinking glasses with bumpy exteriors are easier to grasp than glasses with smooth exteriors.

•Seek lightweight products that require minimal upkeep and are safe to use.

•Avoid products that are difficult to grasp or require twisting with your fingers to open and close. Instead, look for flip-top caps, zippers and larger, easy-to-open lids.

•Avoid the bells and whistles. Look for products that are simple and practical, rather than fancy gadgets with intricate pieces.

Source: Arthritis Foundation.