Shoulder osteoarthritis: Practical advice

Shoulder: Practical advice

Here you will find some tips to help you in your everyday life. And more specifically some simple things that can relieve your pain and help you in your various daily activities.

 

Click on your chosen item:

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Window cleaning:

 

For cleaning windows, you can use a squeegee with a telescopic handle This will help you avoid straining to reach the top of the windows and thus putting too much stress on your shoulder.

 

In addition, to make it easier to handle, consider adding a foam sleeve to your squeegee. This will avoid tensing the joints of your hand too much.

 

A steam device can also be an effective solution.

 

Carrying buckets:

 

Buckets are often heavy and therefore difficult to carry.

 

To avoid lifting it, slide the bucket onto a tray on wheels using your foot to push it along. This will avoid putting too much stress on your shoulder.

 

You can also find buckets equipped with wheels in the shops.

 

This system can also be used for plant pots.

 

Ironing :

 

Ironing can cause tension in your back and shoulders.

 

First of all, to relax your muscles, you must take a break regularly.

 

After half an hour, it is recommended to do simple exercises (circular movements of the shoulders or stretching).

 

In addition, the weight of the iron is important: choose an iron as light as possible for the least possible strain on your joints.

 

Pay attention to the height of the ironing board which, if not correctly adjusted, makes ironing more difficult and therefore harder on your joints. (About 15 cm below elbow level)

 

Lastly, for your comfort do not hesitate to place a small stool under one of your feet and alternate the supporting leg.

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Bottles:

 

Favour pitchers which are easier to hold. Always place one hand in the handle and the other under the pitcher, allowing better weight distribution and thus spare your joints.

 

You can also find pitchers in the shops where you can insert your cartons of milk or fruit juice.

 

Cupboards:

 

Choosing suitable places for objects in cupboards can help to reduce your daily difficulties by avoiding painful movements of your shoulders. Thus, heavy items and those that you use frequently should not be stored either too high up or too low down.

 

Lastly, to reach the highest shelves, you can use a lightweight stepping stool (but be careful not to fall off). If you do not feel comfortable with this, there are gripper devices that grab hold of any kind of object without any difficulty either from a high or low shelf. (Long handle equipped with a magnetised jaw at the end)

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If you have trouble brushing your hair properly, there are very handy telescopic brushes to reach the back of your head.

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Two tips can help you make your bed.

 

First of all, avoid placing your bed against the wall. You will not have to move it to make it.

 

Lastly, choose a duvet rather than sheets as it requires less effort to make your bed and does not need tucking in.

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Carpenter belt:

 

It allows you to always have your tools handy and saves you from constantly bending down and getting up again.
 

Painting:

There are telescopic brushes that can help you reach higher or lower areas. The movements are smaller and thus less painful for your shoulder.

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Choose long-handled gardening tools; movements (spade, rake, etc.); movements will be easier and your shoulders will be less stressed.

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Whenever possible, put on your dresses from the bottom to preserve your shoulders and neck.

 

If you have trouble getting dressed, here's a tip: Slide one end of a hanger in an armhole and bring it towards you without too much effort. You can also use this technique for straps.

 

If you have trouble putting on your shoes you can use a long handled shoe horn or equip your shoes with elastic laces.