Best products from r/rheumatoid

I struggled a lot trying to play video games when I was first having serious trouble with my hands. I don't know your genre of choice but mine have always been MMOs and turn-based strategy. I agree with /u/SixJointsOfPain that once you're on some sort of DMARD you will likely feel better soon, but until you do here are some of my favorite ways to ease hand stress while gaming with arthritis.

• Compression gloves. They can help keep swelling at bay (and keep heat in during these wintery months) and ease some of the pain of swollen knuckles.
  
• Ergonomic keyboard/mouse/controller. If you play anything on a system they make Monster Hunter for, try searching specifically branded ones like this. People who spend hours at a time hunting monsters on their handhelds are serious about hand comfort, I guess.
  
• Breaks to stretch. Not always the easiest if you're playing something fast-paced, but people can be surprisingly considerate if you're like "hold up a sec, medical stuff". I heal a lot in WoW and 99% of players will just let it go at that or after a quick "what's wrong?" "oh I have arthritis in my hands, just needed to stretch. We're good now!" or whatever. You're (presumably?) a grown-up; you do you. ;)
  
• Playing easier, slower-paced games. This can suck when all your friends are playing Overwatch but like... The Sims 4 is pretty neat. And Animal Crossing and Pokemon never really get old, do they? :)
  
• Find new ways to enjoy the games you love. I personally collect dolls and figures so one of my non-gaming hobbies is posing and photographing my Link figma in all sorts of silly ways and places. Papercraft is also really cool-- and I believe there is software to convert game models straight into papercraft projects.
  
  I hope this was at all helpful and not just a lot of reading for no payoff. :x I also hope you feel better soon. When I quit WoW four years ago I thought I would never be back but I'm literally logged in right now on my healer in the window behind the one I'm typing this comment in. Modern medicine is amazing.
  If you want someone understanding to commiserate with on bnet (I think I saw some Overwatch in your post history lol) I'm eiridel#1620. This goes for anyone who reads this comment, but please just let me know who you are when you friend me lmao

Hi! I'm a medical student with RA, diagnosed 10 years ago when I was in high school. The experience of a flare and getting this diagnosis is such a pain in the ass (the literal, figurative, and emotional asses) if we're being quite frank. When I was diagnosed and then later on when I had a rough, persistent flare, the emotional burden was pretty heavy. There was a lot of crying, a lot of anger (at God, my genetics, my immune system, etc.), and a lot of stubborn refusal to utilize or even ask for things that could've made my life a bit easier. You've already taken that step by posting here, so that's one down! This sub and finding peers who either are going through similar things (there were a surprising number of women with autoimmune disorders in my class) or were just good, understanding people made a huge difference for me. If you're comfortable talking about your experience to others, I think might be surprised at how many people know the struggle.

Physical things that I did find helpful:

• Grippy rubber sheets to help open jars without requiring hulk-like grip strength (rubber bands around lids also work in a pinch). I got mine from my PT but it's similar to these.
  
  • There's also this one that I've not tried but it looks neat
    
• BIG pencil/pen grips are a godsend for achy hands
  
• Very cushy tennis shoes. My first pair were Brooks motion control shoes and they made me feel like I was walking on a cloud. You may not want/need that much cushion... it's a lot.
  
• If you can manage it at your practice and if typing/writing notes is more of a challenge these days, see if you can get a medical scribe to help you out there.
  
  Being comfortable talking to people about it might take time, but you'll definitely get there soon. You're a doctor! You've had to learn how to talk to people about all sorts of uncomfortable things, so you can absolutely do this. Remember that although you have this diagnosis, you did nothing to "earn" it and therefore theoretically there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I know it's easier said than done. Try starting with people you know and trust- close friends, family- and then branch out as you're comfortable. I honestly make jokes about my "crap joints" and how "my body is rejecting me" quite often, and I find that the self-deprecating approach works well for breaking tension while talking to others about my RA.
  
  Finally, it might feel like you're going stir crazy in your own body because doing anything physical is just a recipe for pain right now, but it will get better and you will get back to being active. "Normal" might not be the same as it once was, but you'll re-define it for yourself and your illness. You've just now been diagnosed, so your journey to finding the treatment plan that will work for you is just beginning. I'm sure you know these meds take time to reach their peak effect, so be patient (again, easier said than done, I know) and keep an open dialogue with your rheumatologist about how things are progressing. Be as active as you can stand without hurting yourself, even if it's just walking. Hopefully MTX will fix you right up in no time and you'll be back to doing all of the activities lickity split!
  
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  Wow, okay, that's a lot. Um...
  
  tl;dr For ease of use, make things fatter, squishier, or grippier. If you can handle doing a full medical history and physical exam , you can deffo handle the RA talk. It gets better. <3

Not a parent, but I'm a neonatologist with RA, so I spend a lot of time with newborns and have a couple of ideas! First, register for baby clothes that don't have tons of snaps! Those cute little outfits with a million snaps are impossible when my hands are flaring. I find the onesies with zippers (like this) much easier. I'm also a big fan of sleep sacks because they make it super easy to get newborns snug and swaddled, and I've never met a newborn who doesn't like them. Also, I don't have personal experience with them, but I have friends who've used a co-sleeper as a safe way to have a newborn within reach while sleeping but still in a safe sleep environment, and I would think it would be really helpful for still being able to care for a baby when just getting out of bed is hard. Good luck!!

I'd highly, highly recommend the book Freedom from Pain by Peter A. Levine and Maggie Phillips (https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Pain-Discover-Overcome-Physical/dp/1604076631/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1491171177&sr=8-1&keywords=freedom+from+pain&linkCode=ll1&tag=outofthehum0e-20&linkId=638ac5de25ce326befd502620bc778ae). Not only does the book explain research and practices in an easy-to-understand way, the book comes with a CD of guided meditation. I can't tell you enough how much reading this book and following it's exercises has helped me.

In addition, I've found that there are several good YouTube channels such as TheHonestGuys (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheHonestGuys). They have a TON of guided meditation and some of them help with pain. I find I like to do a different one every time though - they have so many.

I've also found that Amazon Prime has beaches you can watch - literally beach waves go in and out, which can be very calming. There's also fireplace videos that can do that as well.

On some Blueray players (with Wifi), there is an app called FitYou - that has a whole Guided Meditation channel. The videos are free to watch (and great) but there are usually commercials in it every few minutes or so.

Spotify also has some great music as others have mentioned.

Additionally, I've found that energy meditation along with gentle (very gentle) tai/chi Qi Gong meditation helps a lot and also helps move and stretch the muscles.

One great thing to do, which I've been doing, is check things out at the library first (like a cd or dvd) - then you can see if it help and works for you - before you buy. :)

In general, I spend 20-minutes+ around lunch time every day to do some kind of mindfulness meditation, then I often to tai-chi or gentle exercise later in the evening.

Yeah! These are what I like to use, but I'd only recommend them if your grandma is technologically-inclined since they are bluetooth connection only. I like the bluetooth/wireless option because I am constantly changing positions trying to get comfortable, so no cords = no hassle. I can use them in any position, even when I'm laying down on my side with one ear on the pillow they are still comfortable for me. If you think she is more likely to use the headphones while sitting up/not laying down, the kind that go over your ears with soft ear cups are what I'd go with, but I don't have a recommendation for that style since I don't have a pair. You could try researching over at /r/headphones, I'm sure they know much more than I about headphones/earbuds, especially regarding price vs quality and things like that. Best of luck!

I've worked in medicine for years and spend long hours on my feet. I've dealt with plantar fasciitis a time or two, also. Some recommendations that have been helpful to me:

1. Hard soled shoes for work (soft and squishy are the enemy) like Sanitary or Dansko.
   
2. Major arch support in your outside-of-work shoes. My podiatrist recommended Superfeet insoles (check your local Sporting Goods store), which I love.
   
3. Well-fitting sneakers. Try a shop like Fleet Feet which will help you find a customized fit according to your gait.
   
4. Sleep in a dorsiflexion splint. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PX5HM9O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491574136&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=plantar+fasciitis+night+splint&psc=1
   
5. Relieve tightness in your calves with stretching and foam rolling. Yoga poses like downward dog helped me quite a bit.
   
6. See a podiatrist for steroid injections.
   
   Good luck!
   

These help a lot for me when I lift weights:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GC493BE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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The compression gloves other people mentioned are good for a lot of things, but for weight-lifting having something with grip is really helpful. It means you don't have to squeeze as hard to keep the weight in hand and focus on the other muscles, and it provides a good level of cushion between your hand and the weights

For art, I'm exploring various grip tools right now, since gripping small pencils and things hurts my hands quickly. This is my favorite so far: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D3DM6K7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . I also got these foam tubes of various sizes that you can put on anything with a handle, but I haven't used them as much. Otherwise, I mostly practicing having a looser drawing and painting style, as well as taking lots of breaks.

Gaming is challenging as I can no longer use controllers and I don't have fast reflexes, but I still play PC games when my hands are feeling good -- I just stick to Skyrim or Minecraft or puzzle games. I've found the 2/3DS XL and WiiU to be quite usable in bed, propped on a pillow (I haven't splurged on a switch yet, but I think it'd work similarly).

My thinking is, my hands are only going to get worse, so I need to find ways to enjoy what I love NOW.

I am 35 and used a cane from 30. Can I recommend getting a cane with a swan neck (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-DeVilbiss-Healthcare-Folding-Walking/dp/B009DZP89Q/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1543599739&sr=8-1&keywords=swan+neck+cane) these make it easier on your hands so when you use it you don't get hand cramp (I have 2 blue ones). You can search for "switch sticks" to get some jazzy looking ones but the handles are not as nice.

Anything that helps you feel better is worth getting. Do not worry about the judgmental people. When you don't need the stick you can tell everyone you are having a good day today.

Don't know about braces as I've had both knees replaced. I use a cane all the time because I am not real stable -- so not so much for support as for balance. I use this cane because the handle is easy on my aching hands (sorry for the long url I don't know how else to do it)
http://www.amazon.com/Wood-cane-comfortable-sufferers-distributes/dp/B000VWYYHW/ref=sr_1_3ie=UTF8&qid=1412175935&sr=8-3&keywords=ergonomic+cane

Also, with a cane, be sure to get the right height or have it sawed off to the right height.

Black and Decker makes a great electric jar opener that is a bit expensive but I use mine all the time.

And I totally agree on the paraffin wax bath. Love mine!

I wouldn't say certain car seats are necessarily easier to undo than others. At least where I'm from they are pretty standard across the board. But - If you have trouble releasing the latch using the button, I definitely recommend investing in a Car Seat Key ( https://www.amazon.com/Car-Seat-Key-UNBUCKLE-NAMRA/dp/B06ZZ2733Z ). It makes it super easy to undo, and its way faster if you're in a rush

I have one friend that really well on "The Plan," https://smile.amazon.com/Plan-Eliminate-Surprising-Healthy-Fat/dp/1455515493/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+plan&qid=1554808606&s=gateway&sr=8-1 The author believes everyone responds differently to foods. She picks the "least inflammatory" foods and then you slowly reintroduce food types to see if you are reactive to a particular food--it helps you pick the best diet for you.

There are electric heating pads designed specifically for shoulders. This one is a bit pricey but it's a trusted brand, I got it earlier this year for my sister and she loves it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GC1YAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love my foot spa https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07HZLZ4ZV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have the IMAK ones and I like them since they look a little less "medical" looking. I find that they help

https://www.amazon.com/Compression-Arthritis-Arthritic-Rheumatoid-Osteoarthritis/dp/B000N4G8IQ

This is the one I got! For me it was totally worth it, on my normal inflammation days it feels great, especially since I tend to get cramping in the bottom of my feet that really can affect my walking. I just apparently can't use it on bad days, that crunching does not feel good. Usually I keep it on the lowest setting, and since it gets warm I just keep my feet in there after the 15 minutes are up for the warmth.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143X748U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For anyone also looking for an answer to this... I wound up buying these:

https://www.amazon.com/IMAK-Compression-Arthritis-Original-Foundation/dp/B000N4G8IQ

And they've been a great help. They don't offer the wrist stabilization that I was looking for but there are other products out there that may fix that.