Your home RA coping tips? | Arthritis Information

Tip from my physio I just tried: I heated dry lentils up in the microwave and immersed my feet in them ... fabulous! Also good for the hands, it's like a less messy home parrifin treatment (and cheap too!).

So ... any other home remedies you use to manage?

- Joy

That is a great idea!!!!!! I'm going to try it tonight!

Keep them coming!

Phatgirl2

Good tip! How long do you zap the lentils?

When I had a two door car - you know those long, heavy doors are hard to shut - I looped a bandana around the inner handhold so I could just pull on that to shut the door.

I zapped 'em for over 5 minutes ... and they ended up being too hot! :) I'd say the time will likely depend on the power of your microwave and the quantity you are heating up (I used a bag that was about 5 lbs emptied into a wide-mouthed glass casserol dish). Try a couple of minutes at a time until you get them to the temperature you want.

Great tip about the bandana on the door!

I have a Golden Retriever ( a brand name store keepers helper) that is just fab! I am only 4' 8" and my knees are so bad I don't always want to climb on to a stool or use a ladder. There is nothing like having about a 7 foot looong reach! I think I've beat this to death..pls excuse me.

A hot bath is a wonderful stress and pain reliever.

Dry rice, not cooked (or lentils) sewn in to a cotton hand towel and heated in the micro is great to bring to bed. Unlike an electric heating pad it can't get turned up and burn you while you sleep. It is also nice to be cordless. Sewers an 'Acher Baker' is a nice cheap present for any friend who has an ache. They also make great foot warmers in bed on a cold winter night.

Marian, I also like a nice hot rice pack for aches. They are nice because they bend to the shape you need. But here's a tip - you don't have to sew to make one. Get a nice long tube sock and fill it 2/3 with rice and then tie a knot at the open end of the sock. Then you're good to go. The nice thing about doing it this way, is if the sock gets a bit grungy, you can untie it, put the rice in a bowl to save it, and wash the sock, and then remake your rice pack.

How about a good ice pack? Try a bag of frozen peas!

For whatever reason, a large bag of frozen peas works better for me than any old fancy-shmancy gel pack. When I have a flare-up, the heat from my joints will easily warm up a standard cold pack long before it does any good on the flare.

A bag of peas, on the other hand, stays cold longer and molds better to whatever is flared up. I discovered it by accident one evening at home, when it was the only thing I had available for my flared-up elbows. I initially panicked when I realized that I had loaned both my huge ice packs to a neighbor, only to find that I liked the frozen peas better!

By the way, if you send someone out for frozen peas, be sure to specify "BAG" in your request. I sent my sister on that mission one day, only to have her come back with a box of "Jolly Green Giant" green peas, LOL. We had a nice side dish for dinner that night, but my aching knee had to wait for relief!Logiatrix, I have also used frozen peas. It is actually recommended by doctors. The time I found it funniest though was the shocked look I got from my husband when I gave him a bag of frozen peas to use after his vasectomy!

Hillhoney - LOL!!!! I can just imagine the reaction!

My mom always did the warm wet towel inside the dry towel thing. it works. Pretty standard though. This is gonna sound kinda stupid, but when I'm at work, and I have little pains...I go make extra copies of our hotel maps and our breakfast info and stick my hands in the middle of the copies, cause it's nice and warm...hahahaha On a side note, I also love the smell of fresh copies...I know some of you do too..dont' lie...there's 4 of us at the hotel that love it. LOL!

I do the rice sock thing too...It is wonderful. I also use chihuahuas to keep my feet or what ever warm...they are small, they are always the right temperature, and when you are not using them they are entertaining to watch.

I have posted this before...but I will repeat it for those who are new...for leg cramps, I drink tonic water. My RD recommended it, it contains quinine. It also comes in diet, it is not sweet so it is an aquired taste but a squeeze of lemon makes a big difference. I was skeptical at first, but it worked so well for me. I was waking up from leg cramps every night and I started having bad dreams because of it. I started drinking a glass of tonic water every night before I went to bed. It worked from the first night and after about 2 weeks, I didnt have anymore problems.

Have used frozen veggies since the time my now grown children were small and the rice idea for umpteen years. I've stitched many sets of seat warmers to be used in the vehicles of family and friends in the winter-long before the car mfgrs. thought of it! Also, have stitched smaller ones to tuck inside boots, jackets, mitts, etc. for winter use.
Had one grandchild who suffered from terrible colic. The child and the family enjoyed more hours of sleep because grandma suggested placing one under the baby before laying the baby down.
For sure there are other terrific ideas out there.
I, too, have a grabber and can't imagine life without it.

I do quite a bit of sewing and for sure have dropped my share of straight pins, etc.. Have two strong magnets with a handle for picking such items up. Since I used but one at a time I securely fastened the second one to a discarded broom handle(cut it in half first) thus reducing the number of times I need to bend over to pick an item off the floor.

On the days before my RA was under control and bending over was painful, if possible at all, I filled a spray container with my favorite liquid cleanser and water and sprayed it on the floor. I then used old cleaning cloths and a broom to wipe up the floor and my grabber to pick up the cleaning cloth. (Don't think there's a need to explain the procedure of cleaning a floor..................)
Last fall I washed every wall in our home using this method. Was time consuming but effective and was quite easy on my joints.

At this time of night my phone is ringing! Chances are it's my kid sister so Good Night. Take Care Now-You Hear!

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