Pain, fatigue, brain fog, difficulty with everyday tasks, doctor visits, midde-of-the-night pain, disability leave, flares, surgeries, chronic pain, insurance snafus, tough talks with loved ones — and did we mention pain? When dealing with a chronic illness like arthritis, there are a lot of Big Things you have to deal with, often over and over again. “I was diagnosed at a very young age with rheumatoid arthritis — I was just 16 — and I was totally overwhelmed with everything I was ‘supposed’ to do, ” says Stephanie M., 24, of Brisbane, Australia. “Even with my parents’ help, it just felt like I would never have a normal life.”
However, now that Stephanie has almost a decade of experience with arthritis, she sees things a little differently. “I had to learn not to get hung up on the big stuff because it would drive me mad, ” she says. “Instead I learned to focus on doing the little things that would have a big impact on my lifestyle.”
And it turns out there are a lot of simple things you can do to make your life more comfortable, fun, less painful, and easier overall. “You can’t control your arthritis, but you can control how you deal with it — and that mindset has been very powerful for me, ” Stephanie says.
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To help you, we asked people with arthritis to share the little changes, new habits, and tips that have made the biggest difference to them.
“Texting is a major way I keep in touch with people but using my fingers to type or even swipe can be so painful. I got a phone that uses the Google Assistant, which takes voice commands. I can voice-dictate texts and emails. I also ask my phone to open apps, play music, search the internet, and make phone calls. I installed an app on my laptop that allows me to use voice dictation there too. The more you use it, the better it gets at recognizing your voice.”
“I used to be all about fashion and wearing trendy stuff, but my arthritis has really changed how I look at my clothes. I still enjoy looking cute but now I make sure I have elastic-waist pants, loose tops, jewelry I can slip over my head, and flat, comfortable shoes for bad days. You can buy pants that look like dress slacks but are as easy to wear as yoga pants.”
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“There are days when I have barely any use of my hands so I do everything I can to protect them. At home, I have automatic everything: can openers, soap dispensers, lights, toilets, TVs. Even my appliances use touch screens instead of buttons. Sometimes I use my nose to touch them!”
“They make some really cool things for people with arthritis these days, like foam grips you can put around utensils, cups, handles, and things to make them easier to hold on to. I also like my button hook/zipper pull as it makes getting dressed much easier.”
“I can’t vacuum. I can’t stand the pressure on my hands, I can’t be on my feet that long, my balance isn’t good, and honestly, I just don’t have the energy for it. My husband bought me a Roomba for Christmas last year and I’m in love with it. It cleans the floors without me having to do a thing, except sometimes get it unstuck when it gets tangled in cords. Best present ever!”
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“I order groceries online from Walmart, Costco, and even the local farmer’s market. There’s nothing I can’t get delivered. The apps even allow to me to save my grocery lists and use coupons.”
“I have Crohn’s disease along with arthritis and so I spend a lot of time in the bathroom. I figured I might as well make it comfortable. I had a heated toilet seat installed, along with a grip bar on the wall so standing and sitting are much easier. A small stool for my feet helps take pressure off my legs. Honestly it really is the little things that matter the most!”
“Having a step-in shower was one of my top priorities in finding an apartment. Stepping over and into a slippery bathtub is just too difficult for me, not to mention dangerous if I trip. I also added a shower chair, a grip bar, and a textured adhesive bath mat in the shower.”
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“I use a CBD [cannabidiol] salve, with a small amount of THC, when my joints get really painful. I only have one kidney so I have to be really careful with pain medications. CBD has been a lifesaver for me.”
“I sleep with two electric blankets, one on top and one on the bottom. I also have a heated hand warmer and love hot baths. Do not underestimate the soothing power of heat!”
“If I have one regret, it’s that I didn’t take my medications seriously. I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis when I was 17 and I didn’t want to be different than all my friends so I didn’t bother with my meds or just took them when I felt like it. I was like ‘screw it, I’m going to die young anyhow, what does it matter.’ It actually matters a lot: I’m 29 now and have several fused joints and deformations in my fingers. I could have prevented or at least slowed that if I’d taken my meds like I was supposed to.”
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“There’s something so mentally and physically soothing about being in water. I love a good soak in a bath or hot tub, but my favorite thing is to float in a big pool. I love the feeling of being weightless, all the pressure is off my body, and I love gently gliding through the water. It’s so healing. On my worst days I can stay in there for hours. I bought a gym membership just for the pool.”
“I used to be a concert pianist until arthritis in my hands made it too painful to play. Then I noticed a friend, who was a master embroiderer but had to give it up for similar reasons, stitching again. She was wearing compression gloves. I bought a pair of my own and they are amazing. I wear them day and night. I’m playing the piano again! This is also good because playing music is one of the ways I take my mind off my chronic pain issues.”
“The single best thing I did to make my life easier with arthritis was to start a daily exercise program. I started with just walking and now I do everything from kickboxing to rock climbing. That, combined with my medication, took me from needing a walker to get out of bed in the morning to running 5Ks. If I take more than one day off in a row I can really feel the pain and stiffness coming back.”
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“I had what I thought was pink eye but when it didn’t clear up after a month, my doctor did additional tests. It turns out I was having an arthritis flare in my eye. I’d been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis two years earlier and never even knew I could get it in my eye. Because it went untreated for so long that flare took so much longer to calm down. Now I know that I need to take even little things seriously or I risk getting knocked off my feet for weeks.”
“I think cutting out wheat (gluten), dairy, and sugar has helped put my arthritis into remission. RA sucks so much and I hate that I have to follow such a restrictive diet but every time I’m tempted to cheat I just remember waking up in tears because of the pain in my hips. It’s not easy and everyone is different but it was very effective for me.”
“I’ve been on biologic infusions for two years and they’re amazing; my arthritis is is almost entirely in remission. But biologics can lower your immune system and you have to be extra vigilant. I don’t shake people’s hands, try to avoid others when they are sick, and I carry hand sanitizer and use it all the time. I probably look crazy but I don’t care.”
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“I didn’t realize how much my weight was hurting my knees until I lost some weight. My doctor put me on methotrexate and it made my stomach hurt all the time so I never wanted to eat. I hated those pills but I lost 10 pounds in a month. It wasn’t a ton of weight but I immediately noticed how much easier it was to walk now. My back hurts much less too. It’s not about looking skinny — trust me, I’m far from skinny — but the improvement in my mobility is amazing. I just joined Weight Watchers to try and lose 30 more pounds.” — Mary S., 55, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and degenerative disc disease
“Arthritis took so many things from me, things that make me who I am. But I’ve found it’s important to maintain myself by keeping my hobbies. I just
