Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
3 Tips For Managing Joint Pain In Your Hands
Julio Carr
Do you suffer from joint pain in your fingers, wrist, and hands? It's a common problem. As people age, arthritis and other issues in the hands can be a more prevalent issue. Hand pain is all the more challenging because you likely use your hands so much that it makes it difficult to give them any rest. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to relieve the pain. Taking a daily pain reliever is a good first step, but you may not want to stop there. Being proactive with your pain management can help you continue working and doing the things you love. Here are a few tips on how you can manage your pain:
Understand your pain's timing. There are probably certain times of the day when your pain is most severe. For many people, joint pain gets worse throughout the day. However, it may be possible that your pain is worst in the morning, when your joints are stiff from sleeping all night.
Spend a week or so documenting your pain. Make note about when the pain is at its worst and then look for trends in your documentation. Then you can schedule your activities around your pain. For example, if you have a task that requires a lot of typing, you could schedule that work for when you know your pain will be relatively mild. By working around your pain, you can limit its impact.
Use cold and heat. The combination of cold with heat can work wonders for many different types of pains, hand pain being no exception. Start by rubbing an ice cube or a covered ice pack in small circular motions over the joint in question. Only use the ice for a few minutes so you don't irritate the skin.
After using the ice, soak your hand in a cup or bowl of hot water. The contrast of hot and cold will reduce swelling, loosen your joints, and generally relieve your pain. You may want to repeat this process several times a day.
Get special adaptive equipment. There are a variety of tools available that can make life with pain much more bearable. For example, you may want to get an elevated keyboard that will put less strain on your hands. Hands-free headsets and wireless technology can eliminate the need to use your hands with your phone. There are many tools and kitchen utensils available that are specially designed with thicker grips to ease joint pain. Look into special equipment such as these to make your life easier.
You can also visit a doctor or clinic that specializes in pain management. They may prescribe medicine or recommend that you work with a physical therapist on exercises that will relieve your pain. Contact a pain management clinic in your area, such as Pain Treatment Center, for more information.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.