Introduction
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition that affects the inner lining of the synovial joint present on both sides of the body. The disease is an auto-immune-borne condition, meaning the body loses the ability to recognize its cells. This leads to the release of inflammatory chemicals that attack the inner synovial lining of the joints in the body. Over time, the joints of the body become weak and damaged. The structure of the joint is greatly affected, leading to increased stiffness and decreased range of motion. The other ailments that complement these are extreme fatigue, joint pain, weight loss, and loss of bone strength. Owing to all these factors, with time, it becomes difficult for one to perform their day-to-day tasks as easily or independently as at the pre-arthritic level. Being a chronic disease, the worsening of the bone and joint health progresses with time, ultimately indicating a complete loss of function.
At this point in the disease, management becomes a challenge for both the patient and the family members or caretakers of the patient. The dependency of patients has increased multifold, making even simple tasks such as walking difficult to accomplish. The invention of assistance devices backed up by science and technology has proven to be a boon to the patients of rheumatoid arthritis. In this article, one can find out exactly how.
How Are Arthritic Changes Clinically Presented?
The onset of rheumatoid arthritis can occur in adults and children. In children, the term used for the disease is Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) or Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). However, The clinical presentations of arthritis in both age groups are quite different.
In rheumatoid arthritis, the patient's chief complaint is immense joint pain. The patient may also complain about the daily morning stiffness encountered post-waking up and the inability to do routine activities like standing up or sitting down, brushing teeth, bathing, dressing up, wearing shoes, and cooking food. Humans depend highly on the musculoskeletal system for movements as small as snapping the fingers to carrying heavy grocery bags back home from the car. The arrangement of joints in the body allows one to perform specific movements in a desired fashion that does not resemble robotic. The arthritic changes defy these simple daily actions, significantly disrupting the patient's quality of life.
Apart from a deformed joint structure and loss of joint functionality, various extra-articular changes are also brought about in the body as manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. The progressive nature of the disease also affects the organs, such as the skin, heart, eyes, and lungs. These disabilities make the patient undesirably dependable on the folks and relatives in the house. The need to ask for help at every step becomes too exhausting for them mentally, which paves the way for an unhealthy and depressed mental state. Thanks to the ever-evolving times and technology, various assistive devices are now available to help these patients overcome their dependent lifestyle easily.
What Are Assistive Devices?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that targets the bones of hands and feet firsthand. This disables the person affected, as every day-to-day task requires the use of activities like gripping, holding, walking, and running. Weak joints in the hands limit the patient’s life in every way possible. Assistive devices, also called self-help devices, are designed to help one carry out all the complex tasks with minimal stress on the joints. Various places where assistive devices are utilized include:
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In the Bedroom: The door knobs to the bathroom and bedroom doors can be built in the form of long handles to provide a better grip to open and close the doors with ease. This can apply to any other doors of the house as well. One can make good use of buttoning aids to dress up in clothes that have buttons. On the other hand, opting for Velcro fasteners as an aid can also be very time-efficient.
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In the Bathroom: Balance and stability are major concerns for an arthritic patient. Therefore, the bathroom needs to have support bars and rails to hold onto as wet, slippery surfaces pose a risk of falls leading to injury.
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In the Kitchen: Opening tight jars, cutting fruits, and slicing vegetables are all activities that require precise use of fingers and hands. It is difficult for arthritic patients to carry out these activities safely. Hence, aids like automatic jar openers, electric slicers or choppers, long-handled knives, and utensils with long, better grips make it easier to carry out kitchen tasks with ease. Cooking in a standing position for a long duration can also be avoided by installing an adjustable height stool near the gas stove.
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In Everyday Activities: Activities and hobbies that are performed daily need not be canceled due to arthritic changes. One can still drive an automobile without any dependency by introducing large keyholes that make it easier to manipulate the keys to turn the ignition on. Modern times have introduced an automatic start/stop button to turn the car on, which removes the question of using the hands completely.
Conclusion
These self-help aids are like a blessing for those who truly know their value in life. Everybody likes to be independent and takes immense pride in doing their work independently. People with Rheumatoid Arthritis are no different. Their disability and dependency force them to look down upon themselves, making them question their self-worth and often even existence! These assistive aids make one feel good about themselves both mentally and physically. The aids mentioned above are affordable and quite easy to find in any local hardware or medical store.
