Adaptations for Arthritic hands

Hi

I am having issues with Arthritis in my right hand (currently in my last 2 fingers but i have a progressive type that affects joints randomly).

I was wondering if anybody else had made any adaptations to their machine tools or hand tools to make their operation easier with restricted hand movement?

Thanks in advance

Mike

Mike,

​There is an Charity organisation called Remap that does a lot of this some of thing for people struggling to open jars, door handles or turn taps on and off as just three frustrating examples.

Most areas of the country have local Remap volunteer groups who would be very happy to take you onto their team of engineers to help them address these very issues that make life a little simpler for those afflicted.

​As I am sure you will appreciate, each problem may be subtly different in each individual; your understanding and solution for your own applications could be very helpful to these groups. You might consider joining them.

Regards
​Brian

In some ways this is a hobby well catered for people with arthritis. It's pricy, mind, with a heck of a learning curve.

CNC or 3D printing

Using 3d printing jobbing shops like Shapeways **LINK** is an option that means you can get things made with no more load on dodgy joints than you would with similar length of time on any computer.

Beyond that, I'm sorry, I have no idea about adapting existing manually operated tools.

Regards,

Richard.

Hi Mike.

My 28 year old daughter has a quite severe genetic arthritis issues and manages well in a chemistry lab doing all sorts of interesting stuff that's quite exacting and delicate...She too has good days and bad days; I asked her for her top tips for a friend recently... it went something like this..

• take the medication in time with your working time
• get the temperature of your fingers up so that they work, she wears thin compression gloves which really help on bad days (get them from your physio)
• Add bigger handles to small things (a good reason to buy a 3d printer perhaps)
• Keys are a pain, she always has a couple of these in her pocket
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apex-Carex-EN15R-RD-Easy-Turner/dp/B00F377WVK/ref=pd_sim_364_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=883JC5XQWKZB03S1ADG5
• If all else fails wrap your fingers round a hot mug of tea and wait 10 minutes

Hope this helps a bit.

Also adapt handles and things by using Sugru

Hello Mike,

You have my sympathy, I have very mild arthritis in my thumbs that tends to flare up if I have a nasty virus. If you are lucky you will have the type that hurts when the joint hasn't been used but gets less after a bit of movement, so the first answer is keep using your hands! I also find ibuprofen gel helps, and if it gets to be a PITA I take ibuprofen for a few days to blitz it.

As general principle, I'd look for any awkward or tight screws that would benefit from replacing with things like bristol handles or perhaps making up longer/ more comfortable handles for things like allen keys or chuck keys. A 'boa constrictor' strap wrench can help with all sorts of things (including jam jars!)

It's worth getting in touch with REMAP - they are a charity that uses volunteers to make devices to help disabled people carry out everyday activities or enjoy their hobbies. While you probably don't need that service, they may be able to suggest some resources for you or put you in touch with a local volunteer who can suggest things to help with poor grip. I'm sure they have some simple, but helpful, gadgets for people with arthritis.

Neil

Thanks all for the replies.

I do have the type where i am better the more i do, although i do already have some grip issues (partially cured by cortisone injections but not a pleasant experience). I like the idea of replacing fidly locking screws and beefing up some of the machine handles.

The cold also affects me a bit so a good excuse to drink more tea! I am lucky in that my workshop is attached to the house and has our boiler in so it remains fairly warm though.

I guess there are some aspects of the hobby that i won't be able to get around though such as working with tiny fixings but i just want to be prepared for my problems to worsen (baring in mind i'm only 34 and have a few years of engineering in front of me).

Mike

I don't know if this will help but there may be different ways of looking at handling tools.

(Just don't look at the prices.. you'll be thinking in terms of adapting stuff to similar function or buying cheap ebay quality)

For instance with orthopaedic surgey on small bones/patients I would use an assortment of fragment holding clamps and sometimes tiny neurosurgery power tools rather than running out of hands. Screws are kept preloaded in cassettes and picked out using sprung sleeved screwdrivers.**LINK**

**LINK**

Power tools like die grinders that are activated by clenching the palm over a long flat lever rather than single finger controlled.

Gillies needle holders for instance are held with thumb in one handle loop and the other handle supported by first two fingers and the third in that handle loop. It gives much more control.

Assorted example bone holding forceps..**LINK**

Some will have a coarse screw thread to hold the clamping force. Those that use ratchets can usually be released by pushing sideways on the ratchet.. an action that uses the palm and a few fingers rather than a scissor-holding 1-finger-each-side action.

You may be able so set something up over a bench to use a dremel like flexible drive extension and foot speed control for driving tiny fixings.

If you consider the watchmakers tiny screwdrivers designed to be held down with one finger and twirled on the shaft then similarly one can adapt to hold larger tools down with the palm of left hand and some ratchet device gripping the shaft or a through bar

Hi Mike

Please do contact http://www.remap.org.uk/ . I volunteer for them in Brighton. We all come from different areas of engineering and we will make aids that cannot be commercially available and bespoke to the client. And there is no charge for the items but donations are always welcome.

Only thing I could recommend is keep warm and keep moving, take the standard pills if needed. I often get funny looks when sat wiggling my fingers, but it does help. I use a big tube bandage on my knees, makes a big difference, but can't work out how to adapt for fingers. If your tools are warm can help, I tend to seize up when handling a cold spanner.

I have a disorder called Sjogrens Syndrome, I have the systemic type so a lot of my joints hurt when I'm going through a flare so I know exactly how you are feeling. I just stay away from the woirkshop when I'm feeling bad and make hay when I'm not.

A bit more on the constrictive gloves from my daughter... hope it helps.

"They're called Isotoner, the best ones come from the occupational therapist & aren.t available online (they do normal gloves sold online but not the medical ones, dont just buy those...not same thing!) but I've bought some average ones from Amazon recently by searching 'arthritis gloves'.

Don't bother with the 'magnetic' ones as they're weirdly cold and a bit itchy. Normal compression ones from Medipaq, (work best, good for dexterity tasks inside, dont last long) Thermoskin (better for outside, bit warm) and Bodytec Wellbeing (bit more robust and cheap, fine for general stuff but bit restrictive for really fine tasks) are my current stock. I find the ones with longer wrists more comfortable.

Its the way forward, makes a massive difference but you have to get the fit very right and be prepared to either pay £60 or NHS for really good pairs, or replace the cheap ones every month or so. If you want the fit checking a GP or rheumatologist can refer direct to occupational therapists to do that, or in some places you can ring a physio dept and self refer."

Edited By Mark Simpson 1 on 11/01/2017 11:41:00

Motorcyclists used to have electric heated gloves, are they still available?

Had me battery driven gloves on today when walking home in the blizzard. Lovely weather we are having.