Many thanks to our Labour MP Lisa Nandy for taking the time to become a Parliamentary Arthritis Champion supporting the people of Wigan suffering with Arthritis and for:
Arthritis Research UK.
It’s essential that the needs of people with arthritis are taken seriously by politicians. For many people living with the condition, simple activities can be a struggle, often resulting in pain, fatigue and depression. Alongside the personal impact, musculoskeletal conditions have a huge impact on society amounting to the third largest area of NHS spending, with an annual budget of £4.8 billion, and causing one in five working days lost in the UK.

We need Arthritis Champions in Parliament to stand up for people with arthritis. We’ve produced a short manifesto asking politicians to:
▪make musculoskeletal conditions a public health priority
▪ensure people have timely access to health and care services that enable them to improve their musculoskeletal health
▪ensure people with musculoskeletal conditions have fair and timely access to services that support them to be in work, including financial support
▪protect the UK’s position as a global leader in science and sustain the benefits of the life-science sector to the economy.

Read the Manifesto here

Arthritis Research UK

I would find it a great help if everyday tools and appliances were available in versions suited to arthritic hands.

Scissors that have handles accepting the whole hand, rather than one or two fingers, peelers with wide-grip handles so that hand is not tightly cupped to grip them.

Such suitable devices, I stumble upon every now and again whilst shopping, but I struggle if I have to search for a specific device.

eg

Amazon UK have a pair of looped scissors, Scissors but unfortunately doesn't mention about VAT relief which helps tremendously with lowering the costs of purchasing adapted items or utensils to help with everyday life, which tend to be a lot more expensive than ordinary items.

I can sympathise with you with the gripping of utensils, especially so with cold hands and the need to start prepping vegetables and denuding meat, the pain relief only helps so much and doesn't take away the stiffness.

I can get round a lot of things by using gadgets but, peeling a potato is impossible, the action of pulling the knife across a potato to take 'just' the peel off is now undoable for me, Potatoes are a main stay of our diet, a filler for little money but if ya can't peel em, there's only one way to eat em, baked in the jacket, and so its that or wait for the missus, good job I love them,

I tried an electric spud peeler, to no avail: useless. Results in loss of too much potato, particularly that just under the skin, which, I gather contains most of spud's nutrition.

your hands are something you take for granted, they do so many actions that you don't realize untill arfur comes along, I've tried holding a potato in a vice and using two hands peel with a knife, still failed, just a year ago, i could peel a potato in my hand without thought, Now there are so many things are a major job, even brushing teeth,

I can empathize with the above comments.
I have arthritic thumbs on both hands, and each day, all day long I have to battle with pain.
You don't realise how much work your hands do until you have arthritis.
Every single action whether it's fastening a button, using a can opener or as has been said peeling a potato is problematic.
I don't like to take painkillers as I take a range of heart medicines, but the pain varies from day to day depending on weather and hand usage.
I do sometimes apply Voltarol or similar on a bad day.
Best of all is washing up and giving your hands a good soak in the hot water.

Sold as gardening scissors, I have found these good.



Considering an electric can opener. Has anyone found them a help?

This may be of interest: Study shows chair yoga is effective arthritic treatment - Facebook

New chair yoga class at Sunshine House - inclusive, accessible and open to everybody. A great way to get some exercise, stretch and strengthen and learn relaxation techniques.

From BWCN Issue 258:

Arthritis Self Help Group
Thu 1st March, 7pm, Conference Centre, Wrightington Hospital WN6 9EP (Link)

Living with any form of arthritis? Come along, everyone welcome. Share, meet likeminded people, learn coping skills. Speakers, events, lots of fun.

More details from Barbara on 01257 791337 or Ann 01695 721199