Help with knives for eating

karen_r511

Hello

Thank you for having me here.

I have osteoarthritis in hands, knees and feet.

When my hands are in flare, it is extremely painful to use a knife to cut my food at meals.

Any tips on how to use a knife to minimise pressure on the index finger?

Anna

Hello @karen_r511 and welcome to the online community,

Eating with painful hands can be so frustrating, and cutting up food is probably the most difficult part. I have the same issue and I find that cutting up all my food first is easier than cutting up each piece before eating it. I also sometimes ask my husband or daughters to cut up my food sometimes, although I know this isn’t always possible. I always ask my pizza to be cut up by kitchen staff at restaurants and everyone has always been very helpful.

Finally, If you don’t already have adaptive cutlery, that’s something that you can perhaps look into. You can do a google search and there will be several to choose from.

I’ve posted a link below on suggestions from people living with arthritis on how to manage in the kitchen which might also be useful.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/may/arthritis-and-kitchen-hacks-easy-ways-to-eat-well/

Anna ( Moderator)

creAte

Hello @karen_r511

This happening came my way…

Here I basically completely changed what to eat or not as hands could not do a lot. As main hand is steal in a pickle I use food scissors whenever able to, still painful but it helps in managing on doable days some food preparations, soft vegs/soft food. Also a super sharp knife can help, must be good quality very sharp, so sharp that just pushing on it makes it slides though & cut nicely. I guess 'might be called a butcher's knife ?.. Such a knife is lovely for cutting with no effort. Other: use of food mixer with blades/various options, so that many forms of foods get cut into small pieces by electrical mean.

But yes, hands problems have changed the meals but not in a bad way, just different and in harmony with adaptation.

Adaptation is understood as a fundamental RA need on planet here/own perception. .. if not, frustration bring additional pain, no thank you!

;)

Gentle smile

MoonElf

For me, I also have OA in my hands and wrists, I have ready meals available for bad days which require no cutting.

I make my own ready meals and also buy frozen ones. But I try to use a good day to meal prep if I can but I make sure everything is bite size to make things easier for me.

A good day when my back and hips aren't in pain too as I have OA in hips, pelvis, spine, neck and shoulders too.

I didn't know that there is special cutlery or anything.

creAte

I recently posted a photomontage on a tread 'arthritis/fingers/thumb etc which I shall enclose in this post again. As it goes I just ordered tonight a second splint from the creator of this lovely helpful item to be found on ebay / not giving name as not advising / just valuing highly an available option.

No idea if this might be helpful to you…

But definitely very helpful here as own hands are deteriorating...with the lovely gift of this latest morning attacking further left thumb which was not as bad as right thumb until today.

So, soon 2 thumbs splints in own world and 3 other fingers that are also heading that way .....

The joy of RA, only diagnosed July 24 and it moved fast in my body: hands, 1 wrist, 2 thumbs, 3 fingers, both knees, spine, neck, feet, 1 elbow.

A very puzzled adventure

Gentle smile

frogmorton

@MoonElf you can buy tubing to put on anything to make handles more comfortable including screwdrivers, pens and the like too.

You can buy it online in the 'usual' place where you can get everything just put foam tubing for utensils in your search engine.

Take care

Toni x