Hi, does anyone have any tips on aids to help with using my hands?

I have OA but also have trouble with my hands, especially thumbs, and have a lack of grip. I wear these braces:

which are obtainable from OTs and can also be bought on-line for about £40. If you look on websites specially designed to provide disabled items, of which there are loads, you will find things like electric kettles on swivel stands, electric tin openers and so on. I have a plastic gadget to get ring pulls off tins and good for lots of tasks are squares of rubberised plastic which help with jar lids etc, you can also get foam tubing to fit over the handles of existing utensils you may have instead of buying new ones. Hope that helps.

Near me there's something called the Disability/Independent Living Centre which has most of the household aids mentioned above for you to try out. They're a charity and staffed by Occupational Therapists, I was referred by an OT but you might be able to self refer or get an appointment to try out the non-medical aids. I don't know how widespread across the country they are but Google shows up quite a few.

Something I use a lot is Dycem, this is the rubberised plastic Mike1 mentioned. It comes in a thin sheet and you can cut it into whatever size you want. I use it for opening jars and bottles, picking things up, anything where I need a bit of grip. Of all the appliances and aides I have bought or been given over the years the Dycem is far and away the most useful thing, I think I must use it every day. I was originally given some by an OT many years ago after I had hand surgery, and it was so useful and lasted for years, when it eventually wore out I bought some, unfortunately it tends to come in fairly large reels which are quite expensive, maybe when you get to see the OT you could ask if they can give you a piece to see if it's something that works for you.

Angela

I have OA in my thumbs so they’re painful and now near useless. I have been offered trapezoid removal surgery but have an elderly relative I need to care for so there’s no way I can be out of action for months.

I’ve bought numerous different splints, supports etc, but what I find most effective is kinesiology tape, which can be cut to almost any size off the roll, and works to support any painful joint. It doesn’t do terribly well in water, but it’s the best pain relieving remedy that actually helps support the joints.

good luck.

I have osteoarthritis in both hands and the pain is insane. I got built up cutlery and a kettle tipper from the hospital's pain clinic. As I have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and over 12 months of Trigger Thumb on both hands I find the splints for Trigger Thumb allow my hands to rest whilst giving me support, for me which is mainly my thumb.

You can buy a ball or stress relieving balls. I try to wear elasticated waist items as zips and anything small absolutely kills my hands.

I also had an assessment from my housing association and self referred myself to Social Services for a full assessment of needs. The housing association put rails in my hallway and shower. My sink was changed to install a lever tap in the kitchen and bathroom, which I push left or right for hot or cold water. A few of the door handles and window handles were changed too. Social Services gave me a perching chair to wash the dishes, a bed strap to enable me to get in and out if bed, a shower chair and a toilet seat booster.

Personally I will trawl through eBay and Amazon sometimes if I come across an issue with a product the general public use. For example my tin opener is from a shopping channel called QVC. You just put it on then pull the lever up and down. The tin lid is never sharp when you remove it.. fantastic !! I also improvise things for another use too. For zips I use one of those big thick paperclips. I pulled one end open, put it in the zip hole and pull open or close. Nothing yet for zips without holes as yet though. I also purchased a arm rest for my chair which has helped a lot as it's around 1 inch thick. I use salt and pepper dispensers for my spices as it's less pain to keep locating the spice, opening it, and putting it back. Now I just grab it and press the button. Some things I cannot do what I used to do. I use a lot of garlic so I but the minced garlic paste in a jar. I also buy the long life fresh milk as when I'm having a flare up it is there and has a long sell by date. When shopping I just take my time, rest and always use a trolley. I bought myself a good shopping bag from QVC which keeps my fresh and frozen food really cold. I always just pass out when I get back from shopping and this has been a life line as hours later the items are still very cold and/or frozen after I wake up.

If you look online there are exercises for your hand. Personally I don't rate them and exercise my hands as well as cream them at least x4 each day incorporating a good firm massage. I have also learned to heed the warnings my hands give me which is redness and swelling. This I now know means do not do anything other than the basics.

I too find a pair of pliers useful for gripping. My kettle's handle is horizontal above the body. I grip it with the hand palm up, which means I can pour with a twist of the wrist not having to raise an elbow. My other most used trick is for lifting heavy stuffs, say a bucket of water. Form a loop with a belt having passed it through the handle. Place the arm through the loop so that the belt rests in the crook of the elbow, you can then lift without straining the wrist.