Updated December 28, 2014.

Arthritis is currently the leading cause of disability in the United States. One in every five adults suffers with some form of arthritis, leading to pain and dysfunction which changes quality of life. 

Wrist, hand, and finger pain due to arthritis can significantly change a person's day to day activity. We use our hands more than any other body part on a regular basis and one painful joint can significantly change their use.

Common causes of painful joints in the wrist and hands include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis due to prior injury or broken bone, juvenile arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, and others. Any of these reasons can cause significantly painful joints in the hands. We will explore some tools to help avoid pain during daily activity. 

For the kitchen

We use our hands more in the kitchen than most other rooms in the house. As a general rule, gripping with your hands or using a fine pinch maneuver are two positions that can increase pain, especially with repetitive activity. Tools that help with prevention of painful joints typically have "built up" handles and grips. One example of this is the Good Grips by Oxo line. This is one example of a mainstream product that works exceptionally well for people with painful joints in their hands for any reason. 

Another good resource for the kitchen comes from the Arthritis Foundation website. This website is a valuable resource for anyone living with painful joints but has individual pages to help deal with specific tasks.

Their kitchen tools page has a few different tools such as a garlic press and an english muffin slicer that can make life a lot easier with arthritic hands. 

For the garden

There are multiple tools that can make gardening easier for people living with painful joints. The Arthritis Foundation recommends a few that help with planting, watering, weeding, and pruning. As in the case with kitchen tools, building up the handles on any tool you use can be beneficial. This can be as simple as using duct tape or similar to create a bigger handle on whatever tool you're using. 

Alternative therapies for pain

In addition to simple lifestyle and tool modifications as above, there are also ways to treat pain without having to use oral medications. Oral arthritis medications are safe to use in moderation as prescribed but reducing the amount taken over time can prevent problems with the liver and kidneys that are sometimes encountered with long term use or dehydration in conjunction with use. 

Paraffin wax baths on a regular basis can be helpful in relieving pain when used over time. Wax baths can be purchased at drug stores and used on a daily basis to provide painful joints with heat. The benefit of using wax in this case is that skin can tolerate higher degrees of temperature with a medium like wax as opposed to water. Daily or twice daily use of a wax bath can help with decreasing arthritis inflammation and pain over time. 

Corticosteroid injections into painful hand joints can also be quite helpful for three to six months of pain reduction if surgery is not an option. A doctor will usually take an x ray of the affected area to help identify the painful joint along with a physical examination. Then, he or she can make a mix of anesthetic and steroid to place into the joint capsule, sometimes providing enough pain relief to avoid oral medications or surgery for multiple years. 

Painful joints of the hands is a tough problem but with a few simple tricks, can be managed at home quite well. Consult your doctor if you'd like to learn more about available treatment options.