Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints, causing pain and stiffness which may worsen with age. There are a few types of arthritis with different causes such as wear and tear, infection or underlying diseases. However, they have a few similar symptoms which includes dull pain, swelling, warm red skin over affected joint, muscle weakness and wasting, reduced range of motion and stiffness of the joint. The most common type of arthritis is called osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis.
In patient with osteoarthritis, the cartilage in their joint breaks down, eventually resulting in the bone-on-bone contact of the joint which causes pain, bone spur formation and bone injury.
If you are currently dealing with arthritis, it may affect your daily activities such as doing housework.
Here are some tips to help you manage housework with arthritis:
- Remove home hazards: It is always a good idea to remove some common hazards such as loose area rugs, poor lighting and dangling cords to reduce the risk of falling or injuring yourself during cleaning as an injury can further damage the joint and worsen the symptoms.
- Plan ahead: It is better to plan ahead where you need to clean first to make your cleaning more efficient. It is recommended to first clean the areas that are the most important such as living room which are commonly used then proceed to lesser used areas.
- Break big tasks into smaller tasks: In order to protect your joint from overloading and strains, it will be wise to tackle big tasks such as cleaning the kitchen into smaller parts and spread it over a few days throughout the week. For example, you can do the dishes today and clean the oven the next day then clean the stove the following day instead of cleaning the entire kitchen in one go.
- Alternating tasks: You can try switching up between hard and easy tasks alternately to reduce the stress on your joint, allowing some time to rest in between heavy tasks.
- Protect your joint: A splint/ back brace or custom orthotics can be used to protect vulnerable joints by limiting motion or providing appropriate support to the joint
- Use ergonomic tools: A right tool is very important as it can reduce load and making the cleaning easier. It is recommended to look for tools with longer handles, soft grips, light weight and better ergonomic in general.
- Remember to take a break if needed: It is very important to not overload your joint and to take as many breaks as you need. Do not stress yourself too much just because you can’t finish your housework or your house is not tidy enough.
At Lakeside Chiropractic, our experienced technicians can help you by applying some cold laser therapy to reduce inflammation in your joint to ease some of the pain, allowing you to do your housework easier. Lakeside chiropractic is located in Joondalup in Perth’s north and has visitors from many different suburbs including, Padbury, Kinross, Mindarie, Sorrento, Iluka, Carramar, Currambine, Tapping, Pearsall, Hocking and Woodvale. HICAPS Facilities available on site for major private health insurers (NIB, HCF, HBF, AHM, HCI and HIF) and also a part of the Medibank preferred practitioner and BUPA Members first network. If you would like to discuss any concerns, have any enquires or wish to book an appointment; feel free to contact one of our friendly staff on 9300 0095 or visit our website at www.lakesidechiro.com.au.
