It’s Official! Last-Minute Shopping is Here!
Some years ago, before the age of computers, I was in so much pain from my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, I had to get a cortisone injection in my ankle to go Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, the injection didn’t work and I was left with going Christmas shopping in extreme pain. That is definitely not a time that I want to re-live.
The wonderful thing we have today is technology. Hooray! We can shop for gifts from the comfort of our own home at any time of the day! I love it!
So, for those of you with arthritis that have been putting off buying Christmas presents due to flare-ups, pain, stiffness, or just plain procrastination, never fear…online last minute-options are here.
Purchase gifts online and choose overnight shipping
According to USPS, the last day to ship via overnight Express Mail shipping is December 23rd by 5pm. Your package will arrive on Christmas Eve. Now, this option is still a bit risky considering your merchant has to ship it by the deadline.
Purchase online and pick-up at local store
Some stores (such as Best Buy) offer the option of purchasing your items online and picking them up at their local brick-and-mortar location. Your order is ready to go when you pick it up. No shoving your way through the crowds and aisles to find that must have product. It’s great!
A word of caution though: make sure you check the policy of the pick-up service first. Some stores prepare your order within 24 hours; however, others can take 2-3 days. Make sure you know before you purchase.
According to BestBuy.com, you can order online up until Christmas Eve at 3pm for in-store pick up. You may even be lucky enough to live close to a Best Buy with reserved parking spaces for order pick-ups! What a bonus!
Purchase gift cards that can be sent via e-mail
Some online stores (such as Amazon.com and HomeDepot.com) offer the option of sending gift cards via e-mail. No shipping necessary! You can even select the date you want the recipient to receive the e-mail. HomeDepot even allows the recipient to print the gift card e-mail out and use it in the brick-and-mortar store or it can be used online.
If you’re not sure what type of store to get a gift card at for that special someone, then go to GiftCertificates.com. They offer the e-SuperCertificate. The recipient receives it via e-mail and can redeem it for a gift card of their choice. For instance, I receive a $25 e-SuperCertificate. I can redeem it for a $25 Macy’s gift card. It’s that easy.
Purchase Visa gift cards from your local participating bank
Some banks offer a Visa gift card. Just go to your local bank to purchase. This is an easy way to get your gift and have the recipient choose where to spend it. It’s a win-win!
What are you waiting for? Get comfortable, get your fingers limber and finish that shopping!
Merry Christmas to all!
Try Warm Whiskers Wraps to Help Relieve Juvenile Arthritis Pain!
July 16, 2009 by Michelle
Filed under Hot or Cold Therapies, Products
Warm Whiskers has a fun line of products that can provide hot or cold therapy to those suffering from arthritis pain and stiffness. They offer neck wraps, body wraps, slippers and body pillows in various adorable animal-shaped designs.
These aromatic products can be heated in the microwave to provide soothing warmth to sore joints or muscles and can also be frozen to provide cold therapy as well.
If you’re child has juvenile arthritis, try using Warm Whiskers products instead of a traditional heating pad. Heating pads are great for adults, but they are difficult to control the temperature. Warm Whiskers offer a safer method of warming sore little joints.
Kudos to Warm Whiskers for these child-friendly products that offer a solution to serious pain!
Warm Whiskers gives back too! Last year, they gave away “Laraby Lab” pillows to 400 children at the 2008 Juvenile Arthritis Conference. You have to love the smiles on the kids’ faces!
Through March 31, 2010, Warm Whiskers will donate 5% of each sale to the Arthritis Foundation. Now, that’s a win-win situation!
Whether you have a child with pain or you are a child-at-heart, these Warm Whiskers products are bound to brighten up a sore day!
Are You Listening to Your Body’s Aches & Pains?
I think we frequently ignore our bodies when it is trying to communicate with us. Because we live in a society that is about do, do, do, we tend to miss the arthritis-related signs our bodies throw out to us.
For instance, do you ignore the pain that is creeping up because you are doing too much in a particular day? Or do you tell yourself that you are not tired in hopes of eventually believing it? Or are you painfully stiff, but still continue what you are doing knowing that you will pay the price later?
I think we just need to reprogram ourselves to pay attention to these symptoms. You wouldn’t ignore your stomach growling for very long. This is along the same line of thought and is just as important.
We need to pay attention to our joints or muscular pain, stiffness, fatigue, etc. It is telling us when enough is enough. Learn to listen and do something about it first. Then, you can continue your tasks maybe at a modified pace if that helps you.
Try listening to those aches and pains. You will feel better in the end!
Struggling with Your Computer Keyboard? Try This Instead!
Trying to type on your computer keyboard can be excruciating with stiff or deformed arthritic hands and fingers. If you have tried an ergonomic keyboard (such as the one mentioned in our post: Try This Keyboard for Arthritic Fingers) with no success, then consider trying speech recognition software.
Speech recognition software allows you to navigate the internet by talking to your computer. For example, tazti Speech Recognition Software allows you to perform internet searches, turn on and operate iTunes, log in to and navigate Facebook and MySpace, search bookmarked pages, create your own voice commands, etc.
Watch this short video to see tazti in action:
Right now, tazti is offering its speech recognition software for free for people with arthritis. That’s right…FREE. Download tazti Speech Recognition Software, use it and tell Voice Tech Group, Inc. (the creator of tazti) what you think about it.
Share your comments with us too!
Arthritis & Shower Scrubbing Do Not Go Hand in Hand!
Keeping the shower clean is a chore for most people. However, trying to keep the shower clean when you have arthritis can be painful and extremely difficult. Whether you have arthritis in your hands, knees, back, ankles, etc., trying to maneuver yourself to scrub the shower area can be monumental. Let alone having to scrub the shower often to keep it clean. So how does someone with arthritis manage to keep the shower clean?
Unless you are lucky enough to have a maid or someone else to scrub for you, there is only one option I recommend. Try using an automatic shower cleaner, such as the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner.
It works by spraying a cleaning solution in a 360 degree area. Just press the button on the unit once you are finished with your shower. You have 15 seconds to get out of the way. Then, the solution is sprayed up to 8 feet out.
This product is fantastic! I love it! It is easy to use and helps to keep your shower clean in between deep cleanings. If you are hesitant to purchase the product, don’t be. S.C. Johnson is offering a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the product.
Try Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner. You don’t have anything to lose and your stiff arthritic joints will thank you!
If Nothing Else, Try Exercising in Water
If you struggle with exercising because of stiff and painful joints, you are not alone. Many people with arthritis know they need to exercise, but doing it is another story.
Some exercise programs are too intense and full of high impact movements. Even though the exercise would be beneficial, using one of those programs may just be harmful to your joints. So what is an arthritic to do?
Try a water exercise program instead! Exercising in a pool allows you to be weightless and, if done properly, does not cause any impact on your joints. Check out this news video about a water exercise program in California.
Please note that in the second part of the news video (below), they do show someone jumping up and down in the shallow end of the pool. I would not recommend doing an exercise like that if you have arthritis in your feet or ankles.
To find water exercise programs in your area, contact your local Arthritis Foundation chapter, fitness gyms or rehabilitation centers.
Good luck!
Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 2
In Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 1, we went over various tips to help you deal with an arthritis flare up. Those tips primarily concentrated on various hot or cold treatments.
Here are even more tips to help you get through the day:
Reschedule priorities: If you have plenty of tasks scheduled for the day, but you feel terrible and know that you will not be able to manage it, then the first thing you should do is reschedule your priorities for the day. Postpone what you can and only complete the tasks that are absolutely necessary or make arrangements for someone else to perform those tasks. If you do this early in the day, you will not feel guilty that you could not accomplish what you originally planned on.
Hot tea: Try warming up your body by drinking hot tea. Green tea provides antioxidants and traditionally has less caffeine then coffee. There are also many different types of herbal non-caffeinated teas that will warm up your body and help you to relax.
Relax: Do something that helps you relax. Listen to music, meditate, etc. Everyone is different. Just do whatever works for you.
Rest: Try taking a nap or lay down for a while. You may just find that you feel a little bit better after resting for a while.
Use assistive aids: Use a walking aid, such as a cane or walker, to help you move with less pain through the day.
Enlist your family: When dealing with arthritis pain, many daily routines can seem monumental. For instance, doing laundry, making dinner, shopping for groceries, shuffling children to and from school, activities, etc. On these days, enlist your family to take on some of your daily routines. Talk about it ahead of time and let them know that you desperately need some help on those painful flare days.
Independent play for younger children: If your pain is too much to deal with and you just need some time to regroup, have a list of activities your children can do independently. For instance, quiet time in their room, watch a movie, art activities, etc.
Easy dinners: Keep some frozen food on hand for easy dinners. Save those for days you just can’t bear to cook. Choose from family size casseroles, pizzas, individual frozen dinners, etc. There are many healthy options to choose from. Have a salad on the side by using the pre-made salad options in your local grocery store.
Get moving: You may just want to curl up into a ball when your flare hits, but at some point in the day, you need to get up and get moving. Keeping your joints stiff is not the answer. Try some tips to warm you up and then take advantage of that by moving around a little bit.
Hopefully, these tips will help you get through your day with a little less difficulty than normal.
Good luck!
Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 1
As arthritics, we all have those bad flare days, weeks, years, etc. It is just a part of life. But some days just seem to be unbearable. What do you do on those days?
Here are some tips that may help relieve some of the pain:
Take a hot bath: This sounds like a no-brainer, but in today’s world most people would rather take a shower due to time constraints, busy lives, etc. Taking a hot shower can help because of the heat. However, when you take a bath you receive two benefits. First, your body soaks in the heat which helps your joints feel better. Second, due to the buoyancy, your joints are not weight bearing which relieves the stress on your joints.
Epsom salts: If you have tried hot baths and they do not quite relieve some of the pain, then try adding some epsom salts to your bath. Epsom salts tend to reduce inflammation and relax muscles.
Use a heating pad or electric blanket: Try a heating pad on the worst offending joint or an electric blanket if you have multiple joints in pain. Just make sure to not leave them unattended or sleep with them on.
Hand gloves and socks: If your hands hurt or are cold, then try wearing gloves to keep the heat in your body. That goes the same for your feet. Wear thick socks or socks with shoes or slippers on. Keeping the heat in your body assists in relieving the pain.
ThermaCare heat wraps: Try ThermaCare heat wraps on your joints if you need a portable heat source. They are designed to provide heat for about 8 hours once activated.
Cold treatment: If you have tried the tips above and you still do not experience relief from pain and stiffness, then try some cold therapy by placing an ice pack or cold pack on the painful joint. You may even want to try alternating between cold and hot therapies.
The overall message here is for you to find the treatment that works best for you. Everyone is different. When you find the combination of treatment that works best for you, jot it down so you know what to do the next time.
Tomorrow, we will give even more tips for those unbearable flares in Tips for a Bad Flare Day – Part 2.
Exercise Those Arthritic Joints for Free!
When you have arthritis, it is important to keep moving those stiff joints. One way to do that is through regular exercise. Usually, a non-impact form of exercise is best.
However, exercise videos can cost $15-$20 each and gym memberships can cost a lot more. What if those costs are just not in your budget right now? Well, here is an answer to that.
ExerciseTVoffers FREE full-length videos and mini-workouts. They have videos for stretching, yoga, pilates and many other forms of exercise. However, if you are looking for exercise that will not impact the joints, I would recommend sticking with stretching, yoga and pilates.
Check out the FREE videos on ExerciseTV. You do not need to register in order to watch them. Just select the video you are interested in and get ready to exercise. It’s that simple!
If you decide you like the full-length video, then keep going back to the site on a regular basis to watch it or download it instead. If you prefer to download it, there is a small charge. The video I watched was $1.99 to purchase the download. That is by far a much more reasonable price to work into your budget.
I do not believe that you can download the mini-workouts. You may just have to keep going back to ExerciseTV to watch those. Either way, it’s still FREE!
Enjoy!
Try This Mouse for Stiff Hands and Fingers!
If you are plagued with stiff hands and fingers, but still must work on your computer, then try to find computer accessories that are better suited for you. In Try This Keyboard for Arthritic Fingers, we recommended the Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000
If your current mouse causes too much pain, then try a mouse that is more ergonomically designed. It should fit your hand in a natural fashion rather than contorting your hand to fit to the mouse. One such mouse is the Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000.
This mouse fits your hand like a glove and leaves your hand in a comfortable position. It is very easy for arthritic fingers to operate as well. It is the only mouse I found that is easy on arthritic hands and causes less strain or stiffness after use.
In addition to the comfortable design, the Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 features a magnifier, 4-way scrolling, reassignable buttons, etc. The wireless feature gives you the freedom to put your mouse where you want.
If you are not sure which mouse is right for you, then go to a store to physically try out different models. Many stores have the mice on display for you. Take advantage of that and see which one is right for you. Don’t forget to look for ergonomic models.
Good luck!