Things to Watch Outside the Workplace

Although you may not do the specific task that is listed, please read all of them carefully and pay attention to what is mentioned about the grasping or pinching. It may apply to another type of activity that you do around the house or even a hobby.

1. Groceries-Carry only one bag at a time. Use both arms to carry.  Avoid plastic bags, use paper.  When shopping avoid lifting heavy items with one hand. Example-The 2 liter soda bottles are always on the top shelf.  Lifting these with one hand puts a lot of stress on the muscles.  Lift with both hands. Examples of this can be found through out the store so be careful. Also, do not use the small carry baskets. The metal handles are too small and become awkward to use when the basket is heavy. Always use a cart.
   

2. Laundry Baskets-Try not to carry a real heavy load. When carrying, do not hold by the small handles. It is better to hold it up in your arms or with arms wrapped around the basket.  Don't ever carry a laundry bag by the ropes. Pulling wet clothes out of the washer can also be a problem. Grab small bunches at a time (one item at a time is best). Try to also use two hands.  Do not shake the clothes out before you put them into the dryer.
   

3. Dusting-Using a sock on the hand is better than using a cloth. Try to do small increments at a time. I.e. one room a day.
   

4. Vacuuming-Do one room a day. Do not do the whole house all at once. If your vacuum adjusts to the carpet height, do not use the lowest level. This creates too much friction between the carpet and beater bar and therefore requires more use of your arms.  Try to use your whole body to move the vacuum into different directions versus standing in one place and using your arm to change the direction of the vacuum. 
   

5. Washing Tub-Do not do if you have to scrub.  Using the daily bathroom sprays will help to cut down the work at the end of the week (however, depending on size of your bath, you may have to alternate hands on the pump handle bottles).
   

6. Washing Floors-This is very difficult on your arms. Using a mop is better than hands and knees but the mops are not ergonomically correct. There are handle attachments that can be purchased in hardware stores to better position your hands.   The attachments are sold for paintbrushes but can be attached to mops.  Get a mop that is long enough for you so you do not have to lean over as far. Again-move whole body to change direction of the mop versus just using your arms.
   

7. Dishes-Washing is not a big problem.  The problem comes when you have to scrub a pot or pan. Obviously, let the pan soak first.  SOS pads work better than the plastic scrubbers. Make sure they are new SOS pads so they are most effective.  They will clean faster without as much effort.
   

8. Driving-If you have manual steering try to avoid parallel parking. With any type of steering (manual/power), driving any long distance can cause problems. Switch positions of hands frequently.  If you have back/neck problems you may find it helpful to sit on a small pillow so your thighs (upper leg) slants down slightly toward the gas pedal.  This will help keep the curves in your back.
   

9. Reading-When reading books do not hold the pages open with the tips of your fingers. Put one hand in back as a cradle and the other hand in front to hold open the pages. Also, do not read in bed or in other slouched positions.  If sitting at a desk or table, position the book up on an incline. Reading a newspaper while holding it up in the air will stress not only the fingers, but the neck and shoulders as well.  Put the paper down on the kitchen table to read. Do not use a coffee table-you will have to bend your head to far forward.
   

10. Opening Jars-This applies to new jars being opened for the first time. This causes a lot of stress/strain to both hands.  If the cover is metal then you should gently hit the edge of the lid with a knife to loosen it first. Then use a rubber gripper to fully open the jar.  A rubber gripper should also be used when first opening any twist top bottle where the plastic ring has to be broken, i.e. soda bottles, milk bottles, medicine bottles.  Also look for commercially available jar openers. There are a lot that work very well. A simple one that is on the market is called a "Jar Pop".  For long term help, Black and Decker does have an electric jar opener that has been working great.
    

11. Opening Sealed Packages-This includes bags of chips, cereal, etc.  Pulling these bags apart can cause stress to the thumb and finger tendons and joints. It is better to cut these with scissors or a knife rather than pulling them apart.
    

12. Beds-The difficulty here is in making the bed. Four corner sheets need to be stretched over the mattress. There is no easy solution for this except to use as much of your hand as possible (rather than just a few fingers).  Tucking in the sheets is the other problem.  When lifting up the mattress to tuck in the sheets, first kneel down and then slide your forearm under the mattress to lift rather than just using your fingers.
    

13. Dressing-Pulling on tight socks or nylons can aggravate the hands/arms.  Socks should be put on the toe, then gradually pulled over the heal. Holding the sock at the top and pulling it on all at once can stress the fingers.  If you wear nylons, the control top or leg supportive types will be tough on your hands and arms.  Choose the regular version without the control top or support in the leg.
    

14. Writing-Using the rolling writer or gel pen is better than a ball point.  The ball point requires that you apply pressure to get the ink to flow.  Never use really thin pens or ones that have a metal casing. These are harder to hold on to.  The larger diameter pens that are on the market are also an alternative to the traditional pens but are not helpful for everyone.
    

15. Book Bags/Backpacks/Briefcases-When putting these onto your shoulder, it is better to first lift the item to counter height and then slide on your shoulder. It is much more strenuous on your arms to lift it from the ground. Also, use the opposite hand from the shoulder you are going to put the bag on.   If you want the bag on your right shoulder, lift and place the bag with your left hand. This avoids a lot of awkward movements of your wrist and fingers as you slide them out from under the strap.

These are just a few problem solving ideas. Everything we do can cause problems if our arms are already sore. Try to use the larger muscles in any activity and two hands/arms are better than one. It is up to you to problem solve your other activities. Please feel free to contact your therapist if you have any questions.