Adaptive clothing makes dressing can be easier for Arthritis and reduced mobility, strength and dexterity

Unfortunately as Arthritis progresses, dressing can become more and more difficult. Managing buttons and fiddly zips, bending and twisting can all become a challenge. Designed to Care is committed to providing you with adaptive arthritis clothing solutions that preserve your independence – our ‘easy grip’ side zips, pop-fasteners and wrap around designs all make dressing oneself easier. While our open back clothes especially suit people who are now assisted with dressing or immobile thus reducing the need for them to raise arms, stand, twist or be lifted.

Dressing tips for Arthritis
  • Dress sitting down
  • Wear looser clothes or better still, wear clothes that have been adapted to offer wide arm and leg openings but still hang like ‘normal fitting’ clothes
  • Say goodbye to buttons – go for Velcro, zips, pop-fasteners and elastic waisted clothes. They will save you time and frustration
Click for further information on living with and caring for artritis

NHS choices
Symptoms

Information about the symptoms of the two main types of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are:

  • pain, especially when doing load-bearing activities, such as walking
  • short-lived stiffness in the morning, which improves in 30 minutes or less when you start to move
  • difficulty moving your affected joints or doing certain activities 

However, in some cases of osteoarthritis, you may not have any symptoms at all, as the pain can come in episodes. Often, you will only experience symptoms in one joint or a few joints at any one time. Your symptoms may also develop slowly.

Other features you or your doctor may notice include:

  • joint tenderness
  • increased pain and stiffness when you have not moved your joints for a while
  • joints appearing slightly larger or more 'knobbly' than usual
  • a grating or crackling sound or sensation in your joints
  • limited range of movement in your joints
  • weakness and muscle wasting (loss of muscle bulk)

You are most likely to develop osteoarthritis in the joints of your knees, hips or hands.

For more information about how osteoarthritis can affect the knees, hips and hands, see Osteoarthritis - Symptoms 

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis usually develop gradually. The first symptoms are often felt in small joints, such as your fingers and toes, although shoulders and knees can be affected early, and muscle stiffness can be a prominent early feature.

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis vary from person to person, but are usually:

  • pain and stiffness in the joints
  • warmth and redness
  • inflammation around the joints and in other areas

These symptoms can come and go, and they may change over time. You will experience flare-ups when from time to time, your condition will worsen and your symptoms will be more intense and severe.

You can experience a flare-up at any time of the day or night. However, it is likely that your symptoms will be more painful in the morning, when you first wake up. Usually, your symptoms will begin to ease as the day progresses and you start using and flexing your joints.

For more information, see Rheumatoid arthritis - Symptoms

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