Rheumatoid arthritis products to make life easier

When your fingers are swollen, it can be tricky to open medication bottles. This universal medicine bottle opener will fit around any standard-size bottle to make it much easier to open. It also has a magnifying glass to help read the small print on the labels as well.

Review: "Either medicine bottles are getting tighter or I've lost a lot of strength in my hands. Not only am I having difficulty opening child-proof bottles, even regular over-the-counter medications. I did an extensive Amazon search for some sort of device to help and this one seemed to be the most promising. I ordered one, received it, tried it, used it for a couple of weeks--and it was able to make opening bottles very much easier."

Compression gloves such as these are designed to help relieve aches, pains, and stiffness associated with arthritis of the hands. Available in three sizes, these gloves have controlled compression that "massages" away pain and increases circulation to aching hands, fingers and wrists.

Review: "Been buying these for my mum who suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis & Fibromyalgia. She wears these most of the time unless it's super hot in the summer and she's on pair no 6 now. She says they fit snugly, wash well and the compression eases the pain in her hands."

Tasks that involve twisting motions can be difficult for people with arthritis which means opening tins of food can be tricky. Alleviate this with this hands-free can opener which automatically opens cans whether it's round, square or ring-pull with just one touch.

Review: "This very neat and pleasing ergonomic design will cut the tops of your lids off by itself. It works so easy for those with arthritis etc."

Our joints can stiffen up overnight meaning symptoms of arthritis can be worse when you wake up. These comfortable finger wraps work by helping to ensure your fingers don't curl up while sleeping so you don't need to painfully prise them open in the morning.

Review: "I needed to splint two fingers together due to tendonitis in my index finger and found these easy to use and have helped ease the pain. Good value for money."

Make fiddly buttons much easier to manage with this slim steel wire loop which easily slides through small buttonholes. The wire loop narrows at the tip to lock the button in place, making pulling it through the buttonhole easier. The zipper puller will also help to zip clothing and jackets easily.

Review: "Bought for an elderly friend who was having difficulty fastening buttons and she used it sucessfully 1st time and was delighted. Gives back her independence and lessens her hand pain whats not to like and i was pleased how robustly made it was too."

When clipped in place this product provides extra leverage so that far less strength is required to hold and turn a key, helping to reduce hand pain. The comfortable dimpled domes give fingers a firm grip to stop you from fumbling and dropping keys while the nylon body provides a ‘warm’ touch point for cold fingers.

Review: "Bought this for my 86-year-old, disabled mum who was having great trouble unlocking her new front door. Absolutely perfect little device that made this so much easier."

Makes it easier to remove plugs from sockets with the product which comes as a pack of two. Ideal for people with weakened grips and arthritic hands, simply squeeze the lever and the plug will come out.

Review: "I bought this for my father-in-law who has difficulty using his hands. I have not used it myself but according to him this is excellent and now he is able to unplug his mobile charger independently. So I’m happy with this purchase."

Twisting tabs can be tough at times and these tap turners will make it much easier for those with arthritis. There are two in a pack with different colours for hot and cold taps. The soft, textured handles ensure a comfortable and secure grip.

Review: "Wonderful appliance but you need help to fit them if you have arthritis."

It can be so frustrating to feel like you’re not in control of your own eating utensils. Each utensil in this matching cutlery set has a lightweight, anti-slip handle to provide an efficient and comfortable solution for those with low grip strength and trembling hands.  

Review: "It facilitates independent feeding for people with difficulties in coordination and hand movement."

It may be a pricey option, but a massage gun can help tackle sore, knotted muscles and joint pain by encouraging your muscles to heal by improving circulation. There are two different ways that massagers do this: using percussion or vibration therapy.

Tried and tested by Commercial Content Editor, Adam Binnie: "With this Homedics unit, you select which of its three power modes you want using a rotating selector and it's super quiet in operation. It is now a regular part of my post-workout routine."