RSS
Home
The adjustable gripping tool: invaluable for arthritis
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Adjustable gripping tool
With over 100 types of arthritis identified, and millions of Americans diagnosed with at least one type, information regarding causes, prevention and treatment abound. Because the effects of arthritis can impact mobility, knowing about various tools to assist with day to day activities can make a big difference in a person’s life, while trying to get symptoms under control. While some forms of arthritis can create impairments that require such mobility equipment as wheelchairs, walkers, and lifts, many with arthritis experience weakness in hands, legs and feet. Finding tools and assistive devices to help with everyday tasks is an essential, but sometimes frustrating task.
When arthritis affects the hands, for example, gripping firmly becomes compromised, leaving the individual facing down jars, faucets, knobs, plugs in the wall. The marketplace overflows with jar openers of many stripes and grips for door knob handles (soon to be defunct as more and more people replace round doorknobs with levers, a preferred design for people of all ages).
The little known “adjustable gripping tool,” a simple wrench-like tool with a simple name, adjusts easily to thirteen different widths. Made of lightweight plastic with a small profile, this tool performs more easily than a traditional wrench in weak hands. The textured rubber jaw tips grasp firmly when human “pinching” or squeezing action is compromised. The shape and size of the non-slip jaw handles allow the user to focus hand and arm strength. Among other uses, it is the perfect tool for gripping while pulling, as illustrated, a plug from an outlet.
Arthritis can wreak havoc with day-to-day living, sometimes in great and demanding ways, sometimes in small, irritating ways. This simple addition to the better known collection of gripping and grabbing tools on the market brings an easy to use and effective way to do many tasks most take for granted.
Finding this tool can prove challenging, however. Traditional home medical equipment (HME) and durable medical equipment (DME) stores focus primarily on products that are covered by insurance, especially Medicare. Most aids for daily living, as they are called, are not covered insurance items, so HME outlets may not dedicate valuable space and sales time to these smaller items. While changes in the industry are bringing a broader array of products to the consumer, this small adjustable gripping tool has not yet made it into the mainstream of tools for everyday tasks, although once discovered most consumers rave about its effectiveness.
Send your questions and ideas regarding mobility products and services to Kathryn. Visit Kathryn’s Examiner home page to read about more useful tools to enhance mobility and independence.
For more information:
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
