What useful tools do you have for gardening with arthritis?

[CathyA]

Just curious if any of you with arthritis (especially of the hands) have any special tools that you like working with.
I need to start looking for some. I think its probably important to have grips that don't close your fist too tight. Good gloves are helpful too.
I wish they would invent a little cheap motorized rolling stool that could go on grass, so I wouldn't have to lean over or get up and down so much.
I have several of those reacher tools for in the house, but they aren't very strong for picking up branches. Maybe I should invent one?
Any ideas for tools?

[Tiam]

I just can't stand to use gloves. I wish I didn't, because my hands are pretty weathered, but inevitably I end up taking them off. Only when pruning do I like to use gloves.

I guess a steel toothed rake, not a leaf rake, thought that too. Handshovel and hand claw.

My right knee is so bad I can't even sit on a stool anymore. Mostly just bending over the old way. It does get tiring.

[redfox]

My right knee is so bad I can't even sit on a stool anymore. Mostly just bending over the old way. It does get tiring.

I just got a cortisone shot in my left knee, third time in 3 years. My mobility & range of motion is back to normal, and pain gone. Of course, I have no idea what your knee pain is from, mine is osteoarthritis. I highly recommend talking to an orthopedist about this.

[CathyA]

Redfox, supposedly getting repeated cortisone shots isn't a good thing. It actually causes more damage. What did your orthopod say about that?
I was told I needed a knee replacement, but I don't want one.........and he's a professional knee-replacer, so I'm hesitant to totally believe him.

They did offer the synthetic rooster comb injections, which might help for a couple months. But.....I really believe my problem is a torn meniscus, which is wedged in the wrong place.....but he didn't want to deal with that, saying what I needed was a replacement.
So....I do exercises, icing but mostly I limit what I do.
We bought a souped-up golf cart so I can get around our property (I call it my gimpmobile) Its like having wings and I love it.
My hands seem to be my other bad problem. I have several crooked fingers and general pain all over them and my wrists.
This weekend I did alot of cooking and it really bothered my knees and hands. So now I need to take a couple days of rest. (Although I just came in from planting several more perennials. :) )

[kenh]

Is there some level of use that improves the arthritis pain? Or does all activity make it worse.

[CathyA]

It seems like everything makes it worse. I am extremely stiff when I first get up, and it improves a bit once I get going. But with my hands and knees, the more I use them, the more they hurt. They do improve if I don't use them too much. I think all my joints have just worn out and are working in a way that makes them hurt. I'm not sure why its affected me so much (age 61). My brother is a little older and he rides a bike and hikes all the time, with no joint problems. Neither my parents nor my relatives had much arthritis either. I guess I'm just special. :)

[Gina]

I'm sorry about your joints. :(

I don't know if it would help, but a couple weeks ago I purchased a child's small beach or gardening shovel with the 'blade' made out of sturdy plastic. It's much larger than a trowel and I planned to use it to shovel mix into pots, etc. What surprised me when I started to move mix was how incredibly light-weight the tool was - and it's large enough to be functional, yet small enough to move and lift if seated while working.

[Nimble]

teejet (http://www.spraysmarter.com/public/buy/category/default.aspx?ID=30)

Just curious if any of you with arthritis (especially of the hands) have any special tools that you like working with.
I need to start looking for some. I think its probably important to have grips that don't close your fist too tight. Good gloves are helpful too.
I wish they would invent a little cheap motorized rolling stool that could go on grass, so I wouldn't have to lean over or get up and down so much.
I have several of those reacher tools for in the house, but they aren't very strong for picking up branches. Maybe I should invent one?
Any ideas for tools?
This is really a tough one to answer. I guess you could try different arthritis meds. Sometimes those work for people depending on the severity of your arthritis. That has to be tough to love gardening and have arthritis. I feel for ya. See what your Dr thinks. Maybe he/she can help.

[Rosebud21]

Nible- Teejet is a spray nozzle that farmers use when spraying fields with poison. It has NOTHING to do with simple living or gardening with arthritis.

[Rosebud21]

I think container gardening is great for people with arthritis. I placed my grandmothers pots at various heights so she could be in less pain and I wouldn't have to worry about her falling. I know this doesn't help someone that much with arthritis of the hands.