An individual who experiences any sort of pain or stiffness in their joints is usually willing to try absolutely anything that can possibly bring them some relief, and arthritis gloves are the newest form of technology in this field.
Arthritis gloves are a non-invasive option for therapy to help patients get some relief from the symptoms of arthritis. Arthritis gloves are also known as ‘copper gloves’ because of the material they are manufactured with, curious? Then, read on for Arthritis Gloves: What are They and How do They Work?
How do Copper Gloves Work?
Copper gloves work as compression gloves that can help people suffering from arthritis by providing them with mild compression in the joints of their fingers. The feeling of compression essentially contributes to promoting blood circulation in the patient’s hands helping them with the pain and stiffness they often continuously feel.
Copper gloves are made of 90% cotton, 5% spandex and only 5% copper. They come in different sizes including small, medium, large and extra large. They can be worn throughout the day and even during the night.
Are Copper Gloves Effective?
While multiple studies have been conducted to assess the impact of copper gloves on patients suffering from arthritis, all of them have yielded different results.
Many studies report patients experiencing a significant decrease in the symptoms of arthritis whereas others report no changes felt at all. The latter may have been due to the studies being constituted on a limited number of individuals and recording only their feedback rather than using actual measuring parameters such as grip strength, decrease in swelling and movement improvement.
What do Copper Gloves do?
Arthritis causes chronic pain in patient’s joints which eventually leads to swelling and stiffness in their hands and movements. Copper gloves help patients obtain relief from those symptoms via two main characteristics:
1. Warmth
Copper gloves provide a lot of warmth for patients using them and this warmth helps relieve some of the pain that the individual may be experiencing on a daily basis while doing basic chores.
2. Compression
Copper gloves work by providing comfort and relief from pain due to the compression they give. This compression also helps relieve any swelling and stiffness that the patient may be experiencing.
How to use Copper Gloves?
While copper gloves themselves may not be enough for an arthritis patient for pain relief depending on the patient’s disease severity, they do help significantly.
They are an easy-to-use, comfortable, and non-invasive method of treatment that every patient suffering from arthritis should try at least once. A patient simply has to slip on the copper gloves and go about doing their daily tasks as any regular day.
How to Get the Most out of Your Gloves?
In order to get the most benefit out of their use, patients should make sure that they do the following things:
1. Wear Your Gloves for at Least 8 Hours a Day
This is a rule that patients should stick to if they are hoping to get significant benefit from their copper gloves.
If a patient only wears their gloves for an hour or two during the day, chances are that they may not see much benefit. hence, patients should religiously wear their gloves for at least 8 hours a day each day.
2. Wear Gloves that are Well-Fitted
Patients should ensure that the size they choose for their gloves is a good fit – not too tight and not too loose. If you can’t find a good, off the rack option, you can get a pair of copper gloves customized and tailored to your own hand size.
3. Wear Your Gloves Overnight
Patients who wear their gloves overnight and during the day reportedly see greater benefits than those who only wear them during the day. Hence you should wear your gloves overnight to see a reduction in swelling, joint stiffness, hand pain and improvement in grip.
How to Choose an Arthritis Glove for You
In order to choose the best arthritis glove for yourself or a loved one, the following points should be taken into consideration:
1. Maintenance
Individuals should check whether the gloves they are buying are comfortable or not. Your hands should not feel sweaty or itchy at all while wearing them so this is another important actor you should consider. If you’re experiencing this, it may be a sign of hyperhidrosis or another serious health-related issue. Visit this site to learn more.
2. Services
Individuals should check for the company’s services before purchasing gloves from them which includes assessing how soon they respond to customer complaints and solve their problems. Whether the company has a return policy or not is also a good point to check.
3. Comfort
Individuals should check whether the gloves they are buying are comfortable or not. Your hands should not feel sweaty or itchy at all while wearing them so this is another important actor you should consider.
4. Size
Individuals should make sure that the gloves they are buying are available in different sizes and that they will be able to find a pair that fits perfectly. If your gloves aren’t a good fit, they’re unlikely to help and won’t relieve you of any pain at all.
Individuals who suffer from arthritis go through a lot of difficulty in their daily lives as every chore and every movement brings them constant and recurring pain. Such individuals are open to trying just about anything that brings them relief, and copper gloves are the newest invention that promises to do just that.
If you yourself suffer from arthritis or know someone who does, you should get copper gloves for your own and or their use as you’d be doing them a great favour.
While individuals may feel a little sceptical about how gloves could possibly help them find relief from arthritis symptoms, they should at least try using arthritis gloves at least once for themselves, and trust the process to see the results before forming their opinion.
Do you have arthritis? Have you or anyone you know tried arthritis gloves? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
