Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dealing With Arthritis Symptoms

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One fact that is often misunderstood about arthritis is that there is no way to cure the disease completely, nor can the effects of arthritis be reversed.

Many companies sell miracle cures, like nutritional supplement, copper bracelets, or magnets, touting a cure of the disease, but they are typically selling a fake product. In most cases, these are scams, praying off those who are hurting and relying on the placebo effect to show any sort of effect.

Since there is so much bad advice out there, it is essential to discuss any treatment with your doctor first, even the ones we discuss below!

Treating Arthritis Joint Stiffness

One of the main factors of arthritis is stiffness around the joints. Often, this is complicated by the arthritis patient keeping their joints immobile as a protection against pain, which can often result in a sort of pain circular action, whereby remaining immobile to prevent pain, only makes it more painful and stiff.

One of the most effective ways to prevent stiffness, as well as deal with arthritis pain is to remain active, preforming regular low impact exercises. Low impact exercises include things like walking or swimming and can have a major impact on stiffness, as well as reducing joint pain.

In patients who are obese and have osteoarthritis, exercise can also, when coupled with a healthy diet, help reduce weight, which has been shown to significantly decrease the effects of osteoarthritis.

Managing Arthritis Pain

Stiffness, pain, and inflammation often go hand in hand with those who have arthritis. Regular safe exercise can also have a major impact on joint pain, in part by strengthening the muscles around the affected joint.

However, a big part of pain reduction also comes from determining the types of tasks that cause arthritis pain in the first place and then finding alternative ways of preforming these tasks.

For example, if something like cooking or doing the dishes results in hand pain, then finding ways to still cook or clean, but do so in a more arthritis friendly manner is essential. In many cases, this will involve avoiding the task all together, but as is the case with something like cooking, it can not be completely avoided, so it is necessary to learn to live with arthritis, finding ways of making this much easier.

One way that people do this is by using tools designed to make life easier for arthritis suffers. In the kitchen and around the home, often using items with larger easier handles, as well as things like can openers that automate common tasks can have a powerful impact.

A Word About Exercise and Diet

Studies have found that staying healthy is essential to dealing with arthritis pain, as there is no cure for arthritis. Diet and exercise play an essential role in keeping the body healthy and even just a small amount of weekly safe activity or exercise can have a noticeable impact on arthritis pain.

This is especially true of those who are overweight, as this is one of the leading causes of osteoarthritis, also know as wear and tear arthritis. By reducing weight and eating healthy, studies have found most osteoarthritis patients will see a noticeable reduction in joint pain.

However, it is also important to only preform safe exercises, which is why you should always discuss all treatments with your physician. Sports and exercises that are high impact, like running or soccer, actually increase the risk for arthritis and can cause joint pain, so it is important to not only be careful of what sports are preformed, but also how often they are preformed.

Osteoarthritis Explained

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Osteoarthritis is the most common type of senior arthritis and is a type of degenerative arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is often referred to as wear and tear arthritis, as use and injury of joints is the leading factor in developing this type of arthritis. In those who have this kind of arthritis, the protective layer around the individuals joint, called cartilage, wears down, resulting in the bones directly rubbing against each other.

Eventually, the rubbing of the bones in the joints can cause the development of spurs, which are referred to as osteophytes. It is also common for small pieces of bone to break off inside of the joint, which further aggravates and damages the joint, resulting in inflammation, swelling and joint pain.

Since use and injury are a leading cause of osteoarthritis, it is most common for it to affect single joints, rather than joints in pairs. This is to say that only one joint in a pair, like only the left knee, will develop this type of arthritis.

Weight bearing joints are the most common joint to be affected by osteoarthritis, such as knees and hips, although any joint can develop this kind of arthritis and hand osteoarthritis is quite common as well. However, the knee is the most common joint to have this kind of arthritis.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis include joint pain and swelling, as well as inflammation and joint stiffness. Often, joint pain will occur when the arthritis patient first wakes up or right before bed, however it typically will not last longer than thirty minutes. The stiffness, inflammation, swelling, and pain often result in the individual having significantly reduced mobility.

High-impact sports, such as soccer or football, increase the risk of osteoarthritis and can also aggravate the symptoms of the disease. It is not uncommon to experience joint pain after exercise or lots of activity.

One of the most prevalent osteoarthritis risk factors is age, however other factors like occupation and activity level also have an impact on whether the individual develops wear and tear arthritis. Those who are overweight are also at a much higher risk of developing osteoarthritis.

Diagnosing and treating osteoarthritis must be preformed as quickly as possible, to prevent the disease from getting worse. In advanced cases, digital imaging, like MRIs, as well as x-rays, can detect damage to a joint, however in some cases these will not show any signs of the disease. Preforming safe exercises, eating healthy, and taking medication to reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain, all go into helping to treat this type of arthritis.

An Introduction to Lift Recliners and Medicare

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One of the most pressing issues for seniors, as well as other who have mobility related issues, is being able to stand and sit on their own. There are a number of factors that make this process more difficult, however, often it is related to senior arthritis and other health factors, which affect accessibility. There are a number of ways to address this sort of problem, but many find that using a lift recliner is the most effective treatment.

Lift recliners, or as they are often referred to as, lift chairs, offer a means of making it safer and easier for a senior to stand on their own. Providing a comfortable place to sit, these home medical devices also include a lifting mechanism in the chair, which makes it safer for the senior to stand.

As the mechanism engages, the base of the lift recliner is raised, moving the senior upwards until they are sufficiently raised so as to exit the device on their feet. However, the devices are designed in a manner that prevents the senior from being expelled from the lift recliner or having to worry about falling from it, even when the device has been fully extended.

Bariatric Lift Recliners

Bariatric lift recliners, or heavy duty lift recliners, are a very powerful type of lifting system, which has improved stability and weight support. In most cases, they will utilize dual electric motors and have a weight capacity that is at least 500 pounds and sometimes more.

Not only is the weight capacity higher, but the lift recliners are also specially reinforced to support more weight. These types of lift recliners are often used by those who have weight issues, such as obesity, and could not safely use a standard lift recliner.

Lift Recliners and Medicare

Since older people are one of the key user groups that enjoys using these lifting aids, whether or not the device is covered by Medicare is often a concern. However, Medicare lift recliners are not always available in all situations and even when they are, there are several steps that must be preformed to receive reimbursement.

The short answer is that in some cases, Medicare is willing to provide partial reimbursement towards a lift recliner, only covering the actual lifting system and not the entire chair itself. When a payment is provided, it is typically for under $300. However, Medicare has some strict requirements on who can receive a lift recliner reimbursement.

One of the most important requirements for receiving reimbursement for the lift recliner is that it is medically necessary and required by the patient to stand up from any chair in the home. A doctor must also prescribe the device as part of a treatment of a mobility related disorder, as well as complete a more complex Certificate of Medical Necessity, which outlines the seniors individual needs.

Since the requirements are more complex for a lift chair than other types of durable medical equipment, such as eye glasses, receiving Medicare reimbursement for a lift recliner is not always possible.

Using a Lift Chair as a Caregiver

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Lift chairs are a common type of home lifting aid, which is designed to make it easier to stand or sit. Often, the focus of using a lift chair is ensuring that the senior is able to independently stand and sit, without the help of a caregiver, and this is in fact one of the main advantages of lift chairs. However, these devices can also be used by caregivers to provide a higher level of support for the elderly, without risk to injury themselves.

Preventing Injuries Among Nurses and Caregivers

It is quite common for nurses, nursing assistants, and full time caregivers to receive injuries during their work, especially when dealing with patients that have difficulty getting around. The daily tasks required of a nurse or care provider can result in joint problems, muscle issues, and a number of back problems.

Since a big portion of these sorts of issues, which can lead to increased risk of lower back injuries or carpel tunnel syndrome, are caused by lifting and moving the patient, making this task easier and safer can have a major impact on the risk of these sorts of injuries.

For this reason, patient lifts, such as Hoyer Lifts, as well as things like lift chairs, can make moving the patient much easier.

Preventing Injuries Among Patients

While a big part of using a lifting aid, like a lift chair, is to ensure the safety of the caregiver, it also increases the safety of the patient themselves. There is less risk of a fall or other injury with the use of lifting aids, like chair lift recliners, they can also have an impact on the number of injuries among patients. These sorts of devices increase safety for the patient, by reducing the risk of a fall during transitions.

Also, when considering devices like lift chairs, the device allows the user to easily position the backrest and footrest electronically, by remote control. This makes it much easier for the user to find a comfortable resting position and removes the hurdles often felt when using a standard recliner.

Improving Efficiency for Caregivers

Using a lift chair can also, in some cases, allow the caregiver to focus on other aspects of long term assisted living, while allowing the senior to control the chair. This can also provide a benefit when it comes time to move the senior, as they can be quickly and efficiently raised from the seat, without the strain and stress that can come from doing it manually.

By making this task easier, less stressful, and safer for all involved parties, a lift chair can allow the caregiver to spend their time addressing other more pertinent issues for their patient.

The Beneficial Side Effects of Using Lift Chair Recliners

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Lift chairs can be powerful tools that make it easier for seniors to get around their own home, vastly improving independence to the elderly. For many who have difficult standing, it is not moving around that presents the biggest hurdle, but rather getting up in the first place. Lift Chairs provide a safe way for the senior to carefully stand-up and get out of the chair, without assistance.

While early electric lift chairs were plagued with many problems, beginning in the mid-eighties, manufacturers such as Golden Technologies and Pride Mobility Products began developing hand-made electric lift chairs of very high quality. Today, these lift chair manufacturers continue to produce quality lift chairs, which can be used to make standing and sitting not just safer, but also much easier.

There are many health factors that can make standing independently difficult, which are often related to senior arthritis. Things like balance and stability problems, weakened muscles and joints, or back problems can all make standing more difficult for the elderly. Using a lift chair can help address these issues and make standing easier, while also providing a very comfortable place to sit, offering the full functionality of a traditional recliner, with reclining backrest and an extendable footrest.

Not only do lift chairs make it easier to stand, but they also decrease the risk of a fall when sitting. To sit safely using a chair lift recliner, ensure the base of the chair is fully risen and then slowly move backwards towards the seat. Once in the chair, the lifting aid can be slowly lowered, into the seated or reclined position. When standing, the process is simply reversed and by design, it is possible to remain safely in the chair, even when the device is fully raised, preventing the risk of a fall.

Since lift chairs are designed to be easy to use and operate using a simple hand control, these devices can be powerful tools that not only improve senior safety while standing or sitting, but also improve mobility around the home. It is common for the hardest part of getting around for a senior to be the actual process of standing or sitting. After this, many find that they are able to get around fine either by walking, using a cane, or the use of a rolling walker(rollator.)

However, for those without a way of safely standing, the first essential step, of actually rising to a standing position, can be quite difficult. This will often cause the senior to spend more time in their chair than is healthy, which can have an effect on muscles and joints, often increasing pain and discomfort. In these sorts of instances, it often becomes a circular issue, with the pain from being immobile keeps the person immobile for longer periods of time.

Using a chair lift recliner makes this task much easier, so the senior doesn’t need to worry about being stuck in their chair or having to wait for someone to give them a hand standing, instead they can freely move around their own home.

Advantages of Using a Lift Chair

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The following are some of the advantages of using a lift chair for a senior.

Reducing Strain on Joints

As we age, there are many factors that can cause joint pain. Often for the elderly, arthritis is present in the joints, which can cause joint pain and discomfort. The most common kind of arthritis, osteoarthritis, is often found in the elderly and is called wear and tear arthritis, describing how it affects senior joints.

Seniors who have these sorts, and other, mobility issues can put a good deal of stress on their joints, specifically the weight bearing ones like knees and hips, but also wrists and elbows.

By using a lift chair, much of this stress is removed from the seniors joints, allowing them to stand up with little effort on their part. Many times, those recovering from major operations or injuries, such as a broken hip or hip replacement surgery, find that using a lift chair significantly improves their recovery time.

Ensuring Senior Independence

Another important advantage of a lift chair is that it helps improve and maintain senior independence, which is a major factor for many seniors. This is because the senior is now able to get up on their own, without having to wait for a caregiver or possibly a loved one to give them a hand.

Among elderly couples, this can also increase safety for the other senior, as helping their loved one out of their recliner can increase strain on their weight bearing joints, while also increasing the risk of a fall.

Preventing the Risk of Injury

Using a lift chair can also prevent the risk of an injury, such as a fall among the elderly. By design, a lift chair allows the user to safely exit the chair, as when risen, the base of the lift chair is at a height that they can exit in an upright standing position. This significantly reduces the risk of an injury among the elderly.

Increasing Mobility Among Seniors

In addition to reducing the risk of an injury, using a lift chair can actually help make a senior more mobile. In many cases, seniors who have difficulty standing up will spend more time seated in their chair, often because they do not want to risk a fall or must wait for a caregiver to help them stand.

This can create a cycle, where joints become more brittle and muscles deteriorate, because the senior can not stand and the senior does not stand because their joints are brittle and muscles weak.

By using a lift chair, it becomes much easier to stand up and get around, decreasing the amount of time many seniors spend sitting in their lift chair.

Selecting the Best Lift Chair

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Elderly individuals, including those with arthritis, often find that there are a number of factors that can make preforming the task of standing up difficult. It is not uncommon for them to ask for assistance when getting out of a sitting chair, such as a recliner. In order to make this task easier for the elderly, using a lift chair is one alternative.

There are many factors that can make standing and sitting quite difficult, with one of the more common being senior arthritis. Arthritis can result in significantly reduced mobility, often as the result of joint pain and discomfort. These factors can cause the senior to have difficulty standing on their own, as well as increasing the risk of a fall with even simple movements.

Lift chairs are a kind of lifting aid, which is commonly used in the home. These devices, which are available through online merchants or via local medical supply companies, provide a means for standing and sitting, which ensures the senior can exit the device standing upright. Since so many options are available, it is a good idea to view an unbiased resource, like the Lift Chair Guide, which provides information and reviews on many types of home medical products.

A powerful lift component is located in the base of the chair, which is used to raise and lower the lift recliner, allowing the user to exit in an upright manner.

The lift chair is not a new type of home lift aid, but has been in production for over twenty years, with manufacturers like Golden Technologies and Pride Mobility, as well as lesser known sellers like Easy Comfort lift chairs, offering a wide variety of models. With a number of models and designs to choose from, seniors seldom have difficulty finding one that not only fills their needs in terms of functionality, but also makes a fine additive to their living room.

What to Look for in a Lift Chair

When selecting a lift chair, determining the correct size, which is related to the users weight and height, is quite important. The lift chair will have set specifications, as determined by the lift chair manufacturer, which describe the safe limits of the lift chair. Exceeding, or, as is the case of height requirements, not meeting these specifications can result in injury or damage to the lift chair components.

Height requirements are especially important, because this determines the height at which the lift chair will rise. An individual who is far below the listed height rating is at risk for severe injury, as the lift chair could potentially rise much too high for them.

Weight capacity is also a very essential concern, because the lift recliner must be able to fully support the weight of the user, otherwise there is risk that the electric motor may burn out or there could be damage to the lift chairs frame.

There are a number of other considerations in regards to selecting the right lift chair, including choosing a model that has a seat width and seat depth that is adequate for the user. This is where using a lift chair buying guide can come in handy, because it helps to explain the factors in a lift chair that are important and many re-sellers will not tell you!

Not meeting these can result in discomfort, which is something that is quite serious as many lift chair users spend extended time in their lift recliner!

Welcome

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Welcome to our website. This is our first post at Lift-Chairs.org! We will be discussing a number of senior health products and many types of home medical products! This, of course, includes Lift Chairs, as well as stair lifts, bath lifts, wheelchairs, and much more.

As you view our site, please do not hesitate to leave a comment if you have a question or would like to learn more about a topic. You can also contact us if you have a specific question.

We look forward to providing up to date information about lift recliners and many other home medical products, so make sure to stay tuned!