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Dear past self who didn't realize I was disabled:
When you carry something like a bag of groceries, you should ideally be engaging the muscles in your arm. Not just letting the extra weight hang off your joints
Regards,
Present self with joint damage from your shenanigans
#EDS
When you carry something like a bag of groceries, you should ideally be engaging the muscles in your arm. Not just letting the extra weight hang off your joints
Regards,
Present self with joint damage from your shenanigans
#EDS
Hey sorry if you're in the above tweet and you don't like it
Just an FYI that there are a lot of adaptive techniques for carrying stuff with wonky joints. But "just let all the weight hang off your joint" is generally the opposite of helpful.
Just an FYI that there are a lot of adaptive techniques for carrying stuff with wonky joints. But "just let all the weight hang off your joint" is generally the opposite of helpful.
The thing with connective tissue disorders in particular is that often our muscles are already doing the extra work to compensate for lax ligaments etc.
So they're super tight holding our skeletons in their fleshy containers, and sometimes DGAF if we would like to carry stuff
So they're super tight holding our skeletons in their fleshy containers, and sometimes DGAF if we would like to carry stuff
A couple of adaptive tips that I use for moving stuff around, YMMV:
- does this need to go down the stairs? Is it soft and non-breakable? Then I just let gravity take it down the stairs
- does this need to go down the stairs? Is it soft and non-breakable? Then I just let gravity take it down the stairs
- that thing where you're dragging a laundry basket by one hand and your shoulder gets pulled backwards? A recipe for pain. One work around is to use two hands and drag it while walking backwards. Or put it on my walker. Etc.
- if you're lifting something heavy, use both hands to lift it wherever possible
- there's also a technique that obviously doesn't work for everything, where you carry an object by holding it against your chest with your forearms
- there's also a technique that obviously doesn't work for everything, where you carry an object by holding it against your chest with your forearms
- I know buying bulk is cheaper, but if you can't lift the big bulk container maybe do not buy in bulk? Or keep a spare of the smaller container and decant it into the smaller one as needed.
There's a lot of other stuff too that makes life easier for your muscles and connective tissue
I just woke up, but if you have tips for adaptive ways of lifting or carrying things feel free to share in the comments
I just woke up, but if you have tips for adaptive ways of lifting or carrying things feel free to share in the comments
PS also that thing where you hold a phone to your ear with your shoulder is a recipe for pain, and honestly these days for me so is holding a phone to my ear
Speakerphone/headsets are so much more comfortable omg
Speakerphone/headsets are so much more comfortable omg
