Hi does anyone suffer with PsA in their shoulders and elbows? if so what can you do to help with carrying heavy things like the groceries. I used to use my Back-Pack but now I cannot use that any more. I need some thing light weight that I can take with me to use on a bus and stuff. I have a fold up cart but it would be too heavy to try and lift up onto a bus. Also does anyone have any suggestions on how to relieve the pain. My arms and shoulders have become so weak it is very frustrating to me. Any thoughts would be great thanks.
I order my groceries online and they are delivered to my house. My delivery man brings them up the stairs and puts them on the kitchen bench for me. I do this once a month to cut down on the delivery charge, that way I only have to carry a few things home from the local supermarket.
I use a rolling suitcase (a light weight variety) for large things and an across the body book bag for smaller loads. For groceries I use my reusable grocery bags as they are easier on my hands. My husband and son come out to the car when I come home with groceries and empty my car for me. I have psa in my elbows and hands (and spine and hips and knees and ankles and feet) but not in my shoulders though I have recently had my first ever symptoms in my shoulders but very mild. My elbows lock at times and I get tendonitis on both medial and lateral sides (usually called tennis and golfer's elbows). My fingers sometimes lock also. Hope this helps.
Having groceries delivered sounds nice :) I have tried the re-useable grocery bags and they are ok it is just that I have lost a lot of the strength in my hands. I have not thought about the across the body bag, though I am not sure if it would still impact my shoulders. I will have to think about that one. Thanks for the suggestions Bella and Michael in Vermont :)
You may be able to recover some strength if you do physical therapy. The carrying issue is rough.
Yea I should look into that. my PCP gave me the name of a physiatrist and I need to make an appointment. I just feel like my arms are so limited and it gets frustrating. I am 29 and to have to ask for so much help is hard because they think you are young what is the problem. So I try to figure ways so that I can do things my self and I still cant do them and I end up in more pain for trying. Just going to take it one obstacle at a time. On a brighter note the plaquenil is kicking in I can work on my jewelry with out being in so much pain or the tools slipping as much :)