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What is arthritis?

Arthritis is the most common type of disability in the United States. There are many different types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. Each develops differently, but all types can affect the hands. Hand arthritis causes pain and usually inflammation. Over time, you might also lose the use of muscles in your hand.

Fortunately, arthritis gloves can complement your medical treatments. These gloves are designed to reduce pain and swelling and improve your hand function.

There are many different types of arthritis gloves. The type that is right for you depends on your budget and specific needs. All arthritis gloves are meant to relieve your pain, but some gloves can do even more. The different types of gloves include:

  • open fingers (also called finger-tip gloves)
  • wrist wraps
  • heated gloves that use infrared light

Arthritis gloves can have one or more of these features, and they are available in all three categories. You can also ask your doctor for glove recommendations.

IMAK arthritis gloves are among the easiest to use because of their elasticity and cotton fabric. The manufacturer’s website says the gloves carry an ease of use seal from the Arthritis Foundation.

The compression fabric extends beyond the wrists to provide pain and swelling relief for your entire hand and wrist. These open-finger gloves also make it easy to feel everyday items without too much constriction.

IMAK arthritis gloves are available in national drugstore chains and online.

Veturo therapy infrared arthritis gloves are one of the leading types of heated gloves. The gloves cover the entire wrist, hand, and fingers (minus your fingertips) to support movement in everyday tasks. These infrared gloves easily slide on without constrictive straps. You can wear them outside and let the sun’s rays activate the infrared heat.

The company claims that the infrared technology increases blood circulation in your hands, relieving arthritic pain. The gloves are washing machine safe, making care easy.

Finger discomfort is often at the heart of hand arthritis, but your wrists can experience pain too. You may need some extra wrist support when you play tennis, type on a computer, or do some gardening.

The Grafco wrist wrap is a good alternative to other types of arthritis gloves when you need added wrist support. The wrap also has a thumb loop for easy adjustments. This can help dictate how much wrist compression you want to use.

The severity of hand arthritis swelling can change daily, so the right fit is especially important. If you’re looking for heated gloves with an adjustable size setting, consider the Thermoskin arthritic gloves. These gloves range in size from small to XX-large, and they have an adjustable strap to achieve the perfect size.

These gloves also have a fingertip design to increase breathability. They have soft materials that provide maximum comfort.

Therall arthritis gloves offer all three features in one product. An open-finger design makes it easy to carry items. And a wrist support offers added compression to alleviate joint pain.

These gloves also provide heat therapy, but they aren’t infrared. Instead, Therall arthritis gloves contain neoprene, a type of material that absorbs body heat. The material retains heat for maximum inflammation relief.

Specialty arthritis products can alleviate joint pain in the hands, but you may still benefit from using regular cotton gloves. People with arthritis often use regular gloves immediately after applying medicated creams to their hands. The gloves can protect the cream from wearing off during everyday tasks, which improves its effectiveness. Consider using this technique before bedtime to benefit most from medicated cream.