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Bathing and Grooming tasks can require a tremendous energy, especially in the morning when people with rheumatoid arthritis generally do not have a lot of energy to begin with. Below are several tips that you can use while bathing and grooming to help you conserve your energy for more important tasks.
1) Depending on your lifestyle and disease symptoms, bathing and showering can be more efficiently done in the morning or in the evening. For those who experience a significant amount of morning stiffness, it would be worth the extra effort to shower in the morning as the warmth of water will help to loosen up the tissues and release some joint stiffness. This will make future movements more energy efficient. However, if your mornings are filled with many things to do (getting ready for work, taking care of others, etc.) and morning stiffness is not a significant problem, then it may be more energy efficient to shower in the evening and avoid wasting the time needed to shower, dry off, and possibly blow dry and style the hair afterwards.
2)While bathing…..
Sit on a stool or bench. There are specific shower stools and tub benches available at many drug stores, however Rubbermaid® stools, chairs, and benches will also work as they will not rust or wear down.
Wash with a long handled sponge (or long handled bath puffs) to prevent having to bend down to wash the feet. Try to wash yourself with a bath mitt, or bath puff (these can be found in most drug and bath stores), instead of using a small tight grasp on a washcloth. Not only do these items protect the joints, they cover more surface area than a wash cloth would and are therefore more energy efficient.
Wash your face and hair while in the shower, rather than leaning over a sink.
Place nonskid bath mats or stickers on the floor of the tub so that standing is easier and more energy efficient.
Shower curtains are much easier to use and maneuver around than shower doors.
3) When washing or shaving the legs (if standing is not a problem), place the leg to be cared for on the outside edges of the shower and then wash or shave it. This will eliminate some bending when trying to wash and care for the legs.
4) When completing grooming tasks such as styling the hair, brushing the teeth, etc., gather all of the necessary supplies and then sit down to complete these tasks. Once collected, keep all of these items in one spot to prevent having to do this each day.
5)Use a light weight (travel) hair dryer to prevent muscle fatigue.
6) If possible, avoid high maintenance hair styles that require a lot of overhead styling each morning. Simple hair styles can help to conserve energy that may be useful later in the day.
7) Use assistive devices to make bathing and grooming easier!
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