Arthritis is one of the world’s most common health conditions, and it’s likely that someone you know (or you, yourself) might be diagnosed with one of its forms during this lifetime.

The condition is uncomfortable and painful, and that’s my personal opinion rather than a medical one. It has great days, and terrible ones. Heat and cold can help, but might (on that particular day) also not. Holding and operating a smartphone isn’t always easy on the rough, stiff days (and I imagine that many players here will already know what I mean).

As a bridge player and writer, I have no doubt that it affects many players – and it can draw their focus away from the game.

How do you deal with arthritis and online bridge?

Here are some useful tricks for arthritis and online bridge.

Forms Of Arthritis (& Seeing Your Doctor)

The very first thing I should say is, see your doctor.

A professional has the ability to diagnose the right condition, the right form, and find the right treatment. Without this essential process, it’s all guesswork, and simple self-treatment mistakes could be making it worse.

After you’ve established what your condition is and how it should be treated from there, speak to your doctor about home treatments that can make your condition easier to deal with.

Remember, when seeing your doctor, that arthritis can have plenty of forms, and many have non-obvious symptoms. Just one example is that some forms of arthritis trigger general inflammation, and can cause fever, or affect clarity of vision.

Do you see why a doctor’s appointment is one of the most important parts of care?

Now, Tips & Tricks

Let’s move on to the actual, headline part of the article.

These are some practical things that might help to relieve pain triggered by arthritis either before or after your games. In most cases, these bits of advice are general ones, and ones that can’t do harm as recommendations over the general scope of several arthritis types.

Try them, and remember to report your own tips to other players who need them.

1: The Home-made Stress Ball

Stress balls are great for maintaining mobility, and for reducing stress in tired muscles or joints. Freeze your stress ball for a better effect.

Simply, tie up some rice into a balloon, and you’ll have the most basic form of stress ball. Other things, such as flour or corn flour, can work just as well depending on which effect you find the most relaxing.

Remember to write STRESS BALL on the side, or you might have to answer uncomfortable questions when visitors see it lying around the house. (“No, I haven’t read Fifty Shades…”)

2: The Oddly-Specific Exercise Routine

Exercise your fingers. Yes, it’s going to hurt on the bad days, but it’s something that any arthritis-diagnosed person should keep doing if they want to save some of their hand mobility as the condition progresses.

The idea of exercise can be subtle. Twirl a pen, pick up small things, shuffle a card deck. All of these things help.

Don’t strain, go slowly, and your hands will eventually thank you.

In spite of arthritis, I’ve managed to maintain a typing speed – and a good one. Exercise, and daily, is how.

3: The Temperature Change

Temperature has a massive effect on how arthritis feels on that moment, and on that day. Sometimes cold can be a big relief, but it can also feel like a knife made out of ice going straight through all the joints in a particular area.

Change up the temperature. I’ve used everything from bowls of water to iced peas in emergencies, and it can take swelling (and general inflammation) down to the point where you can be functional on rough days.

Alternate between warm and cold, and see which works for you. I’ve had to play guitar in many icy bars, but always kept a string of warm coffees close for warmth and got my hands through just fine.

Have you learned any special tricks to help deal with arthritis-related symptoms?