Ease Psoriatic Arthritis Morning Stiffness With These 7 Habits

Getting dressed in the morning can be a huge hurdle when you wake up with stiff, sore joints. A dressing stick — a stick with a large double hook on one end and a small hook at the other — can help save you from extra bending or having to extend your arms.

It can be used to help you put on button-up shirts, pants, and jackets or cardigans. It’s also helpful for removing jackets, shirts, pants, and socks. If you have trouble grasping with your fingers, the small hook can help you pull zippers up or down.

An occupational therapist can help you learn how to use a dressing stick, or a variety of online videos also show how they’re used.

If bending forward or squatting is difficult, you may want to buy slip-on shoes and use a long-handled shoe horn to help get them on. Sneakers with laces can be converted to slip-on shoes with elastic shoelaces.