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Picking the Best Pen for You

From Carol & Richard Eustice,
Your Guide to Arthritis.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

Picking a comfortable pen can make writing an arthritis-friendly task.

Loss Of Manual Dexterity

Writing can be a stressful and painful task for people who have lost manual dexterity due to:

  • arthritis (especially rheumatoid arthritis)
  • basal joint arthritis (CMC joint)
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • tendinitis (or tenosynovitis)
  • joint pain in hands, fingers, thumbs, or wrists

    • Picking an egornomic, arthritis-friendly pen can make writing less stressful for people suffering with soreness and swelling in:

  • hands
  • fingers
  • thumbs
  • wrists

    • The Power Of The Pen

    If you enjoy journaling or if you do a lot of writing, a comfortable pen makes the task much easier. An arthritis-friendly pen can help keep your writing neat and legible.

    Keeping an arthritis journal has shown many positive benefits. Writing your feelings in a journal or diary can help you better cope with your illness.

    Features To Consider When Picking The Best Pen For You

    Features to consider when picking an arthritis-friendly pen include:

  • price
  • comfort (i.e. how the pen fits your hand / weight of the pen)
  • an arthritis-friendly ergonomic design (look for pens that improve manual dexterity and reduce writing fatigue)
  • grip (wide-barrel pens can make for a better grip)
  • ease-of-use (roller ball pens are favored by many people because of how they glide on the paper, minimizing the pressure which must be applied)

    • Related Resources - Picking Your Pen

  • Ergonomic Arthritis-Friendly Pens
  • Arthritis-Friendly Products / Gadgets
  • Review: Dr. Grip Pen
  • Review: EzGrip Pens and Grips
  • Journaling and Journal Writing
  • How to Keep an Arthritis Journal
  • Journal Writing: The Write Treatment

    • Updated: August 14, 2007
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