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Your Health

Make Farming with Arthritis Easier

Modifying tasks and equipment won’t reverse joint damage, but they can help prevent further damage.

Arthritis, one of the most common chronic disease conditions in the United States, has a profound impact on farmers by reducing mobility, physical strength and the ability to complete routine tasks. Farming with arthritis means daily changes in joint pain and mobility, which can affect completion of even the most basic farm chores.

During Kansas Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 15-21, Kerri Ebert, coordinator of the Kansas AgrAbility Project, reminds farmers to focus on their health and safety.

Arthritis diagnosis, treatment and care should be directed by health care professionals, Ebert said, but simplifying chores and using assistive solutions can help reduce joint stress. Kansas AgrAbility helps farmers identify and prioritize chore and equipment modifications to safely accommodate arthritis.

Modifying tasks and equipment won’t reverse joint damage, but they can help prevent further damage. To accommodate arthritis-related limitations on the farm, Kansas AgrAbility encourages farmers to consider assistive technology solutions.

Many farm-related tasks can be modified slightly so a farmer with arthritis can perform them more easily, Ebert said. It is important to develop an effective treatment plan with a medical professional, follow the plan and respect your body’s limits.

For more information about farming with arthritis, visit the Arthritis & Agriculture website (www.arthritis-ag.org/) or call 1-800-783-2342. For more information about farming with any disability visit the Kansas AgrAbility website or call 1-800-526-3648 or 1-800-825-4264 and ask for a Kansas AgrAbility Assistive Technology Ag Specialist. Kansas AgrAbility, based at Kansas State University (K-State), is part of the K-State Research and Extension network of programs.

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