Posted on 7th Oct 2011 @ 2:28 PM

Unless you have arthritis, you probably don't give handles a second thought. They're just those things you grab to lift or pull other things. We use them so often, we usually don't even notice them. After all, everything from the coffee mug you drink out of first thing in the morning to the bedroom door you shut last thing at night has a handle on it.

For folks who do have arthritis, or other types of injuries that make pulling and grabbing things difficult, a handle is a potential source of pain and embarrassment. Fortunately, there are now a wide variety of ergonomic handles to make things easier. Here are just a few:

1. Homemade

Oh, Internets. If there's anything you can't teach us to do, we don't want to learn how to do it. In this article, we learn how to use coat hooks to make ergonomic handles for tools. The resulting handles are useful, cheap, and so cool and steampunky that we're thinking of pretending our little paws have already given out.

2. Add-ons

We have much for which to thank Baby Boomers. In addition to the popularity of rock music and the right to not set your hair once a week like June Cleaver, ergonomic handles for everything are a boon to society. This is partly because the Baby Boomers are maturing, and are thus prone to grip-loosening diseases like arthritis. It’s also partly, we suspect, because the Boomers don't like to be told “no.” They will continue to build things and knit things and open and shut things, whether or not their joints like it. So there.

We found ergonomic handles for everything from screwdrivers to shovels, but we're featuring the crochet hook, because we love the fact that such intricate work can be made more comfortable and accessible for everyone.

3. Replacements

When all else fails, take out the old unergonomic handles and replace them with ones that are kinder on your joints. The Elesa EBR Grab Handle is one such replacement handle product. The company recommends it for sliding doors, the building and furniture industries, and "marine environments" -- all of which probably just means that you can use it in all weathers, anywhere you need a handle. Bonus points for the push button feature, which is always easier on the joints than a latch.