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Glossary

Joint Protection

Techniques taught by OTs to reduce strain on painful or damaged joints during everyday tasks.

Joint protection is a core occupational therapy intervention for people with arthritis (especially rheumatoid), chronic pain, or joint instability. The principles include using the largest, strongest joint available for a task (push a door with your shoulder, not your fingertips), distributing load across multiple joints, avoiding prolonged static grip, pacing work with rest, and using adaptive equipment that reduces force. Taught early, joint protection can slow the functional decline of rheumatoid arthritis, reduce flare frequency, and delay the need for surgery.