If a condition like arthritis, carpal tunnel, or wrist tendinitis affects your daily life, writing can be the last thing you want to do. But when it comes up unexpectedly, it makes sense to be prepared. Though writing at work is becoming less and less frequent these days, everyone needs a pen from time to time. When you do, make sure you have the writing instrument that suits your needs.
Arthritis in your hands can cause painful stiffness, tenderness, pain, and even swelling. It can make gripping a slender pen a nightmare. Because of this, it makes sense to do a bit of research on better options, and you’d be surprised how many products there are out there that cater to this common issue.
“You really want to make sure that you’re comfortable and not causing additional concerns,” says Dr. Karen Jacobs, an occupational therapist and clinical professor at Boston University. Pens with wide grips and quick-dry ink are great assets to have when you’re writing with hand pain or inflammation. “A wider grip makes it more ideal,” Dr. Jacobs says. “But if we are looking at someone who struggles to write because they have tremors, like with Parkinson’s disease, you may want a heavier-weighted pen towards the bottom of the pen, closer to where the ink would be coming out.”
We researched dozens of ergonomic writing tools and evaluated them for grip, weight, price, padding, and added features. Each of the writing tools chosen in this article were determined to be the best of these factors.
Here are the best writing tools on the market today.
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