Spondy Holiday Gift Wish List

Living with spondyloarthritis can be difficult, but finding the right gift for someone with this chronic condition doesn’t have to be. To help, we asked people with SpA to share their wish lists with us. Whether you’re looking for a gift for a loved one or trying to figure out what to add to your own wish list, we hope you’ll find this compilation useful in bringing someone joy and comfort this season.

As always, please remember to consult a healthcare professional about decisions regarding treatment and care. This list includes suggestions from our community members, and sharing these ideas does not indicate SAA endorsement of these products.

The Gift of Comfort

A gift card for a massage (or multiple massages!)
Heated blankets
Microwave heating packs
Ice packs that are fitted to specific joints (e.g., fingers, ankles, knees)
Therma-rest inflatable seating pads for travel
Quality pillows/wedges, lumbar pillows, or a gift card to a bedding store
U-shaped pillow or body pillow (especially useful for helping side-sleepers to support one leg and arm)
Nice bath products, like Epsom salts, quality odor-free lotion for dry or sensitive skin, or a gift card to a spa
Emu oil, lidocaine patches and/or creams
Aromatherapy diffusers
Comfortable slippers (many folks mentioned Toms, Crocs, or other slippers with thick soles that would offer support on hard flooring around the house)
Gift card to a bra shop for comfortable, underwire-free support that doesn’t hurt inflamed ribs or dig into aching shoulders

Adaptive and Assistive Devices

Walking cane (upgrade to a designer cane or a sturdy collapsible one)
Personalized or novelty pill case for NSAIDs and other meds on the go
Heated seat covers for cars that don’t have built-in seat warmers
Bed ladders (there are many types: bedside step stools as well as rope ladders that help you pull yourself to a seated position and get out of bed)
Bath chair
Sunglasses, car window tinting, sun shading hats (since some people with inflammatory arthritis experience sun sensitivity, and many immunosuppressants cause sun sensitivity as well)
Hair dryer holder
Sacroiliac belt
Reacher/grabber tool

Big Ticket Items

Tempur-pedic or other type of adjustable bed
Ergonomic desk
Standing desk
Lift chair
Shower handle grip/chair/stool for fatigue
Massage chair
Recliner or other chair that supports the head and neck
Theragun (for muscle massage) or TENS unit (for nerve stimulation)
Smart home lighting (for those nights when we’re too tired and achy to get up to turn off the lights)
High quality smartwatch that accurately measures blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep
Robot vacuum
Towel warmer
infrared sauna box

Gifts for Physical Fitness

Foam roller
Muscle roller massage stick
Paid physio appointment or session with specialized personal trainer
Kinesiology tape
Yoga mat/thicker floor mat for stretches
Gift card to a yoga studio
No-touch running/walking shoes that you can put on without bending over

The Gift of a Helping Hand

Offer to sweep leaves and/or shovel their driveway
Laundry subscription service
Cleaning service (or offer to help with cleaning)
Subscription to meal delivery services and kits (especially ones that offer anti-inflammatory diet options)
Offer your loved one on-demand foot, hand, and back rubs
Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare gift card, for when driving to doctor’s appointments and physical therapy is just too much
Childcare to ensure much-deserved rest and/or a night off for fun and hobbies

Those All-Important Intangibles

A society that takes care of their community and those with both visible and invisible illness
Permission to not be okay
Benefit of the doubt (when we say we’re sick and tired, we really are)
Less insurance red tape
More rheumatologists so that we don’t have to sit for so long in uncomfortable waiting room chairs until our doctors can see us
A cure for this disease!

A note about those all-important intangibles: increased awareness, more support, and better healthcare options might seem elusive if not impossible. After all, we can’t just snap our fingers and cure spondyloarthritis. However, there’s a lot we can do. Send a postcard to a health provider. Invite a loved one to a support group, or help them learn about the disease by sharing literature. Become an advocate. Thank you for all you do to support our community.

By: Spondylitis Association of America

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