
Or you might benefit from a flexible work schedule that allows you to work at home some or all of the time. Coming in earlier or later or working from home part of the day may be possible solutions. If there are certain times of day when pain, fatigue or other symptoms are worse, you may need to change your schedule. For example, if you are experiencing pain or fatigue after working on a computer for a while, you might need ergonomic furniture or equipment, like a special keyboard or voice recognition software. This information will help you determine what accommodations you will need to be your most productive. “You can also see what level of stress you were under and if there is a pattern to the time of day pain, fatigue or other arthritis symptoms flare.” “If you look at that log after a week, you should be able to identify what the physical demands were at the time your symptoms occurred,” says Jacobs. Reviewing your activity log will help you pinpoint any work-related issues that might be causing your symptoms.

Highlight when you are symptomatic – what you were doing and the time of day.ĭetermine What Accommodations You Might Need Occupational therapist Karen Jacobs, a clinical professor at Boston University, suggests keeping a written activity log and recording what you do and how you feel for a week. Understanding if your pain and fatigue is job-related may not be obvious. If you have arthritis, it is not uncommon to experience periods of pain and fatigue that make it difficult to perform day-to-day activities.

If you have limited mobility, significant pain or moderate to severe arthritis, you probably qualify. To be officially considered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), your doctor must first diagnose you as having a disability. If you have arthritis and feel that you may need support to do your job, it is important to understand your rights in the workplace.
