I saw this advertisement in my Sunday paper a couple of weeks ago:

I don’t usually buy things from advertisements in my Sunday paper. But $12.97! Free Shipping!! Pain-free?!! I had to try them. (I actually bought them off the web, though, at www.dreamproductscatalog.com– does anyone actually cut out their address information and mail it in anymore? Apparently someone still must, to pay for all these ads.)

They looked like when I tried them on: 

They were pretty comfortable, although seemed somewhat cheaply made (not sure what I was expecting for $12.95). They also didn’t match very well with my particular skin tone, and I’m not sure what anti-arthritis properties they could possible have. I kept them on for a few hours and they did keep my hands warm and comfortable while I was working on the computer.  I don’t think I would wear them to work, though, even though they might make my hands warmer there. I felt like I would be very conspicuous.  I would probably wear something that was closer in color to my hands and was less cheaply made.  Other scleroderma patients have recommended “wristies“, fingerless gloves that come in a wide range of colors. Some even have a pouch for a hot-hands. I think I’ll try those next.

Dream Products, Inc. also has a number of other products, aimed at an older segment of the population. Browsing through the website reminded me of the catalogs that my grandmother used to get.