Tools and gear
Gear guides
People ask what to have in the house. The honest list is ordinary. None of these items treats gout. They make rest, ice, elevation, a portion, or an already-prescribed medicine easier. Each guide below gives criteria and compares types, not brands.
Last reviewed
The guides
- Cold packs and wraps for goutHow to choose a cold pack or wrap for a gout flare.
- Shoes for gout-affected feetWhat to look for in shoes when gout affects your feet.
- Elevation pillows and leg restsLeg wedges, foot rests, and elevation pillows for raising a sore joint during a gout flare.
- Water bottles and hydration toolsGeneral hydration tools, from refillable bottles to marked bottles and reminder apps, compared by type.
- Kitchen tools for everyday eatingFood scales, meal-prep containers, and how to judge a cookbook that makes no cure claims.
- Pill organizers and remindersWeekly pill organizers, easy-open cases, and reminder apps for keeping to the schedule your clinician set.
- Mobility aids during a flareCanes, crutches, knee scooters, and walkers for getting around during a gout flare.
- Bed cradles and sheet liftersBed cradles and sheet lifters keep blankets off a sore toe or foot at night during a gout flare.
- Compression socks and goutGraduated compression basics, with cautions for diabetes and circulation problems. Not a gout treatment.
- Slippers and sandals for sore toesHouse footwear with room at the toes and adjustable straps.
- Choosing a cookbookCriteria for a cookbook that sticks to food and makes no cure claims.
What we will not link
| Left off the page | Why |
|---|---|
| Home uric acid meters | A home number is not a diagnosis and not a treatment plan made with a clinician. |
| Herbal cure blends, detoxes, and flush kits | They are sold as treatments. They are not. |
| Alkaline water | Hydration is a habit. A special water is not a therapy and does not flush crystals. |
| Supplements sold as treatment, including tart cherry | Evidence for cherry is modest and mixed at most, and it is not a treatment. See Claims you’ll see online. |
| Anything that claims to cure gout, dissolve crystals, or replace medical care | A commission would not put that claim on this site. |
The one thing this site offers itself is free: a printable flare tracker, with no dose or target fields, to bring to appointments.
Clinical claims on this page follow the sources.