Carpal Tunnel + Crochet

[jenuine226]

I think I am developing carpal tunnel. Two weeks ago, my ring and pinkie fingers were numb when I woke up in the morning and stayed numb all day long. The numbness went away after the first day or so, but then I developed this burning feeling in the palm of my hand that wouldn't go away ... I could swear my affected hand was so hot compared to my hand that was OK, but my DBF felt them both and said they felt exactly the same temperature to him. Now, the burning feeling only comes back about once every two days, but my wrists have started hurting too. I've been wearing a wrist brace I bought at the drugstore this weekend to keep my wrist stable and to try to minimize the pain. I'm going to the doctor next Monday (that was the earliest I could get in for an appointment! ), but I've been doing some research online, and it really sounds like it might be carpal tunnel!

 

I was wondering, for those of you with carpal tunnel, how do you keep crocheting? It is something I really enjoy doing, but I have not picked up a hook (or knitting needles, for that matter) since my hand started having all these problems. I didn't want to aggravate the problem ... Are there any tips you can give me to continue crocheting without making my symptoms worse? I mean, I love to crochet and I have an unhealthy obssession with yarn, but having functional hands is also important to me! Do I really have to give up crocheting???

[crochet smartcat]

I don't have carpal tunnel, but I have alot of problems with tendonitis in my hands and arms. I find that doing stretching exercises, flexing fingers, wrists, arms, etc, as I work makes it better. Also switching hook sizes helps alot. I do some thread crochet and then will switch back to working with yarn helps more. I think it is the diameter of the hook changes the amount of wrist movement you make and also stretches the fingers holding the hook and yarn differently. I also find that using the larger hooks, over size I, stresses my arms and hands more than the smaller hooks.

 

You might find that you need to take a 15 min break for every hour of crocheting that you do. Get up, so you're not tempted, walk around and flex your hands and arms. Do some mild stretching, something, just don't touch that hook.

 

Depending on how bad your hands and wrist are, I would take some Ibuprofen (if you are able), use ice and heat and do some mild stretching exercises. I usually don't totally stop crocheting unless it is excrutiating pain, just tone it down to less hours.

[JenC]

I've also been having some wrist/elbow pains lately. I did some research on the internet and also came to the conclusion that I may have CTS. (I'm waiting for my benefits to kick in to go to the dr) I tried to not crochet for a week, I cheated a little but for the most part made it thru:clap. Now I'm limiting myself to a half hour of crochet with a half hour break. I bought one of those little kitchen timers to let myself know when to stop. It really stinks having to stop all the time but the good news is I'm able to crochet without the pain and numbness. I've also found that working with a bigger hook doesn't aggravate it as much, and the position I'm sitting in somehow affects it. Try different hooks and positions and see if any of it helps you. Good luck!

[viggie]

I have carpul tunnel, but thankfully it has only effected my left hand. When it's acting up real bad I can't hold the yarn so I just have to give it up. For the most part, as long as I'm careful about ergonomics (especially at the computer since I'm a programmer and computer geek) and give myself time limits for crocheting in a row, I can do everything but thread crochet without much trouble. I wear my brace on bad days (sometimes I sleep on it wrong) and made myself a stress ball with flour in a balloon that I work my hand with to help keep up the muscle strength. I can't see a doctor though, no insurance, so if he has better advice please share!

[LibiLou]

I've had CT for years. I started typing as a 12 year old, typed 100 wpm by age 16 and had CT by age 21. I've not had feeling in my last 3 fingers on either hand for years. The only time I have to stop crocheting or typing is when the pain starts up, which is every few days. I do have a brace, but since I can't function in it, I won't wear it. I actually have it because I fractured my wrist about 4 weeks ago.

 

I guess I've just learned to ignore it. I have no other choice. No Health Insurance, no doctor.

[sunshine1977]

I too had CTS. I have been crocheting, doing counted cross stitch and knitting for 25 years and I also type for a living! Mine got really bad after I started doing medical transcription, and I ended up having surgery on both wrists...It was done laparoscopically, and I was back to typing the night of my surgery, although slowly since I had braces on both sides! I have not had ANY pain since the surgery and only occasionally have a little numbness. When that starts up, I sleep in my braces for a week or so and am back to normal. I do take 1 Aleve every morning to keep the inflammation down and as more of a preventative measure. I have also tried the little Hand-Eze fingerless gloves for knitting and crochet, but I always forget to put them on, so I don't worry about it too much...My big thing is taking the Aleve every day!

[hookd1989]

I made a deal with a massage therapist that I know who was becoming a 1st time grandmother...I'd make her a pair of baby booties for free if she'd teach me to massage my own hands...and I have had fewer problems since then. These are the "exercises" she taught me:

 

1) Place the tops of your hands together in an "upside down prayer" pose. Press your hands together firmly while gently pulling your elbows down. This stretches your wrists, I think.

 

2)Take your right hand and stretch your left fingers and wrist by gently pushing your left fingers toward your left elbow. Repeat other side.

 

3) Take your right thumb and index finger and do a "trying to get a penny out of a roll" movement from the base to the tip of each finger and thumb on left hand. Repeat on other hand.

 

And from yoga...there is a circulation stimulating "pounding" that you can do on your feet...I applied it to my hands. With right hand in a fist, firmly tap/pound on the palm of your left hand about 10-15 times. Repeat other side. I usually do this last.

 

If you don't get relief from any of these...I would find a therapist in your area and pay for a 15 minute hand massage (generally about $20...it's $65 for a full body massage around here...) anyway...if the therapist doesn't help...you should probably seek medical attention.

 

:2c :2c Just my more than 2 pennies....Sorry it was so long.

[khourtniey]

I dont think I have CTS, but I do get the really bad pain sometimes. It just stop for a while and they try again later.

[FelixLake]

When my doc thought I had CT, he gave me wrist braces to wear just at night. I ended up not having that, but you might want to try some OTC braces at night to see if they help. That as well as all the good exercises everyone mentioned.

[faithpa76]

I've had CTS and other RSIs since I was 15. I was a musician, typed for several years, and now crochet. The biggest thing for me is taking regular breaks, sitting up, taking ibuprofen before I start, drinking plenty of water (being hydrated seems to make a big difference with a lot of ailments, at least for me), staying relaxed, and there are a bunch of behavior modifications (like picking up a gallon of milk with two hands, opening a "push" door with the side of your forearm instead of hand/bent wrist, etc) I use all the time.

 

I'm sure your doctor will have lots of suggestions for you.

[melch4]

This is so coincidental(?). I was just getting online in this forum to ask the very same question. I don't think I have CTS, but boy, I have been having alot of pain in both arms, from the elbow down into my wrists. I have stopped crocheting for about 1 week, with little cheating here and there and they still hurt. Cannot lift things and hurts to even pick up a glass of ice tea...............My doctor told me it might be a muscle in there from crocheting and leaning on my rocker arms. So, I have read all of your great suggestions and will give them a try. I am one who cannot sit without having something to work on.........It drives me nuts, and to top it off, I get looks from my husband and college age daughter when I pick something up to do, with christmas coming I have things I would like to do................OK, enough here. Everyone have a great day and stay dry if your in the wet areas.............

[tweety256]

Try getting the soft touch crochet hooks. I just got them for a friend that had the sergrey for carpal tunnel and could crochet. The first time she used them her hands didn't hurt her. Here is a link to the hook at Jo-ann ETC http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=82327&PRODID=108601

[MaryPat]

I have a problem with my right wrist from years of typing, piano, keyboarding and crocheting. I've learned to use the computer mouse with my left hand and learned to use keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse.

 

When the pain is there, I've found stabilizing it to be a big help. I use athletic tape (from the drug store). I wrap the wrist and palm so that it can't bend. The tape allows me to continue crocheting with no pain. It's athletic tape, so removal is done without doing a "wax job" on my arm hair.

[jenuine226]

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful suggestions. Yeah, I don't know for sure if it is CTS, just seems like it from all the stuff I've been reading. Hopefully I just put too much strain on my arm/wrist/hand with all my crocheting one weekend, and it will go away soon. *fingers crossed* In the meantime, I'm trying to take it easy on the crochet. *sigh* I feel so unproductive sitting in front of the TV without something to work on in my hands!

[Ambersafghans]

Recently my sister has been saying her hands will start hurting after crocheting awhile. The other day I was making applesauce and cutting a lot of apples and my right hand which is the hand I crochet with was starting to really hurt. Could it be tension? Anything else I can do beside stretching?

 

Amber

[Lowrancer]

I use a self adhesive sports wrap, and cover it either with 1/2 inch sports tape or a spandex sleeve (close to the skin but not tight) from directly at the wrist and endend back toward the elbouw 4 to 6 inches and this seems to help.

[viggie]

This is the type of CT I have...crushed nerves in the elbows...mainly from leaning on them. And I always thought it was just bad manners...lol...but it's really bad for the nerves. Still the symptoms and treatments are the same because it's the same nerves, just crushed in the elbows instead of the wrists...we just have the opposite sides of our hands go numb (the outsides in towards the middle instead of the thumbs towards the middle like regular CT).

 

This is so coincidental(?). I was just getting online in this forum to ask the very same question. I don't think I have CTS, but boy, I have been having alot of pain in both arms, from the elbow down into my wrists. I have stopped crocheting for about 1 week, with little cheating here and there and they still hurt. Cannot lift things and hurts to even pick up a glass of ice tea...............My doctor told me it might be a muscle in there from crocheting and leaning on my rocker arms. So, I have read all of your great suggestions and will give them a try. I am one who cannot sit without having something to work on.........It drives me nuts, and to top it off, I get looks from my husband and college age daughter when I pick something up to do, with christmas coming I have things I would like to do................OK, enough here. Everyone have a great day and stay dry if your in the wet areas.............

[AidanM]

Lately I've noticed a severe discomfort when I crochet, particularly once I get in my groove and really speed up. This thread is proving to be incredibly informative and I'm glad that ya'll have so much information. Now I can try to prevent any serious injury. Wouldn't it be rotten, to have started just about 6 months ago and have ruined myself for crochet already?!

[losingmymind2]

I use a self adhesive sports wrap, and cover it either with 1/2 inch sports tape or a spandex sleeve (close to the skin but not tight) from directly at the wrist and endend back toward the elbouw 4 to 6 inches and this seems to help.

''

 

That sounds like the wrapping my Chiroprator recommened for me. I wish I'd met him BEFORE I had surgery on my right hand, but actually, there were other problems brewing with it (cyst on the tendon of my thumb), and it only took 2 operations instead of 3 because the surgeon went ahead and split the tendon of my thumb for me to prevent trigger finger (he said that was the next stage I was heading for). The proper adjustment of my neck has just about eliminated the pain in my left hand however, so I didn't have to have surgery on that one too. (worried me cause that's um... my toilet paper hand)

[evelyn]

I had ct in both my hands at the same time, They hurt so bad, I hung my hands over the edge of the bed, at night, letting them hang kind of helped . I had to use my elbows to lift my self, after I was up awhile they would feel a little bit better , Your pinky fingers dont hurt with ct, any mine didnt . I could only crochet maybe 5 minutes at a time then had to hang my hands, The most painful thing I ever had.

I had surgury on my left hand first, about 10 years ago then later on my right hand about 5 years ago. It made a world of difference. I havent had any problems since.

Now my hips go numb at night when I lay on either side so I do alot of tossing and turning. Just cant win!!

[jacqui]

I don't have carpel tunnel but i have tendonitis and ankolising spondoloitis in the neck and shoulder. I have to make myself take regular breaks even though it frustrates me sometimes. When my pain flare ups get too bad and the pain killers stop being effective i have acupuncture and that helps self hypnosis is helpful also. You have to try things to figure out what works best for you and stick to it. Good luck:cheer Jacqui

[snapkat]

I think I am developing carpal tunnel. Two weeks ago, my ring and pinkie fingers were numb when I woke up in the morning and stayed numb all day long.

I had symptoms similar to yours, and thought for sure that I had carpal tunnel syndrome. But that wasn't it - in my case, the numb fingers and pain in my hands were caused by a pinched nerve in my neck. Who would have guessed? It's all fixed now, thanks to my amazing chiropractor, who made my whole back feel better as well.

 

So, hmmm. Something to think about.

[Stacey]

It might not be carpal tunnel, could be some other pinched nerve--from what I understand, the nerve that gets squeezed in CTS goes into your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and the side of your ring finger that's closer to your thumb.

 

You might want to have a look at this: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=143&topcategory=Arm which talks about the symptoms like what you're having and shows pictures of where the symptoms happen depending on which nerve, and has advice for not stressing it out any further. Also http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/10/20.cfm (a Prevention article) I've been having a carpal tunnel flareup lately and I've been taking B-6 (last time I had problems B vitamins helped a lot), and it really does seem to be helping.

 

Oh, and one thing my doctor told me recently (while I was there for something else and mentioned the CTS/numb inside ring finger I've been having) was to take my rings off for a while, even if they're not tight, because the pressure from rings can slow down healing.

 

Hope you feel better soon!

[MOhooker]

I have covered all of my hooks with Crayola Model Magic (about $5.00 per package) , making them larger and easier to hold, and have not had any pain since. One package will cover a hole bunch of hooks! Of course if the damage is already done it won't help you much. But for those of you who are just starting to have pain, or not having any pain yet, it is an inexpensive thing to try.

[Me&P]

I haven't read through all of these replies, but wanted to let you know what worked for me.

 

I had my chiropractor run ultrasound on my wrists about 2x per week for a month or so (then once per week for a month, then once every 2 weeks for a couple months, and by then, I really didn't need it). For the first couple months I wore wrist braces at night (ones specifically designed for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome).

 

As for crocheting, I adapted the way I hold a hook and the yarn to alleviate any pressure on the carpel tunnels. I'll try to take a photo b/c it is slightly different than anyone else I have seen.

 

I also prefer hooks with larger handles. Ozarktwist hooks on Ebay have thicker handles than most, and they have recently added a WONDERFUL line of "Finger Friendly" hooks with 1/2inch (i think) handles that are even thicker and work wonders to carpel tunnel and arthritis suffers.

 

I haven't needed much intervention in the last couple of years (I was having problems when I worked on the computer all day but haven't done that in a couple years). If/when I have a flare up I just visit the chiropractor and take it easy for a couple days.