Carpal Tunnel

[leaderladyk]

What is the best way to deal with carpal tunnel and crocheting? Are there special hooks or something?

 

Kristina

[tweety256]

try the soft touch crochet hooks. I hear they are the best for carpal tunnel

[veghead]

Repetative motion irritates your carpals. I suggest two things: 1) crochet in moderation (which might just be impossible if you're as addicted as most), 2) treat your carpal tunnel syndrome. Yoga works...so long as its gentle hatha yoga and you have a qualified teacher. You could also consider wearing a wrist support that will help decrease your range of motion, which may cut down on the irritation.

 

Hope this helps.

[losingmymind2]

Try to vary the size hooks you use. Of course that means you have to have several different projects going at once, which means you need more patterns and more hooks and more yarn.....

 

Personally I find the bamboo hooks feel best in my hand. They are lighter weight and 'warmer' to the touch than the metal ones. I also found out if I'm working on a bad pain day to stop and stretch my fingers out then wiggle them or play 'air piano' for a minute or two and to shake out my wrist regularly.

 

Best of luck

[amdm]

Three things work for me:

Place your hand on the table, and, with the index finger of the other hand, gently bend your fingers back, one by one.

If you normally wear bangles/bracelets take them off while crocheting.

Drink black tea on a regular basis.

You can also try a dry hot compress when the pain is very bad.

[Lady_of_Roses]

Different things work for different people. I'd strongly suggest seeing your doctor.

 

Solutions can range from anything so simple as taking some pills and wearing braces at night, to getting surgery.

[leaderladyk]

thanks everyone. I have had horrible pain since getting pregnant. My doctor gave me braces and gloves...but it only helps sometimes. I am having accupuncture on Wed.

 

Kristina

[pinkroses]

I have it too and arthris every where and pain with being a Diabetic. But , if I don't do something I go crazy. I use those new crochet needles by clover. they are soft and and have the wide handle. I do find I had to learn to handle them differently because I was taught to use the alliumiun ones and hold it like a pencile, My grandmother taught me at age 7 or so. Also excesing the wrist moving it a little going around and around will help some. My also goes numb at times. PINKROSES

[Mom w/a Motif]

Kristina- Did your doctor tell you it was carpal tunnel? The reason I'm asking is because when I was pregnant, I had something real bad. It hurt to crochet. I finally asked the doctor about it (and this was after my baby was a few months old, even) and she did a simple test by pulling my thumb a certain way (and it hurt!!), and she said I had tendonitis. She said it would probably go away, and that it is quite common for women to get it when they are pregnant but it should go away after a while. I still feel that I have it, but nowhere near as bad as I did when I was pregnant and right after!

 

Hope you find something that helps.

 

Tina

[craftconnie1]

I crochet " fist " style versus " pencil " style, when it hurts. A wrist support helps because it reminds you that you are injured. If it hurts, stop... I find that heat helps, others have found ice helps. aspirin if you can tolerate it. When the pain occurs I find I cannot do anything with thread and will often have to work with chunky yarn and only small ( not heavy ) pieces.

[lunchbox]

Pregnancy can aggravate carpel tunnel. Mine flared up terribly both times I was pg. Typing and using the mouse doesn't help.

 

These days, I find that I really have to lay off crochet for a couple of days when its hurting badly. Ibuprofen and heat also help.

[smg55039]

If anti-inflamitories, rest, and joint isolation (you don't really need a hard brace, just something to remind you to not bend your wrist) don't help, ask your MD about exercises.

 

A friend of mine had issues some time ago and was given a couple of paitent info sheets with exercises included. They included wrist curls and grip strengtheners. She swears by them. I got a copy and last time my bad wrist flaired up, I tried them. Works the charm.

[eyrthmother1]

I've seen a lot of good suggestions on here for carpal tunnel. I'm a massage therapist and in my field, the idea is that carpal tunnel actually comes from the trapezius (neck/shoulder area) which is called the "eye/hand coordination muscle".

 

The yoga would help to strengthen these muscles, massage to help loosen them (the exercises that were mentioned helps in both ways also).

 

By doing the exercises, the muscles are worked in a different way, in a different position, so that they can work better and not pinch nerves.

 

Check w/ your doctor though to see where yours may be at, and to see if not related to your pregnancy.

 

Sandy

[PBLKNP]

Three things work for me:

Place your hand on the table, and, with the index finger of the other hand, gently bend your fingers back, one by one.

If you normally wear bangles/bracelets take them off while crocheting.

Drink black tea on a regular basis.

You can also try a dry hot compress when the pain is very bad.

 

Okay...I've got to ask...why black tea? I do love black tea, and if it can help my arm (along with rest), that would be awesome. How does black tea help something like this?

[eyrthmother1]

Okay...I've got to ask...why black tea? I do love black tea, and if it can help my arm (along with rest), that would be awesome. How does black tea help something like this?

 

Probably due to the higher levels of anti-oxidents that tend to help the body heal faster. They are finding that black tea can help a lot of health issues due to that. The Chinese concider drinking tea as medicinal, .

 

Sandy

[monael]

What is black tea? Is it lipton tea that you make iced tea with?

 

Another tip I saw on another board is to not use arm rests because it compresses a nerve by your elbow. I have been avoiding arm rests since I got that tip and I do think it has helped. I haven't really been able to crochet for a couple of months-just here and there but the pain has kept it to a minimum. I am almost better, I think I will be able to crochet again in about a week or less.

[leaderladyk]

Thanks again to all who replied after my original thanks. LOL. I had carpal tunnel before I got pregnant and it was so bad during that I only got to make ONE outfit. I thought it would get better after giving birth, but it has not. So I went to my doctor today and found this out:

 

I have tendonitis in my left hand which is why my thumb and the bone right underneath that hurts so badly. Tina, you were right in suggesting that. I also have a thumb sprain (not sure how I got it though). He did x-rays and there is a smail sprain there.

 

As for my right hand it is 100% CT and he suggested surgery. I am going to try the accupuncture, yoga, and everything non surgical first.

 

Thanks again.

 

Kristina

[amdm]

Black tea is tea made from fermented tea leaves, as opposed to Green tea, and drunk without milk or sugar. (I make a very light liquid from Darjeeling tea, as strong tea can taste quite bitter.) It is effective in reducing inflammation caused by strain.

[PBLKNP]

Something that I find works well is, when I'm having difficulties, wearing a stiffer brace at night and those Handeze Therapeutic Craft Gloves during the day. You can find them on Joann.com or in craft stores (I suspect they're probably cheaper in stores). I find them to be very helpful, not only for knitting and crocheting, but for the keyboard at work.