Bursitis, tendinitis, and now this.

[rascalsmom]

I developed bursitis in my right shoulder a few years ago, went through PT which improved it greatly, except for when I'd overdo it (shoveling snow/raking leaves especially)....then I started crocheting again after many, many years off. I developed tendinitis in my elbow! This coincided with joining the handbell choir at church, and playing the BIG bells....so our dear director moved me to smaller bells. The elbow would still hurt when I overdid the crocheting.

 

Well, last night I overdid the crocheting again, and afterward--and still this morning--I have a "pins and needles" feeling in my right ring finger and middle finger! What is up with that?? It's almost a numbness. I don't know what this might be a sign of...anyone have something similar?

 

I will be 50 this month, and boy how things have gone downhill the past couple of years!

[LaurieE]

Sounds like a nerve is being pinched.

[Swerbie]

I get that 'pins and needles' feeling in my fingers alot.....when my carpal tunnel is acting up. I also have arthritis and tendonitis in my left wrist, as well as tendonitis in my right wrist/elbow. I feel your pain! Currently I have a hairline fracture in my right wrist...I have no idea how that happened!!!

 

I hope that your hands get to feeling better soon! You may want to have your doctor check it out! There are also a lot of wrist braces available for CP that work great!

[rascalsmom]

I was afraid it could be something like carpal tunnel. Soon my whole right arm will be useless!!

 

I'm seeing the doctor for my annual physical on Friday...hopefully he can give me some tips on what to do so I can keep crocheting!

[Sylviaf]

I sympathize with your going downhill comment. I am 52 and sometimes feel like I'm falling apart!

[LizaKaye]

When my carpal tunnel is acting up, my fingers go numb and ache, so I spend 3-4 minutes shaking and clasping and unclasping my hands till they feel "normal" again, and I have to take frequent breaks-where I just lay my wip in my lap for a few minutes. My braces really help though, so you might want to give them a try.

I'm another 'viller that's falling apart, I'm 49.

[RoseRed]

I had that whenever I tried to crochet for more than 10 minutes. I got the Handeze gloves and I never had a problem with it again.

[Crocus58]

Yea Haw - I'm on the slide as well (48) - to keep my cp under control I sleep with a brace on my wrist (years ago, back when dirt was new, my Dr told me that if I never wore my brace any other time, to wear it while sleeping) and when the CP acts up take breaks, or wear the brace while crocheting. It's a bit cumbersom, but I prefer ackward to pins & needles, or pain . . . .

[losingmymind2]

Sounds like carpal tunnel to me, too. Have you seen a chiropractor? It really could all stem from a pinched nerve up in your neck. I feel so much better when my doctor releases my neck and shoulders.

[ErinLindsey]

It's probably carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

Go see a doctor, preferabbly a neurologist or a neurosurgeon. You dont always have to have surgery for CTS, but a doctor who specializes in nerves is probably the best kind of this type of thing. I would NOT see a chiropractor for this.

 

When your carpal tunnel (a sheath of tendon and bones that surrounds the median nerve) is irritated it swells and that puts pressure on the nerve. That nerve supplies sensation to the thumb, index, and middle fingers and half of the ring finger. (the other half of the ring finger and the pinky finger get their sensation from the ulnar nerve)

 

I had the surgery in the very early 90s for CTS in my right hand. It helped for awhile, but I either have scar tissue in my hand from the surgery, or the stupid MS that I was diagnosed with recently is causing new pain in my hand and fingers. I do believe that if I'd not had the surgery I'd be in a lot more pain and not crocheting, so I think the surgery for me was probably the right thing to do at the time.

 

If you go see a doctor for this and they offer different treatments, try the easier ones first, like the brace, and exercises first. (they're cheaper too) If that doesnt work, then talk with the doctor about cortisone injections or surgery.

[Mom w/a Motif]

I'm sorry for your pain. I'm 37 and I know for a fact I have tendonitis (diagnosed while I was pregnant five years ago...). My shoulder is what hurts the most, though. I wonder if I have bursitis, too. My wrist and hand ache too. From all the scrubbing, and crocheting... It used to be so bad I would almost be in tears. I remember going on vacation (up north) and I had my brace on, a pillow under my arm so I wouldn't have to move it, and just sitting there, the whole way up (four hours).

 

Anyway I hope you can get some help for it.

 

Oh, I forgot to add: when I was pregnant is when my arms and hands would tingle like that and go numb. I couldn't even crochet towards the end of my pregnancy it was so bad.

 

Tina

[rascalsmom]

My fear is that the doctor will tell me to stop crocheting. That is what really seems to irritate the elbow...and now my fingers. It IS my ring finger, and middle finger; the ring finger is tingly on the half next to the middle finger only....it's weird. But it does sound like CPS from what you have all mentioned... Great. I rediscover crochet, and this happens. Life just isn't fair. It's 5:00 pm and it's still tingly from last night.

[iamnichole]

now this is scary because I'm 22 and that happens to me too. My fingers mostly. I dont know why, but the same thing happens, pins and needles, and numbness.

[trin]

I have fibromyalgia and R.A... IMHO if the doctor says "quit crochet" hit him upside the head (just joking) and go to a chiropractor. I found that a heat pack that warms in the microwave also helps with muscle, tendon and joint pains.

 

Some days I just can't crochet, knit or type so I just take it easy on my poor hands, enjoy my heat pack, and my cat, and wait till I can make things again.

If I really need to be creative, I can usually still handle my camera.

[trin]

I have fibromyalgia and RA and I used a heat pack (warms in the microwave) and rest when I get pain in my hands/arms joints that keep me from doing what I want to do. Sometimes it's frustrating to have very limited use of my hands for days at a time....

 

IMHO if the doctor says "quit crocheting" it's time to get another doctor.

Try the chiropractor, accupuncture, or even resting the hands and arms, with heat packs, for a few days and see if that helps the swelling go down.

[ErinLindsey]

Try this. Stop crocheting for a week. Rest your arm.

 

If your arm still hurts after a week, rest it for a few more days, then try crocheting again. If it still hurts, rest it some more, call a doctor that either specializes in carpal tunnel syndrome or a neurologist and get your arm checked out.

 

Do NOT ignore pain, it's there for a reason. It's trying to tell you something.

 

I understand the total obsession to crochet until your arms fall off. I've done that many a time. I almost always have to force myself to rest my arms.

[mythunderbird]

i have that also, it was from a pinch nerve caused by whiplash in my neck from a car accident. i agree with kathy, go see a chiropractor, if nothing else you will not be out of alignment which can cause a huge amount of problems, my doc sent me to a neurosurgeon who wanted to do surgery on my neck and hands and wrist, i told him to stuff it went to the chiro and since this happened 7 years ago and i didn't have the surgery, bad enough i had it on my lower back and that made it worse. surgery is a last resort imho. heat or cold can also help. my hands are numb alot but its from the herniated discs which the doc wants to take out and i refuse, been there done that not doing it again. good luck, oh braces are awesome, they work wonderful, get one which fits you comfortable,. you should not be in misery from the brace. there are so many out there that work for everyone different. good luck sweetie, if your doc says quit crocheting tell him you quit him, my doc loves my crochet and when i don't bring it with me when i see him he is all what ya making now? someone who appreciates me hehe, he actually said he was dissapointed i had not brought it with me last time.:lol:lol good luck sweetie god bless you:manyheart

[tobybob]

I have tendonitis and get the tingleing in my hand and fingers. I ice it and tell I've had enough then I use a hand massager on it for awhile help the pain in my arm. This is the treatment when I went through tendonitis in my elbows.

[diamond]

See a holistic chiropractor. One that does accupuncture. When I had Frozen Shoulder nothing helped until I started having accupuncture treatments. It's amazing how those needles work and you really don't feel them except you will look like a porcupine while the needles are in (only in the chiropractor's office).

[ANGELICRUTH]

I am 50 also and I really understand what you mean --I feel like I'm falling apart too! I have fybromyalgia- a ganglia cyst in my right wrist--and degenrative disc disease---I use heat -ice packs-wrist brace ---but I am not about to stop crocheting!!! I just crochet when I can and rest when I need to. Just don't let the pain and the fact your getting older get you down---I did and I would never want anyone to go through what I have over the past few months. I read somwhere that the baby boomer generation (that's us) 50 is the new 30!!!Sounds good to me!! :hug :hug :hug