Prevent Pain?

[Graceylue]

I've noticed that when I crochet my pinky on my right hand gets really stiff and starts to hurt. It's mainly the joint right before the tip that hurts, like in a line across the joint and then radiates down. Does anyone else have this, or a way to prevent/lessen the pain?

[Lady_of_Roses]

It may have something to do with how you hold your crochet hook. (Pencil vs knife grip.) Do you hold your hook tightly maybe? Some people find cushioned hooks to help make them more comfortable to hold. Some folks have even molded handles out of polymer clay to make the handles more comfortable as well.

 

Just throwing out ideas here as to what may be going on and what may help. Others will likely have additional possibilities they can think of.

[brenoreo]

Thanks Lady of Roses for the ideas. I may wrap a bandaid around the grip on my steel hook and see if that relieves some of my thumb problems.

[HappyOldCro]

Is it only when you crochet, or do you get it other times too?

Like when writing or eating?

The reason I ask is when I first started getting arthritis it attacked one knee and both of my pinkies in the top joints.

Cushions help with the hooks, but only my Dr and meds (with some excercise) helped with the other activities.

[Graceylue]

It's mostly only when I crochet or knit, but it happened back when I used to play flute as well. And I hold my hook pencil style so I think it has something to do with how I hold my work, only I can't really find another way to hold it. I started crocheting left handed and my left pinky never hurt, it's only the right pinky.

[HappyOldCro]

I hold mine the other way with the base of the hook under my palm. You may be right about changing the way you hold it. Or if you hold it too tight...

Hope changing your grip helps...

[Graceylue]

Changing my grip has helped a lot, I didn't realize how tightly I held my work. I've also decided to keep a stress ball in my bag to help unkink my hand. With any luck I can start working longer and faster.