Arthritis in R hand

I wanted to let my knitting friends that I’ve been out of commission with my knitting, due to painful arthritis in my R hand. I had to see my orthopedic Hand and Wrist doctor. He gave me an injection in my upper joint of my thumb: very painful injection. I have to give up my knitting which is so depressing to me. I’ve had trigger finger previously, and now, painful arthritis. I don’t know if I’ll be able to resume my favorite hobby. I’m very sad about this.

I’m so sorry to hear this. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things. I hope that the treatment and the break from knitting will help and that you’ll be able to resume in time. I’ll be thinking about you and hoping that the arthritis improves.

Thank you so much for always helping me with my projects. I’m at a loss, sitting here , not being able to knit. Do you ever hear of other knitters with this hand pain?

This is sad to hear. One of my friends had to give up knitting because of hand problems. Fortunately she can still make her quilts for now. I hope you can at the least get the pain under control so daily activities remain possible. I expect that you’ll find another creative outlet and hope that one day knitting will again be a reality for you.

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Unfortunately, hand pain is all to common. Added to arthritis, it’s a very difficult time to get through. Sometimes exercises to strengthen the hands and just taking a break helps. Of course, take your doctor’s advice in this as you are doing.
It’s difficult and I do hope that your hands improve with time.

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Steve, I have arthritis. For me movement is medicine. (Not weight or strength stressing movement) My children once observed I was like the tin man from wizard of Oz. If I stay still too long my joints (hands, back, hips and knees) stiffen up like the tin man’s joints rusting. I also understand there are many kinds of arthritis.

Most of what I have read and been told by medical treatment (orthopedic and therapist) is that movement helps maintain ones range of movement.

First aid training teaches that cold reduces swelling. Ice in the first 24 hours after an injury. After that alternate: ice to reduce swelling and pain, then heat to promote blood flow and healing circulation. I used that alternating cold and heat to ease my repetitive motion injury pain.

Remember you can always ask for a second opinion from your medical providers. I hope you find a solution to lessen your pain and also to restore or maintain your current range of movement. Good luck.

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I’m so sorry to hear of your continuing problems and pain. I really feel for you.
I am on a self imposed knitting break due to mobility and pain problems and it is SO hard, I feel lost and been trying to think of things I can do to fill my time when I can’t knit and have pain and mobility problems. I’m sure it is worse for you with the uncertainty of whether you will be able to return to knitting or not. Hopefully you can. If not, perhaps there is something a little less taxing on the joints which can still give you a creative and relaxing activity.
Wishing you well.

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Thank you! I wish you well, too. I wasn’t taking any breaks when I knit. I would knit for hours, and never put it down. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for arthritis, but I did get an injection from my orthopedic dr., yesterday. Hopefully, I’ll get some relief in my thumb. I am lost without my knitting, and have substituted eating, which I need to stop. I’m 68, and feel great , otherwise.

Thank you! My only arthritic problem is in my right thumb. I know it happened from the non stop knitting. I never took a break . Now, I’m paying for it.

After just 2 days since I had the injection in my thumb joint, I’m so much more improved. But, I’m still going to give my knitting a rest. I’m hoping I will be able to resume my favorite hobby , one day soon, but I will have to take breaks. I advise anyone who has a similar hand issue , to not hesitate to see a hand and wrist specialist. Thank you to everyone for caring.

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Terrific news! You know we can all place ourselves in your shoes.
Yes, a good rest and probably no more marathon knitting sessions.

Thank you so much for your support! It really helps me to communicate with other knitters . I’ve been knitting since I was 8 yrs old, but definitely so much more since I retired, after 17 years, from school nursing.

It’s so easy to just keep going isn’t it? Kne more Row, one more Row.
If/when you can knit again you’ll have to set an alarm clock, set yourself a strict limit on knitting time.
Knitting fills my time and like you I’m lost without it. I’ve been doing sudoku until I’m bored out of my brain, reading books until I can’t bare any more reading, watching TV documentaries until I can’t bare another programme! I fell off the wagon and crocheted some of a project that has been waiting a year to be finished, conning myself this is not the same as knitting, and now have a sore right thumb so I am on a crochet ban too.
I totally get the boredom and the longing to knit.

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So sorry to hear about your thumb! It’s so debilitating! I couldn’t even pick up anything without terrible pain! Or even getting dressed was hard . We don’t realize how much we need our fingers for everything, until there’s a problem. You should definitely see an orthopedic hand and wrist specialist. I live in the Philadelphia area, and go to Rothman Orthopedics.

Thanks. My thumb is no where near as bad as yours - but definitely a sign to take a good break!

Well, take of it, because I was in excruciating pain. I’m probably older than you, and I’ve had a little arthritis in this hand for awhile, but it didn’t bother me until recently. I was making mittens for my 2 yr old grandson, and I only got one done, but I was pushing myself to finish. You have to know when to put it down. Thank you so much for writing to me. It helps so much.

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It helps me too. I’d be lost without this forum and the lovely people here.

Agree! I love this site so much .

I meant to say, take care of it, sorry for the typo.

I’m the Portuguese style of knitting bore around here, and yet again would SO recommend trying this method if you have problems with your hands; so many have found that they can continue to knit if they make the switch. It’s really arthritis-friendly! Andrea Wong’s Craftsy course is how I learned from scratch - easier for me, because I’d never knit any other way. But I know from her that many people with hand problems have found them solved by re-learning how to knit in Portuguese style. I wouldn’t want to knit any other way. Please do consider giving it a go?? Your right hand does very little, your left thumb is really the most energetic and that is minimal. There are a lot of explanations on YouTube - VeryPinkKnits has quite a few tutorials, as does Andrea Wong both there, and on her own website. Might be worth a glance??