I’m experiencing terrible pain my thumbs and wrists from knitting This has happened to me before, and I saw an orthopedic dr He gave me injections in my thumbs, and a wrist brace to wear at night . Is there anything else I can do ? I’d like to avoid injections if possible
Thumb and hand pain
Just got through going thru something like that. First didn’t knit for a week. Then started a different project with much bigger needles. Also support my hands and knitting on a large throw pillow. I take lots of breaks. Don’t want to tell someone not to go see someone if they need to, that’s a decision you need to make. Oh, I did use some heat to affected area at the start of it. Best of luck.
I’m going yo see if I get better by stopping to knit for awhile This is pretty painful Thank you so much for responding to me
In addition to what has already been said, after a break maybe thi j about what yarn you have been using too and what the yarn and needle combination was that caused a problem.
I had a problem knitting with cotton, first the cheap quite coarse dish cloth cotton. This led to me totally changing how I hold and tension my yarn. With acrylic DK on 4mm needles I had no problem at all and that was 2 full sweaters knitting quite a lot per day. The cotton was same size but cause a problem after a few dish cloth sized squares. Really painful, I feel for you!
Now I can work with the nicer cottons for tops and my new improved tensioning method has made all the difference.
Changing how I held the yarn was tricky and I had to stay really mindful but after a little while it became second nature as though I’d always held the yarn that way.
Hope you feel better very soon.
When my mum taught me to knit when I was young she taught me English style and holding the wool between the thumb and index finger so that’s how I always did it. After going back to knitting after a long break I was experiencing hand pain and, to cut a long story short, I tried continental knitting and wrapping the wool around my fingers and I haven’t had any pain since. Obviously it’s not a one size fits all remedy but sometimes just simple changes can help
I’m concerned that I have carpal tunnel I was working with Premiere Cotton Sprout yarn. Any type of pulling the yarn tight causes pain . Can you tell me how you hold the yarn if possible?
If you are concerned about carpal tunnel rather than a temporary repetitive strain then certainly it would be better to seek medical advice. I don’t know what the waiting times are like where you are but where I am there is a long waiting list for treatments and being referred sooner rather than later would make sense. If it turned out you didn’t need the appointment you could cancel in enough time for someone else to take the place.
Meanwhile a wrist brace may help. I used one for a few months (baby holding, not knitting) and a,though it doesn’t release the pain by wearing it, it does over time allow your wrist to recover if it can. I thought I had permanent damage it went on so long, but resting and time can have good results.
I don’t think I have a particularly special way of holding the yarn. I do tension in a weave between my fingers (thrower) and sometimes (cotton or slippy yarn) weave across 2 fingers instead of 1, also my throw finger, sometimes I shift to my middle finder rather than my first finger, it looks like I’m going to use my first finger but as I move to throw I pick up the yarn with my middle finger. What this does is adds additional tension by taking up some slack just because the next finger along is further over. It means there is less tension work for the rest of my hand and fingers to do.
I also try to stay mindful of my wrist position and not gripping anything tightly.
I tried continental as @Jo_Hamlett did too. For me I liked it as something to try out but overall my knitting wasn’t so neat and I preferred to go back to throwing.
There’s a book called Knitting Comfortably, all about knitting ergonimics. It’s pricey, but check your local library. Lots of tips, from changing your chair, lighting, using a pillow to support your arms, etc. The author is a knitter AND a physical therapist!
I know I am a complete bore and have said this elsewhere, but have you considered Portuguese-style knitting? It is so much kinder on hands, in my opinion, and anyway so enjoyable! I know it’s really hard to convince anyone to change a style with which they are familiar, but I’ve heard that people with hand problems really do find this method easier. If you do want to at least have a go and see whether or not it’s for you check out Andrea Wong’s site and YouTube videos. I learnt everything I know about Portuguese and knit no other way thanks to her and from watching her two Craftsy courses. Purling is so easy you barely move your hands at all, just a flick of your left thumb. Many parts of the world use this method - much of South America and parts of Eastern Europe, I believe. It’s also wonderful for more than one-colour knitting, as Andrea Wong explains eloquently. New things are hard to get used to, but sometimes worth at least the effort to try, if only ultimately to reject it. I personally would never, ever go back to English knitting (I’m English!), and much prefer Portuguese to Continental.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=stretching+for+knitters
There are many videos with hand stretches for knitters + crocheters and I watch them and stretch along for a few minutes after every hour of knitting (I can knit for hours on end).
Good luck and happy (and pain-free) knitting!
I’m a musician and play stringed instruments and have had that same problem of thumb and hand pain. I also knit, crochet, cross stitch, play piano, etc. My suggestions:
Only knit for a few minutes (maybe 30), take a break, do something else, let your thumb/hand/fingers rest.
Make sure your hands are warm. Cold hands will cause pain quicker than warm ones.
Exercise your hands/fingers. One I use is squeezing a rubber ball. Another is making a fist, holding it tight for 10 seconds, then opening my hands fully and holding that for 10 seconds.
Lastly, keep on using your hands, the more you use them, the better, but… stop using your hands/thumbs/fingers when they start to hurt.
If none of the above helps, go back to your doctor and see if he has any other ideas besides shots.
Thank you so much This is so upsetting I just became a grandma, and I can’t knit right now for the baby . I’m 66,I’m sure this is arthritis, but I’m seeing a hand/wrist orthopedic dr this week, so , hopefully he can help.
Hi Steve;
Are you sure it is the same pain as before the injections? Does it help to use heat, ice or massage? Have you tried numbing/pain creams such as Aspercreme, Voltaren or A535? Do you experience the pain when doing other activities such as driving or washing dishes or reading/holding a book, where your arms are raised? Is it in both hands? Does it affect all ten fingers? Could it be fluid retention or inflammation?
I had a problem with all ten digits that came on overnight after I was given a new medication. I was sent to specialists who decided that I had developed carpel tunnel. I am a homemaker. I don’t do any repetitive work. I don’t knit, but do crochet. I have not had a project on the go for quite a while. I only experienced the numbness or pins & needles and pain when my arms were in a raised position. Sometimes the pain would wake me in the night.
Carpel tunnel does not affect all ten digits. The ring finger is not affected nor is the outside area of the ring finger. When I questioned their diagnosis, they said that the tests didn’t lie and they could get me in before Christmas for surgery. I was sure it was not carpel tunnel because all ten digits were bothering me and it came on so suddenly. I decided to take a “wait and see” approach. That was almost a year ago. I stopped taking the new medication and the symptoms went completely away after about a week and have not returned. I am now trying to control my cholesterol with diet. I wish that my body would have gotten used to the new meds and that the symptoms would have gone away while I was still taking it, but that was not the case for me.
I hope your symptoms have subsided since you posted this request for help from the knitting community. If carpel tunnel is as painful as the symptoms I was experiencing, my heart goes out to you and anyone else who has had to deal with it. I hope you find a solution that lets you avoid the injections and puts an end to all your symptoms and pain. Happy knitting!
Vicki
This book is excellent! Helped me with neck/shoulder pain. It is pricey, but cheaper than one physical therapy session.
Thank you so much for reading my message I saw a hand and wrist Orthopaedic doctor,. He said I do not have carpal tunnel,but I do have arthritis. He gave me steroid injections in my thumbs, and I’m doing much better now.
Glad to hear you’re feeling better.
I am glad to hear that you got a proper diagnosis. It wouldn’t have been good for you to have the surgery for something you didn’t need. I hope the injections get you back to normal. My husband had to have injections. He had developed what they call “trigger
finger” in his thumb. It helped for a while but if he over uses it, it starts to flare up again. Pace yourself and remember to take breaks and rest. Happy Knitting.
Vicki
Thank you so much, Vicki At first, the dr tested me for trigger finger, also, in my thumbs. But, I don’t have the “locking” symptom, so diagnosed me with arthritis
Hi Steve;
What has the doctor advised you to do to relieve the arthritis pain? I had trigger thumb many years before my husband developed it. In therapy I was given strengthening exercises. I am not sure if they would do any good for the relief of arthritis pain.
I was asked to press my thumb and pointer finger together. Then repeat with my middle finger, ring finger and finally my pinky finger. As I grew stronger, I was given a spring action clothes pin and asked to repeat the exercises by pressing the clothes
pin open with each finger. It was surprising how quickly my problems were lessened with these easy strengthening exercises. When I first started going to therapy, I was not able to turn a magazine page because my thumb was so weak. I also could not open
a package of potato chips or any other similar package and now I am able to tear open a plastic package of frozen vegetables without reaching for the scissors. These
exercises would probably benefit anyone who works with their hands.
If your doctor has given you some type of physio therapy, it shouldn't take long before you get feeling better and are able to get through the worst of this.
I hope you are pain-free soon and able to enjoy knitting and other activities again.
Vicki