Let’s set aside the obvious things that end in trips to the emergency room.
Hands cut whilst glass cutting for Lead lighting or other crafts.
Fingers caught in vices whilst clamping jewellery pieces or wood tables together.
Burns to hands, fingers and forearms whilst hot gluing or melting down wax, soap or lye.
Broken legs and arms from falling off ladders and chairs whilst redecorating or hanging DIY lamps and curtains.
These are all the obvious mishaps and issues but what about the ones you don’t really notice? What am I talking about? I am talking about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. You may feel a loss of feeling and coordination in the fingers and hand. The thumb muscles can become weak and waste away. It may be hard to grip or hold objects. Permanent damage to the median nerve which will require surgery.
Top 5 Crafts that can lead you to surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are:
Knitting
Crochet
Needle Work & Cross stitch
Polymer Clay Work
Hand sculpted Pottery
Do you do one of the above crafts?
Things you can do to avoid the pain.
Exercise your hands. Make sure you stretch your fingers, arms and your wrists before you begin.
No slouching – If you are a true addict you will probably want to crochet or knit anywhere you can, but is your posture right? We all know the rules for sitting at a computer desk but did you know those apply to crafting too. Make sure you are sitting straight with support for your lower back. Add a cushion under your arms if you need the extra support. Your feet should be flat on the ground at all times.
Take a stretching break – I know it’s probably only a few more rows until you are finished but your HAVE to get up and move. Take a toilet break or a tea break and go back to the first step of stretching your hands around.
Is it too late for you? Is the damage done? Then you might like to try these techniques for eliminating Carpal Tunnel Pain.
You really should proof what you write before you send it out. And no one says “whilst” anymore!
Don’t forget basket weaving.
This is great! Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback Joyce. Actually I use “whilst” all the time and I am not sure why you believe using it is an issue?
Whilst rocks. Thanks for sharing! Soapstone carving is the killer for my hands!!
I just wanted to add that I got a frozen shoulder whilst beading for hours in front of the tv with my elbow propped on the sofa arm, I’ve been sitting in different places to stop me getting back into that habit. If any of you do this too – don’t! 🙂
I say whilst all the time? I have up there.
Agree with Evora, “whilst” is an awesome word and use it on a regular basis!
I developed carpal tunnel syndrome from early use of a trackball on my computer… learned early on the benefits of stretching and breaks.
I could not help a chortle whilst perusing Joyce’s animadversion regarding the word ‘Whilst’. There is a plethora of ineffable words, unused in the English language. Some being; Albeit, Therein, Epiphany, Cosmogony, Wherewithal. I am a child of the 1950’s and alas and alack I fear that soon the English written and spoken word will be a bastardisation of ‘Text’ speak and scurrility which is such a shame as English is the language of poetry, rhyme and limericks. English can be heard around the world and many countries teach their young English insomuch that they will speak better English than those that speak it as their mother tongue.
Whilst I take your point, I beg to differ…
Damn Joyce, why you being such a bish? All the authro is doing is trying to give advice to help people and you’re hating on a few typos… whilst you gtfo of here 🙂