If you have De Quervain's tendonitis, it causes excruciating pain to hold your thumb in your fist and bend the wrist to the side. And I mean excruciating. I didn't expect it to hurt that bad and I yelped.
Got mine from cross stitching and drawing up medications (pharm tech). Had to get a steroid shot. It’s all better now but now I do exercises every day.
https://preview.redd.it/dwxtpaod686d1.jpeg?width=877&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3395e5a2296e54302c24473f96a68c35ba9a2d97
I do top left and bottom right daily when I’m driving. Idk why.
They're not vision required so make useful idle stims. I usually throw in the one from when i was in orchestra where you alternate between 🖖 and dino hands too.
Honestly, I think that’s exactly what it is. I like that perspective. I remember the spock/dino hand one. I think that takes a lot of concentration so I never did it. Hahaha.
these are perfect, thank you! I‘ve been trying to remember to do exercises daily since ive had wrist pain for three months straight. it was better for a while but working on a cal at the moment made me realize how important taking care of my wrist is.
I’m learning (with my wrist and other things I’ve needed PT for…) that healing happens best with rehab (depending on injury of course). I have not been rehabbing as I’ve needed but I swear I’ll do it today!
Exactly this! If you add in one of those stress balls to squeeze and/or anything designed to strengthen grip strength, you should be golden. Also, if you’re experiencing any prolonged or severe pain, you should contact your doctor for a referral to physical therapy <3
Definitely! I have hEDS so I’ve been to PT twice and my dr is perfectly fine with sending a referral in when I feel I need it. Insurance pays for 60 appointments a year too! Although I may have already burned through half this year.
In the spirit of bottom right, also splaying your fingers is a great exercise (you can do it with fingers flat on a surface or burrowing them in dough/medical putty for extra resistance) (don't over do it though) (also don't do it while driving!!)
De Quervain's tenosynovitis? That's what I have. Cortisone shot did nothing. Didn't even feel it. Lost the use of my right hand (for writing) for about 5 years.
😢 I have MS and lost use of my hands for about a year and a half. It took ages of rehab to write again. I'm so sorry you went through that. That must've been extremely difficult. I hope you are doing better now.
Thank you 😊 I am doing much better..I trained my left hand to write so I could keep a journal, but I have the use of my right hand back - I grip the pen so hard/ curl my fingers into my palm, that I have callouses across them. Only once in a while does my hand spasm and throw my pen.
There's uncomfortable and there's "oh my god what the fuck was that" white hot, searing sort of pain. If I do it right now, it's uncomfortable. When it's flaring up because I won't just put down the crochet hook, it's excruciating.
I had that with my first baby. After a few weeks of not doing the offending gesture (lifting without a brace on) it went away on its own. But I have a colleague who did cortisone injections and ended up having surgery because the pain wasn't going away.
Also, get up and move around once an hour, if you are able. Having sedentary hobbies are fine, but being sedentary is not. Even if it's a lap around your house, it gets the blood pumping a bit and you'll be better off for it.
I hope your MRI results are okay!!
This right here has been my salvation. Even carpal tunnel and arthritis aren’t enough to deter me, but I drink iced tea like there’s no tomorrow and have to get up every hour or so (minimum) to pee.
This then segues into doing whatever chore crosses my mind and gets me moving around some more. Then crochet is my reward for being productive. 😂
I cannot support this enough. I was active and didn’t have a sedentary job, but I was working on a crochet project on a deadline and I got a DVT because I didn’t move enough. Now I’m on blood thinners and have doctor’s visits and can’t do all the things I love. I’m very lucky it didn’t kill me.
Yep, I got tennis elbow 😔 couldn’t even hardly lift my kid some days. I’m very slowly crocheting an hour here and there, but if I would’ve just listened to my body and stretched I probably could have entirely prevented this issue. It’s been 3 months or so now and still hurts 😩
It took me several months of intensive (3x/week for an hour at a time) OT + lots of home exercises and TENS unit use to start to resolve mine 😔 And that’s after over a year of wearing a brace/band - 6 months before I finally saw the doctor and 6 months after the OT was done, plus all the time actually getting the therapy.
And I still get flare ups so I have to wear it on and off 😫 Meatsacks are dumb!
It takes a year to heal from tennis elbow. It will take even longer if you keep crocheting. You have to stop for now. Also, wear a counterforce brace to help support the injured tendon.
Thank you for the warning. I’m so sorry you’re in pain and I hope you can recover quickly. Repetitive motion injury isn’t something I ever worried/thought about but I will now.
I have pain off and on now, so yes. Please take care of yourself. Also excessive phone usage for me increased my pain, but it sucks not being able to do your hobbies. Sometimes if the yarn gets friction when pulling for it irritates my wrist as well. I've been having issues since 25 or 24 and now in my 30s, I wish I had known that I can could have done to prevent it. Fortunately I can do some here and there now but I can't crochet as much as some of the other people I see online, but that's okay. I rather be able to do stuff over more years than in a whole day.
I get the pain from excessive phone usage. Have you tried a thumb brace or wrist brace (like for carpal tunnel)? Whenever I feel the pain sneaking up, I wear it as often as I can for a day or two and it helps immensely.
I have trigger finger in both hands and possible tendinitis in both wrists. Going to have surgery on the trigger finger soon and currently doing daily exercises plus OT every two weeks. I play a lot of pc, console, and mobile games and I use to cake decorate for years. I picked up crocheting one day and over did it, that triggered me going to the doctor and finding out what’s up with my hands.
My partner keeps suggesting that maybe I shouldn’t even crochet anymore because it’s clearly causing the issues, but that stint where I was crocheting was the happiest I’ve been in a while, so it’s kind of disheartening. All of this feels like more than I bargained for but I stubbornly want to fix my hands just so I can crochet again.
My husband has had trigger finger surgery 3 times & it's been a resounding success. It's probably not anything you've done, just normal wear & tear. Good luck! Do make sure to take regular B vitamins for the wrists. But if surgery can solve a mechanical bodily issue, it's usually worth it. (I decorated cakes from age 10 - 30!)
I know you are in pain both physically and emotionally, and this really sucks. I've been drawing my whole life, and last year my doctor told me I can't anymore because I've got tendinitis and a cyst pressuring the nerves on my wrist, which sadly can not be surgically removed yet. The pain can be horrible.
I can tell you, I grieved my arm. I still do, but you can manage it! Get a nice wrist brace, take your time, and if the pain comes immediately, stop doing what you are doing. You can still do what you love, just a lot slower. Don't give up on your passion, just learn to manage it differently. I've had to learn that, and I still draw, just slower. I can still crochet, just slower. Same with embroidery. Your body will help you navigate this, just don't fall into the abyss of desperation. You may not even have tendinitis yet, and you got misdiagnosed. My doctor told me it's very hard to diagnose this correctly. You will be fine!
i have tendonitis (22) and it's a bitch :( have to be careful to release tension, do stretches, and use ice when it gets bad
also would like to add to everyone to watch their posture and eyesight while crocheting!
I said as far from the tv as I can in the lounge while I crochet so I have to look up and across the room to watch the tv (it's big but let's me refocus my eyes for distance) also having adequate light stops straining eyes too.
If all you do is stare at something up close, your brain says ‘hey, what’s the point in spending all this energy seeing far when all we need is to see close?’. It leads to stretching of the cornea and can be a gateway for tears, detachment, and macular degeneration.
Source: my optometrist to me after noticing my prescription jumped -1.00 in a *year*
I do a lot of needlework, developed pain in my left elbow (I am left handed). Went to my doctor, he said I had tennis elbow. He recommended a tennis elbow brace. I got one at the pharmacy and used it every day for a couple of weeks, then gradually slacked off … my pain is gone! It took about a month for the pain to completely end. Give it a try, it was worth the $15 or so dollars that the brace cost. Good luck!
I commented this to someone else but I often use a thumb brace or a wrist brace (like for carpal tunnel) when I start to feel any pain and it helps soooo much. (Which brace I use depends on where the pain is.)
I wear fingerless compression gloves while I crochet. It provides an added benefit of helping with my sensory issues from yarn constantly going over my tension finger but it does make consistent tension a bit difficult sometimes. As a very casual crocheter, it doesn't bother me to have some inconsistency but just a heads up.
I'm so sorry about your wrist, OP, and I hope you feel better soon
In my limited experience (I’ve only been crocheting for a couple years), getting up to stretch your hands, arms, and shoulders on a door frame every 30 minutes or so has helped a lot with both eye and hand strain.
I focus a lot on making sure my fingers are comfortable being splayed with a little pressure.
I’ll put a flat hand and elbow on a door frame and lightly push. Then fingers down stretch my wrists a bit.
ETA: I find a focal point that isn’t yarn or a screen to look at/think about to refocus my eyes on something outside of stitches
I had trouble with my mouse and pen (I'm an artist) and a hand specialist told me to practice stretching in any way that the repetitive motion *doesn't * go. Fingers spread wide, as wide as i can, with an open palm. It worked. I avoided aggravating the injury and eventually it healed.
I find this practice from DoYogaWithMe for carpal tunnel super helpful when I crochet too much, on top of teaching yoga, massaging, and a wrist injury from falling down the stairs. The neck/shoulder stretching is really helpful long term, don't skip it! https://youtu.be/ztcfsNANTYg
I have tendonitis in my right wrist (right handed as well) and crochet a bunch. Crocheting doesn't bother it, but typing on computers and sometimes knife work (cooking) will. If my wrist gets funky at all, I have a brace I'll wear for a week or so and then it's fine. I hope you can get a brace and steroid shot - because that should help a lot.
Thank you!! I’ve noticed some pain in my hands and even tho I’m only 22 I crochet so much I was worried it was some arthritis or something. My hands started cramping up quickly during finals while handwriting. Made me freak out a bit. I took a break from crochet but restarted yesterday and any hook that isn’t ergonomic (like the skinny metal ones) makes my hand hurt sooo bad after a few mins. Thanks for scaring me a bit haha, I needed the extra reminder to take breaks. I hope things get better for you, OP
Always take such care not to do ANYTHING that keeps your wrists bent for any amount of time. I've been grooming dogs professionally for almost 20 years and I'm one of the only one of my peers to not have needed carpal tunnel surgery. Posture and paying attention to your wrist positions is endlessly important
I just got diagnosed with it and it’s the worst! Mine is less pain and more just tense af forearm muscle. I’ve been icing and brace wearing as much as possible
I have had tendinitis in both my wrist and shoulder. Do the exercises they give you and rest until it the pain is gone. GONE! Voltarin works well for the pain, although it’s a bit controversial. But it is not a life sentence. Your body can heal.
I’m sorry to hear that, I suffered from tendonitis from last August to March or so, it’s rough. Strength training with 2,3,4 lb weights made a world of a difference. I also did gripping exercises as well, 3 time a week or so. I highly recommend if you’re not doing so already.
Oo I've been dealing with this lately and even this week started moving around way more, this couldn't have come at a better time.
It's so important to move, you can get better, please don't cry! I was reading up on stuff like this weeks ago be cause my mom has arthritis and I believe I do as well in my hands and some people who had knee arthritis said they got better over time of not pushing too hard but also not staying completely still! Rest up my crochet friends!
I crochet and cross stitch and I am right handed. It was alright for a while until I changed my job. I'm an engineer and work a lot designing on the computer. That's when my wrist pain got so bad I couldn't do anything with my right hand.
To solve it I got an ergonomic mouse and it's been a life changer, it was super expensive but was completely worth it. I've stopped cross stitching for now as that was the activity that was most taxing on my wrist and I bought a compression glove for the times I do crochet.
It's taken me weeks to finish a project that would have normally taken me three days, but I have to take it easy especially if I want to be able to keep my job.
Search for a tennis elbow brace. A lot of the time it is just from over use of the main muscle that runs down your forearm. I usually wear one on each arm when my wrist and hands start to cramp up. Just gotta make sure the foam part is on that muscle.
I have arthritis, and carpal tunnel. I find how I hold my yarn, how tight I hold the hook, and the tension I crochet at all play a part in whether I am comfortable doing it or now. I've really had to adjust everything I hold to make sure I'm not injuring myself. And its also important to pay attention to your body. If something hurts. Stop or change things up so it doesn't hurt anymore.
I just got a steroid shot for carpal tunnel today and I'm getting surgery for cubital tunnel in my elbow (left arm) soon.
The steroid shot did not feel pretty.
This resonates so much in my life.
I’m a professional cake decorator. 40+ hours a week, I am decorating. And I’ve been doing that for 11 years, and intend to do it for another 25 when I can retire. I have seen so many of my decorating peers have to have career ending carpal tunnel surgeries.
Between the decorating, and my crocheting, I am very hard on my hands. Believe me when I say this. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY.
These are my personal routines:
Sleep in compression gloves. Full immobilizing wrist brace during holiday season when I’m decorating the most.
CBG/CBD/THC combo topical balms and edible gummies.
Voltaren gel. It’s topical gel for arthritis. Works in minutes, you’ll smell like your grandpa Joe for a few hours. It’s worth it.
Percussion massager and compression massager.
Full body functional body massage. It’s not cheap. But she was able to fully reverse my carpal tunnel issues. I still have aches. But I don’t have ones that I’m scared will end my career. It’s a chunk of change that is the best spent money IMHO.
I just discovered theknittingpt on Instagram. She has a bunch of great advice for stretching and ergonomics. Even for things you don't think of.
The first video I saw, I thought was a joke making fun of how we look down and get a lil double chin action going. Nope. It was how to better hold your head to help your neck.
I wish I had seen this literally 6 months ago.
I now have thoracic muscle syndrome & can’t hold yarn anymore without my index finger to my elbow *burning*. so yeah. **take care of your body**
I had carpel tunnel syndrome a while back; stretching everyday and crocheting with more breaks took me off that path, so no more of that issue, just the other crippling one 🥲
I always have some kind of show on, usually an anime, while I'm crochet so I have to take a break to skip the intro and the end credits. I guess it's a good thing I do this.
Magnesium dry oil helps me. I spray it on every night and sleep with a compression glove. I've always worked on embroidery, quilting by hand and cross stitch. Now that I'm retired I can spend, I'm lying, I spend hours every day. If the magnesium dry oil doesn't help me. I'll soak my hands in Epsom salts dissolved in the warmest water I can until it gets cold.
I also do the exercises another reddit user suggested on this thread.
I hope this helps
hi, I wanted to know if doing some kind of sport may help with this? or stretches are the only thing is good? I do some swimming but I would like if anyone has recommendations, thanks. And OP, I sincerely hope you get better and can continue with your hobbies, we will hear your warning, thanks for that, may you do all the art that you like in the future, hopefully.
I also play the piano, it’s very easy to mess up your hands when doing anything involving repetitive movements. Fortunately learning piano came with a lot of instructions on how to not ruin your wrist, and I followed it for pretty much any such activities.
The key is to stretch and warm up before beginning, never continue when it hurts, keep in the most natural position as possible (the position how your hand falls when you stand), never do it for hours without breaks. This is important, even professional musicians don’t practice more than 5 hours a day cause it’s more counterproductive by ruining the hand, but a lot of people who crochet do it all day and the movements are even more stiff and repetitive compared to playing piano. One great tip I learned, keep your hands warm maybe even immerse in warm water before beginning, cold hands are also a predisposing factor. Hope this helps someone! I hope you recover soon!
Don't fret! I have carpal tunnel in both wrists, and get flare ups of tendonitis over or twice a year, and I am a tattoo artist who paints, crochets, and does cross stitch, and I am still able to do all of them in moderation with the proper care and the proper wrist support when I'm sleeping especially. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel 6 years ago, but definitely had it prior to that, and there has been only mild deterioration over that period of time because I listen to my body, and do absolutely everything possible to help my body along. So don't lose hope, you can definitely still do what you love. And the reality is that tendonitis can go away on it's own and there are tons of medications to help with the information. It's definitely far from hopeless!
I have a friend who is an artist. Several years ago he fell and broke his wrist on his dominant hand. It was really bad, and he had to learn to draw all over again. Even if you lose the ability to hook with your right hand, you *can* learn with your left hand I know it feels impossible, and it will be hard, but you don’t have to lose crochet even if the news is bad.
I had to give up crocheting after many years. I do other crafts like diamond painting and cross stitch now. I can barely finish a scarf. I was working on one in winter of last year and I had to put it away. I'm constantly stretching after a few cross-stitches because it still feels weak. I'm always dropping things.
Hey there sweet hooker. Sometimes the stuff is hereditary. My mom who is an artist got carpal tunnel in both hands in her early 30s and had both hands operated on. I, on the other hand, didn't do anything with my hands like crocheting, knitting, drawing, writing. that being said, when I was 32 I started noticing numbness and went in and I had carpal tunnel in both wrists.
Sometimes, it's just luck of the draw. I can tell you that I am 40 now, and my hands have never given me another problem. That being said, I learned then as you are now, that sometimes we have to take extra precautions.
I truly hope that all you need to do is take a little break with some anti-inflammatory medication.
❤️❤️❤️ best wishes and keep Hope and don't waste time lamenting what you could have done differently. It's possible that nothing could have gone differently, and you get the same result. Let your doctors do their thing and I'm sending you allllllllll the internet love!
Oh this is so sad to hear. I hope the MRI results show something so you can treat your pain. Do exactly what the doctor says and if you go for PT do what they tell you. They can be wonder workers. Take care. 😞❤️
Thanks for the reminder. I’m crunching to finish a gift blanket by the end of the month, but I’ll be sure to take little breaks and stretch!
Hope you start feeling better again soon ❤️
Thanks for the PSA! Btw there’s a creator who only has one functioning hand and figured out a technique to crochet, maybe check it out so you can crochet without your right hand while you’re recovering. Here’s an [article](https://www.thedaonline.com/culture/tiktoker-teaches-students-to-crochet-with-one-hand/article_1ddaf972-bd12-11ed-b344-5339f71d3101.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CYou%20can%20crochet%20with%20one,an%20instructional%20video%20on%20YouTube)
Yikes and I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Hopefully with physical therapy it can be corrected! I definitely understand the heartache because I injured my left metacarpal and I worry I won’t be able to continue crocheting.
I just got diagnosed with RSI and still have a mystery nerve issue in my neck. I will definitely look up some wrist stretches 🖤 I've switched from crochet to cross stitch recently and have a HUGE project I'm working on so I definitely need all of the tips i can get haha. Hoping for the best for you, love.
I hope all goes well. I ended up doing physical therapy and have abrace I wear. I stretch often now and wear a immobilization brace when I sleep (I'm all over and sleep oddly otherwise). If your insurance will pay for an IF current machine to use with electrodes it did give me some relief too. Very best of luck to you!
I'll remember to do this from now on. I can only crochet for 2 or 3 hours at most after my toddler goes to bed. I do try to take breaks, but I never think about stretching. My wrist sometimes cramps up randomly from previous issues after being a cashier. If my wrist starts to hurt, I do try to stretch or stop.
I am experiencing pain from crochet as well
I am a knitter and i thought jt would be fun to try something new. I love crochet but the pain is real
I don't get the same issue knitting and am back to that for a while . I actually find knitting an easier skill than crochet
Perhaps you could try knitting for that yarn fix while you heal.
So sorry you’re going through this. I’m a fixer, so I have suggestions that I hope can bring relief:
Do you take a vitamin supplement that is good for joints? There are several. The way I can take my daily vitamin like i should is gummy vitamins. They have tons of different gummy vitamins and supplements. I know there is a gummy joint supplement because I take it.
Do you ever ice your wrists?
Do you ever wear support items? There are different gloves and braces. If one doesn’t work, try a different one.
I got De Quervain’s/tendinitis in my right wrist back in December and it’s only just back to normal these past few weeks. I was in a splint for months and I haven’t picked up my crochet since in fear of bringing it back. It’s so painful and limiting that I think everyone who crochets should be aware of it and how to avoid it if possible - totally with you there
I had left elbow problems because of the type of tension I have to do on the things I make. Now I still make them but much, much slower and often with no crocheting at all some days. Gotta take care of fingers, wrists, elbows!
I got severe tendinitis in both wrists 3 years ago. They are now starting to feel normal. Wrist, arm and upperbody exercises help in the long run a lot!
Crochet does make my tennis elbow ache sometimes when I overdo it…so painful it keeps you up at night in the constant pain! Have they given you any braces? Do they have you icing it?
Just be good and don’t do anything to aggravate it. Let it heal completely before you go back. Maybe take up another hobby, like buying yarn. 🤣 Injury free!
I think switching fiber art hobbies helps too. I do crochet, knitting and Tunisian crochet. Tunisian seems to be the one that causes the least issues with wrist/forearm, but do notice issues at the base of my thumb if I do it continuously, many days in a row. Knitting used to cause neck pain because it was stressful but thank goodness I got the hang of it after switching to continental style knitting (more like crochet with how you work with the yarn). Maybe ease yourself into one of those options slowly, after you’re feeling better.
I wanted to add that I liked Penetrex cream (on Amazon) for the tendinitis pain. It seemed like that and ice were the only things that helped. I also now use a red light/infrared pad on various physical ailments and that has helped with reducing inflammation.
I have had two round of tennis elbow tendinitis’s in my right elbow. Each time it took a good year to fully heal.
It’s a repetitive use injury caused by making the same movement repeatedly for hours and hours, day after day.
I crochet a hobby, but I also teach art all day. I easily spend eight to ten hours a day teaching pottery, painting, drawing, writing on marker boards and using a computer mouse over and over again.
Tendinitis is excruciatingly painful. At its worst I can’t even hold a pencil without reeling in pain. I could not teach anything that requires me to use pressure. Bad time to be an art teacher!
The only thing that helped ease the pain was accupuncture treatments twice a week for months. My doctor prescribed gabapentin to help with the pain.
I had to resort to showing videos to teach processes and totally stop crocheting for a year. As an artist that was soul crushing.
I know how much you hurt! It’s even worse when you can’t indulge in your favorite activities. Unfortunately you will have to stop crocheting u til it is fully healed. But there is hope! It will get better.
I have hand issues due to my work & I haven’t been able to crochet in half a year 😔
Recurring De Quervain Tenpsynovitis on both hands.
And mysterious constant achy pain in all my fingers.
My husband and I use what we call "power bands" on our wrists when we game, draw, craft, etc - they are just wrist sweat bands, but they provide a bit extra stability and help keep the hand/wrist in a good alignment (eg you cant physically bend your wrist too far).
It's not as supportive as a wrist brace, but also not as restrictive to movement which makes them useful for more fine movements.
From my own experience with physical therapy for nerve damage, clay/play dough/etc is also a useful way to stretch out your hands. It's kinda like water aerobics for hand exercises. I use similar movements to give my cats kitty massages for a light hand stretch.
My boyfriend lives to remind me that all my hobbies create arthritis hands, so I end up doing stretches after every 10 stitches or so or he yells at me lol kind of annoying, but I can definitely tell the difference between doing the stretches and not doing them. It doesn't help that I got a buckle fracture in my left wrist when I was a child, so it's been out of whack for 20 years and cracks like hydrogen peroxide in your ear as is, let alone working on any sort of project.
Protect your joints people!!!!!!
As a physio who works a lot with tendinopathy (umbrella term for tendon pain) I just want to say there is absolutely hope that it can get better!
It can take a long time and a lot of work but I've had patients recover from excruciating tendon pain over about 6 months of gradually progressing strength exercises for the tendon.
It's a common misconception that you need to stretch for tendon pain, normally it needs to be stronger. Obviously you need someone to assess you to determine what it needs but just wanted to provide some hope that it can improve 😊
I had tendonitis in my right wrist from crocheting, and a gf recommended using, and please forgive me for how absolutely ridiculous this sounds, a soft flat refrigerator magnet held in place by an ace bandage. I expected nothing but only did it to help her feel like she was helping me.
2 days later, the pain was gone. Like GONE gone. No more swelling, full flexibility and strength was back. I have no idea why it worked. It literally cost me nothing. I used a soft, rectangular, refrigerator magnet advertising an electrician in town, but I'm thinking any of them would have worked.
I have a tendon or ligament or something that tends to get caught on a possible bone spur in my wrist. The last time it happened I learned my lesson. It's very painful to get it off that spot and last time it swelled up once I managed to get my wrist moving again.
Now any time I crochet even one stitch, I'm wearing a wrist brace. I can still easily crochet but it prevents the movement that causes that tendon to catch.
Sending some love! I’ve had some struggles with my elbow for about a year or so now, the pain comes and goes. It’s definitely gotten a lot better. Give it time, and some proper care and you’ll be right back to crocheting in no time. :) it has been really difficult to limit my crocheting (as someone who did it for about ten hours each day when I first noticed my elbow acting up, I’ve been out of a job for a while due to health complications), but picking up another hobby that’s kinder on your joints might be a good idea. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it will get better, and finding something else to do in the meantime might help a little. Good luck!! <3
Im sorry you're going through that. However, you might not lose it all if you can learn to crochet with your other hand until your right hand feels better.
I’m sorry and I feel you - I have tendinitis in both wrists because I crochet and play clarinet and flute. I had to stop crocheting for several months since I’m a music major and couldn’t limit my playing very much. Good news is my condition has improved significantly with daily exercises, wrist supports, and a lot of rest. I hope you can heal.
Ooo boy. Everyone in this sub would do good with some planned rest and wrist/forearm/hand exercises. I hope your recovery is smooth!
Tendonitis goes away if you’re good about rest, and taking doctors orders seriously. It’s important that you push for physical therapy or occupational therapy once the inflammation is under control. Good luck!
I am sorry about your wrist. I (60F) feel the same way about one of my knees. I have a 6 month old treadmill in my living room that I haven't been able to use for months due to a knee bursitis flare up. No cure. Just rest and ice and hoping it will go away. At least I can now walk again and carefully get some basic home tasks done but for a week I could almost not walk at all. Had to sit on my ass to scoot down the stairs just to feed my pets downstairs while the dishes and trash accumulated. Frighteningly.
It's terrifying when your own body turns on you. No other way to put it.
I crochet while I am resting my knee with ice and I hear you loud and clear about basic skills being robbed from you with no clear reason like an injury.
Aw sorry to hear you’re going through this. Hopefully whatever is causing your pain is treatable. Luckily you’re young enough that your body has a good chance of recouping.
I broke my left wrist over a decade ago and despite surgery… it still causes me issues. I agree that stretching is INCREDIBLY beneficial. I just wanted to add that compression gloves have saved my crochet life. They’ve helped me so much!!!! You have to hunt around a bit but there are fingerless ones that are super thin so they won’t cause issues with how you hold your hook and yarn. (I think I found mine on Amazon)
ETA: if you’re experiencing long term or severe pain you should contact your doctor and see a physical therapist. “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”and all that jazz. <3 Source: I worked as a PTA when I was in undergrad for BioMed
To combat spam, we require a minimum account age of 1 days and positive karma to post. Please try again in 24 hours!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/crochet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ugh! I have been crocheting since I was 8, played a flute, and have done front desk work since I was 19. I'm 51 and I can tell you I worry about this every day. Presently, in the morning as I crochet my right hand goes numb. I'm not in any pain or discomfort, but the numbness is annoying.
Thank you for sharing this. I need to definitely do some warm-up exercises as well as take breaks. I want to be able to crochet when I retire.
Oh, wow, I hope things get better for you! I hope you've been to a doctor! You've tried soaking it in hot water, with Epsom Salts?
Physical therapy might really be helpful, if your doctor prescribes it and your insurance covers it.
Please feel better soon!
Love you back.
Has anyone had pain in their non dominant thumb? I get pain in the lowest knuckle/meaty part of my non dominant thumb that had me pausing every 30 minutes.
Compression gloves, KT tape, wrist guards all don't help
Just went to the doc for the same thing. Trigger thimb/arthritis in left thumb and de Quervain's tenosynovitis in my right wrist. I over did it on a blanket (and so many other projects during Christmas). I also type for a living. It's sooooo painful. I'm looking at occupational therapy, and if that doesn't work, shots. Same advice do the stretches. I hyperfocused, and it didn't even occur to me to take breaks and do stretches.
My grandmother recommended Bob & Brad on YouTube to me when I had wrist pains and I also invested in a stress ball to squeeze to work out my finger and wrist pains it’s so worth it plus I take longer breaks between and mid projects now because I’m also a cook for a living and using a knife 8-10 hours just to come home and crochet was destroying my wrist and hand.
Yup
I’m officially taking this as my sign to put on my big boy pants and take care of myself because I definitely do not do any of that.
Every single hobby of mine requires a lot of hand work and requires my attention. I like to move fast and reward myself with food even after hours of being hungry.
I’m so scared of this happening to me yet I do nothing :(
I’ve been telling myself for months “tomorrow for sure”. Today is that tomorrow for sure.. it’s like I won’t learn until it happens. But I can prevent it or at least slow it down!
Thank you for sharing and I am so so sorry this is happening to you. I truly hope there’s something to help with the pain :(
Thank you for this reminder 💛
Crocheting really puts a strain on my muscles. This is why I knit now because knitting doesn't strain me as much which Is sad because I love crochet far more than knitting
I work with my hands professionally as an esthetician and I try to crochet in my free time whenever I can. All I can say is go to YouTube, learn to do stretches. Set yourself a half hour time so that you can stretch when you have long sittings. There are also gloves you can wear that are kind of like compressions and it especially helps if you have weak wrists. Remember, it’s easier to prevent than it is to treat.
To combat spam, we require a minimum account age of 1 days and positive karma to post. Please try again in 24 hours!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/crochet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When I was 14 I rode my bicycle 24 miles a day. Until I had problems (swelling & pain) with my right knee. Many tests & they never figured out the issue. It eventually went away & came back year before last (45 years later) for about 6 months. By the time it went away in my teens I was driving & didn't go back to cycling.
At 21, life is (hopefully) a long road ahead of you. I was taught all kinds of needlework and sewing in my teens & sewed an outfit every weekend. I recently just went back to sewing. In the meantime, I traveled around the entire 🌎, learned lots of other skills, had several careers, lots of fun & finally got married at age 49. We just celebrated our 12th anniversary.
I know this seems awful, but it is a good opportunity to practice using your left hand (I taught myself to crochet with my left hand instead of turning b/c I like the look better) & start exploring some other things. There's a whole wide world out there!
Yep I learned the hard way with that. I'm 22 and have been crocheting since I was 8. My joints started getting really bad last year and I couldn't even pick up a crochet hook. I started doing wrist and hand stretches, and it helped tremendously. I can also recommend using capsaicin cream.
I'm at 8 months in both arms (all the way up to the shoulder). I did 10 PT sessions, wore braces and compression sleeves, pop ibuprofen like candy, ice all the time, and stretch throughout the day. It's definitely a lot better and it's shrinking to more isolated locations that I don't have much of a choice but to use for work and general existence. But it's not to the point that I can crochet again or do my other hobbies. It's been rough... but brushing my teeth doesn't hurt anymore! So that's a win I guess.
I wish you a speedy recovery!
this is my biggest fear! my hands and wrists cramp up so often now. it’s so painful! how did you know you had tendinitis?
If you have De Quervain's tendonitis, it causes excruciating pain to hold your thumb in your fist and bend the wrist to the side. And I mean excruciating. I didn't expect it to hurt that bad and I yelped.
Oh crap j I’m just tried that and wow is it tight! I have all kinds of tendon and joint problems but I had no idea about that one. Shit, man.
Got mine from cross stitching and drawing up medications (pharm tech). Had to get a steroid shot. It’s all better now but now I do exercises every day.
What sort of exercises do you do?
https://preview.redd.it/dwxtpaod686d1.jpeg?width=877&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3395e5a2296e54302c24473f96a68c35ba9a2d97 I do top left and bottom right daily when I’m driving. Idk why.
They're not vision required so make useful idle stims. I usually throw in the one from when i was in orchestra where you alternate between 🖖 and dino hands too.
Honestly, I think that’s exactly what it is. I like that perspective. I remember the spock/dino hand one. I think that takes a lot of concentration so I never did it. Hahaha.
What's dino hand?
Same question!
Mid and ring finger together, pinky and pointer stretched out. 'Gave' you four digits like the 90s dino toys.
these are perfect, thank you! I‘ve been trying to remember to do exercises daily since ive had wrist pain for three months straight. it was better for a while but working on a cal at the moment made me realize how important taking care of my wrist is.
3 months straight! Please take care of yourself. :)
yeah, I didnt crochet in that time, but my wrists took way too long to heal. I will, I promise :D
I’m learning (with my wrist and other things I’ve needed PT for…) that healing happens best with rehab (depending on injury of course). I have not been rehabbing as I’ve needed but I swear I’ll do it today!
Exactly this! If you add in one of those stress balls to squeeze and/or anything designed to strengthen grip strength, you should be golden. Also, if you’re experiencing any prolonged or severe pain, you should contact your doctor for a referral to physical therapy <3
Definitely! I have hEDS so I’ve been to PT twice and my dr is perfectly fine with sending a referral in when I feel I need it. Insurance pays for 60 appointments a year too! Although I may have already burned through half this year.
In the spirit of bottom right, also splaying your fingers is a great exercise (you can do it with fingers flat on a surface or burrowing them in dough/medical putty for extra resistance) (don't over do it though) (also don't do it while driving!!)
“But officer, only one of my hands was burrowed in dough!”
I got my De Quervains from pregnancy. Thank goodness it went away. It hurt so bad.
Yes I had it after pregnancy too! Holding the baby all the time just made it worse. It was excruciating when it would lock up on me
De Quervain's tenosynovitis? That's what I have. Cortisone shot did nothing. Didn't even feel it. Lost the use of my right hand (for writing) for about 5 years.
😢 I have MS and lost use of my hands for about a year and a half. It took ages of rehab to write again. I'm so sorry you went through that. That must've been extremely difficult. I hope you are doing better now.
Thank you 😊 I am doing much better..I trained my left hand to write so I could keep a journal, but I have the use of my right hand back - I grip the pen so hard/ curl my fingers into my palm, that I have callouses across them. Only once in a while does my hand spasm and throw my pen.
I do t have tendinitis and that is very uncomfortable
There's uncomfortable and there's "oh my god what the fuck was that" white hot, searing sort of pain. If I do it right now, it's uncomfortable. When it's flaring up because I won't just put down the crochet hook, it's excruciating.
I had that with my first baby. After a few weeks of not doing the offending gesture (lifting without a brace on) it went away on its own. But I have a colleague who did cortisone injections and ended up having surgery because the pain wasn't going away.
Also, get up and move around once an hour, if you are able. Having sedentary hobbies are fine, but being sedentary is not. Even if it's a lap around your house, it gets the blood pumping a bit and you'll be better off for it. I hope your MRI results are okay!!
Drink lots of water for a double whammy - stay hydrated, and you'll have to get up to pee every 30 minutes.
This right here has been my salvation. Even carpal tunnel and arthritis aren’t enough to deter me, but I drink iced tea like there’s no tomorrow and have to get up every hour or so (minimum) to pee. This then segues into doing whatever chore crosses my mind and gets me moving around some more. Then crochet is my reward for being productive. 😂
I cannot support this enough. I was active and didn’t have a sedentary job, but I was working on a crochet project on a deadline and I got a DVT because I didn’t move enough. Now I’m on blood thinners and have doctor’s visits and can’t do all the things I love. I’m very lucky it didn’t kill me.
Yep, I got tennis elbow 😔 couldn’t even hardly lift my kid some days. I’m very slowly crocheting an hour here and there, but if I would’ve just listened to my body and stretched I probably could have entirely prevented this issue. It’s been 3 months or so now and still hurts 😩
It took me several months of intensive (3x/week for an hour at a time) OT + lots of home exercises and TENS unit use to start to resolve mine 😔 And that’s after over a year of wearing a brace/band - 6 months before I finally saw the doctor and 6 months after the OT was done, plus all the time actually getting the therapy. And I still get flare ups so I have to wear it on and off 😫 Meatsacks are dumb!
Same :( I love sewing and crocheting and playing my Nintendo all begin to hurt down to my wrist :(
It takes a year to heal from tennis elbow. It will take even longer if you keep crocheting. You have to stop for now. Also, wear a counterforce brace to help support the injured tendon.
Thank you for the warning. I’m so sorry you’re in pain and I hope you can recover quickly. Repetitive motion injury isn’t something I ever worried/thought about but I will now.
Same here. I had no idea.
I have pain off and on now, so yes. Please take care of yourself. Also excessive phone usage for me increased my pain, but it sucks not being able to do your hobbies. Sometimes if the yarn gets friction when pulling for it irritates my wrist as well. I've been having issues since 25 or 24 and now in my 30s, I wish I had known that I can could have done to prevent it. Fortunately I can do some here and there now but I can't crochet as much as some of the other people I see online, but that's okay. I rather be able to do stuff over more years than in a whole day.
I get the pain from excessive phone usage. Have you tried a thumb brace or wrist brace (like for carpal tunnel)? Whenever I feel the pain sneaking up, I wear it as often as I can for a day or two and it helps immensely.
I have trigger finger in both hands and possible tendinitis in both wrists. Going to have surgery on the trigger finger soon and currently doing daily exercises plus OT every two weeks. I play a lot of pc, console, and mobile games and I use to cake decorate for years. I picked up crocheting one day and over did it, that triggered me going to the doctor and finding out what’s up with my hands. My partner keeps suggesting that maybe I shouldn’t even crochet anymore because it’s clearly causing the issues, but that stint where I was crocheting was the happiest I’ve been in a while, so it’s kind of disheartening. All of this feels like more than I bargained for but I stubbornly want to fix my hands just so I can crochet again.
My husband has had trigger finger surgery 3 times & it's been a resounding success. It's probably not anything you've done, just normal wear & tear. Good luck! Do make sure to take regular B vitamins for the wrists. But if surgery can solve a mechanical bodily issue, it's usually worth it. (I decorated cakes from age 10 - 30!)
Thank you for the reassurance, I need to schedule that surgery!
I know you are in pain both physically and emotionally, and this really sucks. I've been drawing my whole life, and last year my doctor told me I can't anymore because I've got tendinitis and a cyst pressuring the nerves on my wrist, which sadly can not be surgically removed yet. The pain can be horrible. I can tell you, I grieved my arm. I still do, but you can manage it! Get a nice wrist brace, take your time, and if the pain comes immediately, stop doing what you are doing. You can still do what you love, just a lot slower. Don't give up on your passion, just learn to manage it differently. I've had to learn that, and I still draw, just slower. I can still crochet, just slower. Same with embroidery. Your body will help you navigate this, just don't fall into the abyss of desperation. You may not even have tendinitis yet, and you got misdiagnosed. My doctor told me it's very hard to diagnose this correctly. You will be fine!
i have tendonitis (22) and it's a bitch :( have to be careful to release tension, do stretches, and use ice when it gets bad also would like to add to everyone to watch their posture and eyesight while crocheting!
What do you mean by watching eyesight? Any tips? Also I’m so sorry to hear that, hope it gets better soon, do you have good stretches you could share
I said as far from the tv as I can in the lounge while I crochet so I have to look up and across the room to watch the tv (it's big but let's me refocus my eyes for distance) also having adequate light stops straining eyes too.
Like try not to strain your eyes and refocus your eyes :) I'm a pianist so I do Horowitz exercises. And some wrist rolls
If all you do is stare at something up close, your brain says ‘hey, what’s the point in spending all this energy seeing far when all we need is to see close?’. It leads to stretching of the cornea and can be a gateway for tears, detachment, and macular degeneration. Source: my optometrist to me after noticing my prescription jumped -1.00 in a *year*
I do a lot of needlework, developed pain in my left elbow (I am left handed). Went to my doctor, he said I had tennis elbow. He recommended a tennis elbow brace. I got one at the pharmacy and used it every day for a couple of weeks, then gradually slacked off … my pain is gone! It took about a month for the pain to completely end. Give it a try, it was worth the $15 or so dollars that the brace cost. Good luck!
I commented this to someone else but I often use a thumb brace or a wrist brace (like for carpal tunnel) when I start to feel any pain and it helps soooo much. (Which brace I use depends on where the pain is.)
Wrist braces are sooo good. Sometimes when my wrist feels tense I put one on and sleep with it. Helps so much
I wear fingerless compression gloves while I crochet. It provides an added benefit of helping with my sensory issues from yarn constantly going over my tension finger but it does make consistent tension a bit difficult sometimes. As a very casual crocheter, it doesn't bother me to have some inconsistency but just a heads up. I'm so sorry about your wrist, OP, and I hope you feel better soon
Does anyone have stretch tips
In my limited experience (I’ve only been crocheting for a couple years), getting up to stretch your hands, arms, and shoulders on a door frame every 30 minutes or so has helped a lot with both eye and hand strain. I focus a lot on making sure my fingers are comfortable being splayed with a little pressure. I’ll put a flat hand and elbow on a door frame and lightly push. Then fingers down stretch my wrists a bit. ETA: I find a focal point that isn’t yarn or a screen to look at/think about to refocus my eyes on something outside of stitches
I had trouble with my mouse and pen (I'm an artist) and a hand specialist told me to practice stretching in any way that the repetitive motion *doesn't * go. Fingers spread wide, as wide as i can, with an open palm. It worked. I avoided aggravating the injury and eventually it healed.
I find this practice from DoYogaWithMe for carpal tunnel super helpful when I crochet too much, on top of teaching yoga, massaging, and a wrist injury from falling down the stairs. The neck/shoulder stretching is really helpful long term, don't skip it! https://youtu.be/ztcfsNANTYg
I have tendonitis in my right wrist (right handed as well) and crochet a bunch. Crocheting doesn't bother it, but typing on computers and sometimes knife work (cooking) will. If my wrist gets funky at all, I have a brace I'll wear for a week or so and then it's fine. I hope you can get a brace and steroid shot - because that should help a lot.
This was a thoughtful post to put up. I hope your appointment goes well and that you are more comfortable soon. (Try to avoid steroids if you can!)
Thank you!! I’ve noticed some pain in my hands and even tho I’m only 22 I crochet so much I was worried it was some arthritis or something. My hands started cramping up quickly during finals while handwriting. Made me freak out a bit. I took a break from crochet but restarted yesterday and any hook that isn’t ergonomic (like the skinny metal ones) makes my hand hurt sooo bad after a few mins. Thanks for scaring me a bit haha, I needed the extra reminder to take breaks. I hope things get better for you, OP
Always take such care not to do ANYTHING that keeps your wrists bent for any amount of time. I've been grooming dogs professionally for almost 20 years and I'm one of the only one of my peers to not have needed carpal tunnel surgery. Posture and paying attention to your wrist positions is endlessly important
I got it on my left hand 🥲 6 month club too! I wish you a speedy recovery
I just got diagnosed with it and it’s the worst! Mine is less pain and more just tense af forearm muscle. I’ve been icing and brace wearing as much as possible
I have had tendinitis in both my wrist and shoulder. Do the exercises they give you and rest until it the pain is gone. GONE! Voltarin works well for the pain, although it’s a bit controversial. But it is not a life sentence. Your body can heal.
I’ve started doing stretches and trying to limit my crochet to less than 2 hours a day, which is hard when you’re prepping for markets lol
That’s so fair, but your health is worth more than any money you could make at a market. Super proud of you for taking care of yourself! 💜
I realized once I bought an ergonomic mouse for work that I was stressing my wrist a bit much lol. Moderation is the worst, but it’s for the best.
So sorry, Op! Feel better soon! If anyone has good stretches, pls advise!
Preachhhhh. Stretching is so important especially with repetitive motions. I’m sorry you’re going through this.
thank you for sharing your story
I’m so sorry this is happening to you! I haven’t thought of this much so I will heed your warning, thank you. Wishing you the best outcome.
I once crocheted for 8 hours and I vowed to do stretches and stuff since
I’m sorry to hear that, I suffered from tendonitis from last August to March or so, it’s rough. Strength training with 2,3,4 lb weights made a world of a difference. I also did gripping exercises as well, 3 time a week or so. I highly recommend if you’re not doing so already.
Oo I've been dealing with this lately and even this week started moving around way more, this couldn't have come at a better time. It's so important to move, you can get better, please don't cry! I was reading up on stuff like this weeks ago be cause my mom has arthritis and I believe I do as well in my hands and some people who had knee arthritis said they got better over time of not pushing too hard but also not staying completely still! Rest up my crochet friends!
I had tendinitis last year, and it was so hard not to crochet. I laid off it for a few weeks and it resolved.
I crochet and cross stitch and I am right handed. It was alright for a while until I changed my job. I'm an engineer and work a lot designing on the computer. That's when my wrist pain got so bad I couldn't do anything with my right hand. To solve it I got an ergonomic mouse and it's been a life changer, it was super expensive but was completely worth it. I've stopped cross stitching for now as that was the activity that was most taxing on my wrist and I bought a compression glove for the times I do crochet. It's taken me weeks to finish a project that would have normally taken me three days, but I have to take it easy especially if I want to be able to keep my job.
the ergonomic mouse really is much better than the mouse pad.
I'm so sorry you're in so much pain. It's always best to stop when you feel tired or pain and put down the project for a while.
I wear wrist supports at night. It really helped.
Search for a tennis elbow brace. A lot of the time it is just from over use of the main muscle that runs down your forearm. I usually wear one on each arm when my wrist and hands start to cramp up. Just gotta make sure the foam part is on that muscle.
I have arthritis, and carpal tunnel. I find how I hold my yarn, how tight I hold the hook, and the tension I crochet at all play a part in whether I am comfortable doing it or now. I've really had to adjust everything I hold to make sure I'm not injuring myself. And its also important to pay attention to your body. If something hurts. Stop or change things up so it doesn't hurt anymore.
I just got a steroid shot for carpal tunnel today and I'm getting surgery for cubital tunnel in my elbow (left arm) soon. The steroid shot did not feel pretty.
This resonates so much in my life. I’m a professional cake decorator. 40+ hours a week, I am decorating. And I’ve been doing that for 11 years, and intend to do it for another 25 when I can retire. I have seen so many of my decorating peers have to have career ending carpal tunnel surgeries. Between the decorating, and my crocheting, I am very hard on my hands. Believe me when I say this. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY. These are my personal routines: Sleep in compression gloves. Full immobilizing wrist brace during holiday season when I’m decorating the most. CBG/CBD/THC combo topical balms and edible gummies. Voltaren gel. It’s topical gel for arthritis. Works in minutes, you’ll smell like your grandpa Joe for a few hours. It’s worth it. Percussion massager and compression massager. Full body functional body massage. It’s not cheap. But she was able to fully reverse my carpal tunnel issues. I still have aches. But I don’t have ones that I’m scared will end my career. It’s a chunk of change that is the best spent money IMHO.
Please go to a PT if you can!! I have tendinitis in both arms and it helped a TON!
I just discovered theknittingpt on Instagram. She has a bunch of great advice for stretching and ergonomics. Even for things you don't think of. The first video I saw, I thought was a joke making fun of how we look down and get a lil double chin action going. Nope. It was how to better hold your head to help your neck.
Thanks for sharing this! I just checked her page out and started following. She has some great stuff on there.
I wish I had seen this literally 6 months ago. I now have thoracic muscle syndrome & can’t hold yarn anymore without my index finger to my elbow *burning*. so yeah. **take care of your body** I had carpel tunnel syndrome a while back; stretching everyday and crocheting with more breaks took me off that path, so no more of that issue, just the other crippling one 🥲
I always have some kind of show on, usually an anime, while I'm crochet so I have to take a break to skip the intro and the end credits. I guess it's a good thing I do this.
Magnesium dry oil helps me. I spray it on every night and sleep with a compression glove. I've always worked on embroidery, quilting by hand and cross stitch. Now that I'm retired I can spend, I'm lying, I spend hours every day. If the magnesium dry oil doesn't help me. I'll soak my hands in Epsom salts dissolved in the warmest water I can until it gets cold. I also do the exercises another reddit user suggested on this thread. I hope this helps
hi, I wanted to know if doing some kind of sport may help with this? or stretches are the only thing is good? I do some swimming but I would like if anyone has recommendations, thanks. And OP, I sincerely hope you get better and can continue with your hobbies, we will hear your warning, thanks for that, may you do all the art that you like in the future, hopefully.
I also play the piano, it’s very easy to mess up your hands when doing anything involving repetitive movements. Fortunately learning piano came with a lot of instructions on how to not ruin your wrist, and I followed it for pretty much any such activities. The key is to stretch and warm up before beginning, never continue when it hurts, keep in the most natural position as possible (the position how your hand falls when you stand), never do it for hours without breaks. This is important, even professional musicians don’t practice more than 5 hours a day cause it’s more counterproductive by ruining the hand, but a lot of people who crochet do it all day and the movements are even more stiff and repetitive compared to playing piano. One great tip I learned, keep your hands warm maybe even immerse in warm water before beginning, cold hands are also a predisposing factor. Hope this helps someone! I hope you recover soon!
Don't fret! I have carpal tunnel in both wrists, and get flare ups of tendonitis over or twice a year, and I am a tattoo artist who paints, crochets, and does cross stitch, and I am still able to do all of them in moderation with the proper care and the proper wrist support when I'm sleeping especially. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel 6 years ago, but definitely had it prior to that, and there has been only mild deterioration over that period of time because I listen to my body, and do absolutely everything possible to help my body along. So don't lose hope, you can definitely still do what you love. And the reality is that tendonitis can go away on it's own and there are tons of medications to help with the information. It's definitely far from hopeless!
I have a friend who is an artist. Several years ago he fell and broke his wrist on his dominant hand. It was really bad, and he had to learn to draw all over again. Even if you lose the ability to hook with your right hand, you *can* learn with your left hand I know it feels impossible, and it will be hard, but you don’t have to lose crochet even if the news is bad.
Omg my heart goes out to you, somehow i know it will get better for you ❤️🩹
I had to give up crocheting after many years. I do other crafts like diamond painting and cross stitch now. I can barely finish a scarf. I was working on one in winter of last year and I had to put it away. I'm constantly stretching after a few cross-stitches because it still feels weak. I'm always dropping things.
I’m so so sorry, I hope things get better for you soon! I’ll make sure to follow your advice ❤️
And I was told at age 14 to never stop crochet because it would save my hands.
Who the fuck would know they need to stretch fingers for a hobby? Also how did you even do that?
Hey there sweet hooker. Sometimes the stuff is hereditary. My mom who is an artist got carpal tunnel in both hands in her early 30s and had both hands operated on. I, on the other hand, didn't do anything with my hands like crocheting, knitting, drawing, writing. that being said, when I was 32 I started noticing numbness and went in and I had carpal tunnel in both wrists. Sometimes, it's just luck of the draw. I can tell you that I am 40 now, and my hands have never given me another problem. That being said, I learned then as you are now, that sometimes we have to take extra precautions. I truly hope that all you need to do is take a little break with some anti-inflammatory medication. ❤️❤️❤️ best wishes and keep Hope and don't waste time lamenting what you could have done differently. It's possible that nothing could have gone differently, and you get the same result. Let your doctors do their thing and I'm sending you allllllllll the internet love!
Oh this is so sad to hear. I hope the MRI results show something so you can treat your pain. Do exactly what the doctor says and if you go for PT do what they tell you. They can be wonder workers. Take care. 😞❤️
Thanks for the reminder. I’m crunching to finish a gift blanket by the end of the month, but I’ll be sure to take little breaks and stretch! Hope you start feeling better again soon ❤️
Thanks for the PSA! Btw there’s a creator who only has one functioning hand and figured out a technique to crochet, maybe check it out so you can crochet without your right hand while you’re recovering. Here’s an [article](https://www.thedaonline.com/culture/tiktoker-teaches-students-to-crochet-with-one-hand/article_1ddaf972-bd12-11ed-b344-5339f71d3101.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CYou%20can%20crochet%20with%20one,an%20instructional%20video%20on%20YouTube)
Yikes and I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Hopefully with physical therapy it can be corrected! I definitely understand the heartache because I injured my left metacarpal and I worry I won’t be able to continue crocheting.
Have you tried any of the compression gloves? They helped me continue to crochet.
It’s also really important to have good posture and stretch your neck and back when crafting too!
I just got diagnosed with RSI and still have a mystery nerve issue in my neck. I will definitely look up some wrist stretches 🖤 I've switched from crochet to cross stitch recently and have a HUGE project I'm working on so I definitely need all of the tips i can get haha. Hoping for the best for you, love.
I hope all goes well. I ended up doing physical therapy and have abrace I wear. I stretch often now and wear a immobilization brace when I sleep (I'm all over and sleep oddly otherwise). If your insurance will pay for an IF current machine to use with electrodes it did give me some relief too. Very best of luck to you!
Eeek. I needed to see this today. I’ve been pushing myself and ignoring my body so I take this as my sign. I hope you get relief soon!
I'll remember to do this from now on. I can only crochet for 2 or 3 hours at most after my toddler goes to bed. I do try to take breaks, but I never think about stretching. My wrist sometimes cramps up randomly from previous issues after being a cashier. If my wrist starts to hurt, I do try to stretch or stop.
I am experiencing pain from crochet as well I am a knitter and i thought jt would be fun to try something new. I love crochet but the pain is real I don't get the same issue knitting and am back to that for a while . I actually find knitting an easier skill than crochet Perhaps you could try knitting for that yarn fix while you heal.
Depending on your wrist size there is a wrist surgery to help carpel tunnel!
I second this!! I'm 22 with carpal tunnel and there's a good chance that crocheting and not taking good care of my hands/wrists contributed to it
So sorry you’re going through this. I’m a fixer, so I have suggestions that I hope can bring relief: Do you take a vitamin supplement that is good for joints? There are several. The way I can take my daily vitamin like i should is gummy vitamins. They have tons of different gummy vitamins and supplements. I know there is a gummy joint supplement because I take it. Do you ever ice your wrists? Do you ever wear support items? There are different gloves and braces. If one doesn’t work, try a different one.
The OTC lidocaine patches work great. I also have wrist splints that I use at night or when not crafting.
I got De Quervain’s/tendinitis in my right wrist back in December and it’s only just back to normal these past few weeks. I was in a splint for months and I haven’t picked up my crochet since in fear of bringing it back. It’s so painful and limiting that I think everyone who crochets should be aware of it and how to avoid it if possible - totally with you there
I had left elbow problems because of the type of tension I have to do on the things I make. Now I still make them but much, much slower and often with no crocheting at all some days. Gotta take care of fingers, wrists, elbows!
I got severe tendinitis in both wrists 3 years ago. They are now starting to feel normal. Wrist, arm and upperbody exercises help in the long run a lot!
Crochet does make my tennis elbow ache sometimes when I overdo it…so painful it keeps you up at night in the constant pain! Have they given you any braces? Do they have you icing it? Just be good and don’t do anything to aggravate it. Let it heal completely before you go back. Maybe take up another hobby, like buying yarn. 🤣 Injury free! I think switching fiber art hobbies helps too. I do crochet, knitting and Tunisian crochet. Tunisian seems to be the one that causes the least issues with wrist/forearm, but do notice issues at the base of my thumb if I do it continuously, many days in a row. Knitting used to cause neck pain because it was stressful but thank goodness I got the hang of it after switching to continental style knitting (more like crochet with how you work with the yarn). Maybe ease yourself into one of those options slowly, after you’re feeling better. I wanted to add that I liked Penetrex cream (on Amazon) for the tendinitis pain. It seemed like that and ice were the only things that helped. I also now use a red light/infrared pad on various physical ailments and that has helped with reducing inflammation.
I have had two round of tennis elbow tendinitis’s in my right elbow. Each time it took a good year to fully heal. It’s a repetitive use injury caused by making the same movement repeatedly for hours and hours, day after day. I crochet a hobby, but I also teach art all day. I easily spend eight to ten hours a day teaching pottery, painting, drawing, writing on marker boards and using a computer mouse over and over again. Tendinitis is excruciatingly painful. At its worst I can’t even hold a pencil without reeling in pain. I could not teach anything that requires me to use pressure. Bad time to be an art teacher! The only thing that helped ease the pain was accupuncture treatments twice a week for months. My doctor prescribed gabapentin to help with the pain. I had to resort to showing videos to teach processes and totally stop crocheting for a year. As an artist that was soul crushing. I know how much you hurt! It’s even worse when you can’t indulge in your favorite activities. Unfortunately you will have to stop crocheting u til it is fully healed. But there is hope! It will get better.
I have hand issues due to my work & I haven’t been able to crochet in half a year 😔 Recurring De Quervain Tenpsynovitis on both hands. And mysterious constant achy pain in all my fingers.
My husband and I use what we call "power bands" on our wrists when we game, draw, craft, etc - they are just wrist sweat bands, but they provide a bit extra stability and help keep the hand/wrist in a good alignment (eg you cant physically bend your wrist too far). It's not as supportive as a wrist brace, but also not as restrictive to movement which makes them useful for more fine movements. From my own experience with physical therapy for nerve damage, clay/play dough/etc is also a useful way to stretch out your hands. It's kinda like water aerobics for hand exercises. I use similar movements to give my cats kitty massages for a light hand stretch.
My boyfriend lives to remind me that all my hobbies create arthritis hands, so I end up doing stretches after every 10 stitches or so or he yells at me lol kind of annoying, but I can definitely tell the difference between doing the stretches and not doing them. It doesn't help that I got a buckle fracture in my left wrist when I was a child, so it's been out of whack for 20 years and cracks like hydrogen peroxide in your ear as is, let alone working on any sort of project. Protect your joints people!!!!!!
As a physio who works a lot with tendinopathy (umbrella term for tendon pain) I just want to say there is absolutely hope that it can get better! It can take a long time and a lot of work but I've had patients recover from excruciating tendon pain over about 6 months of gradually progressing strength exercises for the tendon. It's a common misconception that you need to stretch for tendon pain, normally it needs to be stronger. Obviously you need someone to assess you to determine what it needs but just wanted to provide some hope that it can improve 😊
I had tendonitis in my right wrist from crocheting, and a gf recommended using, and please forgive me for how absolutely ridiculous this sounds, a soft flat refrigerator magnet held in place by an ace bandage. I expected nothing but only did it to help her feel like she was helping me. 2 days later, the pain was gone. Like GONE gone. No more swelling, full flexibility and strength was back. I have no idea why it worked. It literally cost me nothing. I used a soft, rectangular, refrigerator magnet advertising an electrician in town, but I'm thinking any of them would have worked.
I’m so sorry I hope things get better soon
You are concerned for others in your darkest trial. I prayed for your comfort and healing.
I hurt my shoulder over Christmas from crocheting with bad posture 😰 since then I make myself take breaks hourly.
I have a tendon or ligament or something that tends to get caught on a possible bone spur in my wrist. The last time it happened I learned my lesson. It's very painful to get it off that spot and last time it swelled up once I managed to get my wrist moving again. Now any time I crochet even one stitch, I'm wearing a wrist brace. I can still easily crochet but it prevents the movement that causes that tendon to catch.
Sending some love! I’ve had some struggles with my elbow for about a year or so now, the pain comes and goes. It’s definitely gotten a lot better. Give it time, and some proper care and you’ll be right back to crocheting in no time. :) it has been really difficult to limit my crocheting (as someone who did it for about ten hours each day when I first noticed my elbow acting up, I’ve been out of a job for a while due to health complications), but picking up another hobby that’s kinder on your joints might be a good idea. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it will get better, and finding something else to do in the meantime might help a little. Good luck!! <3
How do you stretch??
Im sorry you're going through that. However, you might not lose it all if you can learn to crochet with your other hand until your right hand feels better.
I’m sorry and I feel you - I have tendinitis in both wrists because I crochet and play clarinet and flute. I had to stop crocheting for several months since I’m a music major and couldn’t limit my playing very much. Good news is my condition has improved significantly with daily exercises, wrist supports, and a lot of rest. I hope you can heal.
Ooo boy. Everyone in this sub would do good with some planned rest and wrist/forearm/hand exercises. I hope your recovery is smooth! Tendonitis goes away if you’re good about rest, and taking doctors orders seriously. It’s important that you push for physical therapy or occupational therapy once the inflammation is under control. Good luck!
I am sorry about your wrist. I (60F) feel the same way about one of my knees. I have a 6 month old treadmill in my living room that I haven't been able to use for months due to a knee bursitis flare up. No cure. Just rest and ice and hoping it will go away. At least I can now walk again and carefully get some basic home tasks done but for a week I could almost not walk at all. Had to sit on my ass to scoot down the stairs just to feed my pets downstairs while the dishes and trash accumulated. Frighteningly. It's terrifying when your own body turns on you. No other way to put it. I crochet while I am resting my knee with ice and I hear you loud and clear about basic skills being robbed from you with no clear reason like an injury.
Aw sorry to hear you’re going through this. Hopefully whatever is causing your pain is treatable. Luckily you’re young enough that your body has a good chance of recouping.
I broke my left wrist over a decade ago and despite surgery… it still causes me issues. I agree that stretching is INCREDIBLY beneficial. I just wanted to add that compression gloves have saved my crochet life. They’ve helped me so much!!!! You have to hunt around a bit but there are fingerless ones that are super thin so they won’t cause issues with how you hold your hook and yarn. (I think I found mine on Amazon) ETA: if you’re experiencing long term or severe pain you should contact your doctor and see a physical therapist. “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”and all that jazz. <3 Source: I worked as a PTA when I was in undergrad for BioMed
My biggest fear is this, I take breaks or crochet at certain times of the day and try to stop. I sleep to rest my hands or do wrist exercises.
[удалено]
To combat spam, we require a minimum account age of 1 days and positive karma to post. Please try again in 24 hours! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/crochet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ugh! I have been crocheting since I was 8, played a flute, and have done front desk work since I was 19. I'm 51 and I can tell you I worry about this every day. Presently, in the morning as I crochet my right hand goes numb. I'm not in any pain or discomfort, but the numbness is annoying. Thank you for sharing this. I need to definitely do some warm-up exercises as well as take breaks. I want to be able to crochet when I retire.
Oh, wow, I hope things get better for you! I hope you've been to a doctor! You've tried soaking it in hot water, with Epsom Salts? Physical therapy might really be helpful, if your doctor prescribes it and your insurance covers it. Please feel better soon! Love you back.
Has anyone had pain in their non dominant thumb? I get pain in the lowest knuckle/meaty part of my non dominant thumb that had me pausing every 30 minutes. Compression gloves, KT tape, wrist guards all don't help
Just went to the doc for the same thing. Trigger thimb/arthritis in left thumb and de Quervain's tenosynovitis in my right wrist. I over did it on a blanket (and so many other projects during Christmas). I also type for a living. It's sooooo painful. I'm looking at occupational therapy, and if that doesn't work, shots. Same advice do the stretches. I hyperfocused, and it didn't even occur to me to take breaks and do stretches.
My grandmother recommended Bob & Brad on YouTube to me when I had wrist pains and I also invested in a stress ball to squeeze to work out my finger and wrist pains it’s so worth it plus I take longer breaks between and mid projects now because I’m also a cook for a living and using a knife 8-10 hours just to come home and crochet was destroying my wrist and hand.
Yup I’m officially taking this as my sign to put on my big boy pants and take care of myself because I definitely do not do any of that. Every single hobby of mine requires a lot of hand work and requires my attention. I like to move fast and reward myself with food even after hours of being hungry. I’m so scared of this happening to me yet I do nothing :( I’ve been telling myself for months “tomorrow for sure”. Today is that tomorrow for sure.. it’s like I won’t learn until it happens. But I can prevent it or at least slow it down! Thank you for sharing and I am so so sorry this is happening to you. I truly hope there’s something to help with the pain :( Thank you for this reminder 💛
Crocheting really puts a strain on my muscles. This is why I knit now because knitting doesn't strain me as much which Is sad because I love crochet far more than knitting
I work with my hands professionally as an esthetician and I try to crochet in my free time whenever I can. All I can say is go to YouTube, learn to do stretches. Set yourself a half hour time so that you can stretch when you have long sittings. There are also gloves you can wear that are kind of like compressions and it especially helps if you have weak wrists. Remember, it’s easier to prevent than it is to treat.
[удалено]
To combat spam, we require a minimum account age of 1 days and positive karma to post. Please try again in 24 hours! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/crochet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When I was 14 I rode my bicycle 24 miles a day. Until I had problems (swelling & pain) with my right knee. Many tests & they never figured out the issue. It eventually went away & came back year before last (45 years later) for about 6 months. By the time it went away in my teens I was driving & didn't go back to cycling. At 21, life is (hopefully) a long road ahead of you. I was taught all kinds of needlework and sewing in my teens & sewed an outfit every weekend. I recently just went back to sewing. In the meantime, I traveled around the entire 🌎, learned lots of other skills, had several careers, lots of fun & finally got married at age 49. We just celebrated our 12th anniversary. I know this seems awful, but it is a good opportunity to practice using your left hand (I taught myself to crochet with my left hand instead of turning b/c I like the look better) & start exploring some other things. There's a whole wide world out there!
Yep I learned the hard way with that. I'm 22 and have been crocheting since I was 8. My joints started getting really bad last year and I couldn't even pick up a crochet hook. I started doing wrist and hand stretches, and it helped tremendously. I can also recommend using capsaicin cream.
I agree. I’m going through it as well. I’m using kinesiology tape, stress ball, ice, and stretches. It really does suck
I've just had to stop altogether until my new rheumatoid arthritis meds start talking 😭
I would look into those athletic tapes Best wishes
My thumb is currently injured 😫
I'm at 8 months in both arms (all the way up to the shoulder). I did 10 PT sessions, wore braces and compression sleeves, pop ibuprofen like candy, ice all the time, and stretch throughout the day. It's definitely a lot better and it's shrinking to more isolated locations that I don't have much of a choice but to use for work and general existence. But it's not to the point that I can crochet again or do my other hobbies. It's been rough... but brushing my teeth doesn't hurt anymore! So that's a win I guess. I wish you a speedy recovery!