How To Prevent Pain When Crocheting
Have you ever had pain when crocheting? If you don't crochet, what about knitting, needlepoint, painting, keyboarding, sewing, etc? Honestly, anything that would cause you to use repetitive motion with your hands would qualify.
Causes of Crochet Pain
On several occasions, I’ve had pain in my hands and wrists when crocheting, particularly my right (dominant) hand. It usually happens when I’ve hunkered down and have to complete big tasks. I tend to get too focused and either don’t take enough breaks or I’m so focused, I hold the hook too tight. No matter the cause, it HURTS!!
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Over the years, I’ve learned to not be so stubborn and take better care of myself. I know I know, don’t say it, but I try to get things completed while I have peace in the house. LOL Every second count!
So, now when crocheting, I frequently take breaks to do the following:
I generally crochet for about 30 minutes, stop and do some hand exercises. I set my timer because I can easily forget while “listening” to the tv.
Hand Exercises
I rotate my wrist in a circular motion for a few seconds to get the “juices” flowing. Sweet and simple
I make a fist and then stretch my fingers as wide as I can. I hold that stretch for about 15-20 sec and do this 3-4 times.
Stretch exercise-make a fist
Stretch exercise- stretch fingers as wide as you can
With the next one, I use the opposite hand to push my fingers back and hold that position for about 15-20 sec. I can feel the stretch down the wrist. I do this a couple of times (more, if needed). It’s a good hurt if you know what I mean. 😊
Stretching Exercise
Praying Hands: place your hands together with your elbows pointing upward. This presses your wrists inward, downward and creates a great stretch. This one I learned from yoga classes.
Praying Hands
Please note there are many exercises you can do to prevent hand/wrist pain. These are just a few I do for a few minutes before getting back to crocheting.
Hand-Aids/Braces/Gloves
There are so many different hand-aids, gloves, and braces to provide relief and stability. The one I will mention here is one I’ve used for a couple of years now. It has been a great help with my Raynaud's syndrome as well as just provide relief while crocheting. My right hand seems to be worse than my left, so I cater to it more than my left. I use the Thergonomic Hand-Aids. On the packaging, it states that it provides comfort and relief from pain and stiffness of carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, tendinitis, repetitive motion work, hobbies, and play.
Thergonomic Hand-aids
I love it and actually need to buy a few more to conveniently place them in different areas of my home. I’ve also slept in it a few times, but that’s because I believe I’ve developed carpal tunnel or arthritis. Yes, I self-diagnose. It’s the kind of person I am.*shrugs* Because of my background and what I’ve seen/experienced, sometimes (not all) times I’m right. 😉 I did diagnose the Raynaud’s accurately. :-) I only do that with myself though. As I write this, I’m waiting to be tested for carpal tunnel syndrome via a nerve conduction study because the pain is being stubborn this time around. We shall see!
Ergonomic Crochet Hooks
Along with the hand exercises and thergonomic hand-aids, I use an ergonomic crochet hook. Most of my hooks have some kind of cushion on them, but I do I have an ergonomic crochet handle that I purchased when I first began to crochet, and I still have it many years later. So, if you’ve ever bought the Boye aluminum crochet hooks, you can get the ergonomic aluminum crochet handle. It has different size pieces in it to hold your hook in place, and it’s inexpensive! It’s definitely an option until you can build your crochet hook stash.
Did you find these exercises/tips helpful? What are some things you do to help relieve your pain when crafting?
Stay Crafty!
~Kel
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