Overstrained wrist :-(

Hi lovely forum
I’m a beginner and I think I might have overdone it a bit. Is it normal for your wrist to hurt if you crochet or knit for about 1–2 hours in the evening?
Do you have any tips so I don’t have to give up my new favorite hobby?
Will my hand get used to the new movement?
Best regards and have a nice evening :-)

Hello Leslie,

first the bad news: No, your hand will definitely not get used to the new movement—quite the opposite. If you keep crocheting despite the pain, it will become chronic, and you won’t just be unable to crochet, you also won’t be able to do a lot of other things anymore. So please, please don’t do that.

Now the good news: You can strengthen your wrists—with very simple but absolutely brilliant exercises. Here’s the link for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ-0BRG1OiM

So it’s better to take a break from crocheting and knitting now until you have absolutely no pain anymore. But you can still start with the exercises now (as long as it doesn’t hurt).

Best, Inna

Oh, and I hope you have a nice evening, too :-).

I’d also recommend taking a break until the pain subsides.
My wrists also tend to hurt when I crochet a lot.
The most important thing is to take breaks at regular intervals to give your joints a rest. Of course, having the right “tool” is also incredibly important. Maybe try out different crochet hooks and see which one feels best in your hand?

I hope you feel better soon.

Best regards, Michaela 

Just to add: horse balm always helps me a lot. I would put on an ointment dressing overnight, and then the symptoms would go away faster.

I also switched crochet hooks. I’m not allowed to advertise here, but there are crochet hooks that fit so comfortably in the hand that I haven’t had any pain at all since then. And before that, I used to have it quite often.

Hi everyone!

It’s very important to strictly rest your wrist until the inflammation (tenosynovitis, which results from overuse of the wrist) has COMPLETELY healed.
For early-stage tenosynovitis, a week should normally be enough, but if there’s even the slightest bit of pain, a longer break is necessary.
The longer you continue to strain your wrist, the more persistent the inflammation will become, and the longer and more complicated the treatment will be.
A special wrist brace (available at a pharmacy or medical supply store) can provide relief and help prevent the inflammation from recurring.

Additionally, some people find it helpful to use different hooks or needles.

Get well soon!

Hello Leslie,
 Actually, I can only agree with the previous posters: "Take a break.  "
And try out different crochet hooks. There are the ergonomically shaped ones from addi, which are supposed to be great, but I can’t get along with them at all either. ..
I also prefer working with relatively simple ones. 
I also usually work on 3-4 projects at the same time.  They all have different hook sizes. My wrist likes the change. And every now and then I force myself to take a 3-day break.  
 Best wishes 
Sandra

Hi Leslie,
Welcome to our forum. It would be best if you talked to a doctor about this, since a craft forum can’t—and shouldn’t—replace medical advice.
I hope you still have a lot of fun here with the patterns and your crafts.

Dear Leslie,

I’ve gotten into the habit of switching between crocheting and knitting. Or just taking a break from crocheting and reading a book.
Switching up the type of needle can also help. It does take a little while, though, to find the ideal way to hold the needle that works for you.

And try changing your crocheting posture, too. Personally, I can’t crochet if my hands are resting on a surface. I crochet in the air, so to speak. But I also know plenty of people who can’t do that and instead rest their hands on a cushion or table while they work on their projects.

So just let everything heal properly and then take it slow.

Thank you so much for your replies!
Unfortunately, my wrist tends to get sore very easily—even from using the mouse too much, playing too much PlayStation, etc.
I still have a wrist brace here that I’ll put on, and I’ve also ordered some ointment. Thanks for the exercises, too—I’ll check them out right away!
Unfortunately, I still have to do some ironing today, but with a heavy heart, I’ll follow your advice and take a break :-(
Warmest regards, and have a sunny day — thank you!
Leslie

If anyone else happens to be reading this, could you recommend some good wooden or bamboo knitting needles? They should be circular needles, though, because I can’t manage larger pieces on needles otherwise... I get the impression that when I knit (though I’ve only been doing it for a week), I tense up even more because the yarn keeps wanting to slip off the smooth needles.
Best regards!
Leslie

I guess you’re probably not allowed to post recommendations here in the forum. Then maybe via private message, if possible :.-)

In addition to switching needles, as mentioned, crocheting or knitting loosely can help prevent cramping. This is especially important in the beginning so you can find the best position for your arm and hand.
I can’t work at all with my arms or hands propped up, and my working yarn always has to be loose and unwound a good length from the ball—because if the working yarn is too tight, you tend to tense up easily and automatically crochet more tightly.
You might want to use a needle or hook one size larger than recommended and practice with simple, loose projects (scarves, for example).
Amigurumi, on the other hand, tend to require tighter crocheting, so my hands often get tense then too. When that happens, I switch to a looser crochet or knitting project, or I read, or… But it’s supposed to be a relaxing hobby, not a struggle.
Get well soon, and keep enjoying your crafts!

Thanks, Nadeleule—it actually occurred to me earlier that a larger needle might help. But as you all say, I guess I’ll take a break for now :-(
I’ll definitely take your advice to heart, though!

Now I’ve given you all these smart tips and didn’t follow them myself, because the slippers for my husband had to be very tight and crocheted with a size 2.5 hook:(
Now I have tendonitis and went back to the doctor yesterday. He prescribed ibuprofen for the inflammation and pain and told me NOT to wear a bandage, since my wrist needs to move. Not excessively, of course, but otherwise the inflammation can cause the tendon to stick if you immobilize it. With movement, the lubrication stays in place and nothing can stick together.
Once the tendonitis has healed, I can use the bandage for support during strenuous crocheting and avoid working too long at a time—instead, I’ll take breaks....

Hello Nadeleule
first of all, get well soon!
I also had the impression that the brace actually made the pain worse. I’m only crocheting a little now and take a break and do some movements after every row.
I’m also doing this exercise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRHxwEySjM and I find that it helps quite a bit. In the evenings, I also rub Voltaren on the joint and try to avoid using the mouse (that seems almost worse to me than crocheting).

Best wishes, and get well soon to you too!

Thank you very much, same to you!
I’m definitely taking a break now until it’s completely gone, and I’ll take a look at the link.

I wish you continued fun with your new hobby and lots of enjoyment here in the forum

Thanks! :-) 

Dear Leslie,

thank you so much for your link! I’ve just noticed that the orthopedist in the video suggests the same exercises as the yoga instructor in my link, and to me, that’s further proof that these exercises make sense. Actually, I’ve watched a few videos with this doctor now and think he’s great—even though I’m a total yoga believer, it never hurts to explore other options too :-).

Best, Inna

Dear Inna
I’ve been convinced of yoga for 14 years—even professionally, so to speak ;-)—but in this case, I like the doctor’s exercises better. Her pace was a little too fast for me at times, but it was a good introduction and actually gave me the idea in the first place :-) And the doctor has also published a yoga book, so everything is yoga somehow :-)

I watched the pain therapist’s video and tried the exercises right away. It does feel a little tight, but I’m trying to do them regularly and hope they’ll help eventually.
Thanks so much for the tip!

Leslie,
do you teach yoga, or what do you mean by “professionally”?

Yes, exactly, Inna. :-) Well, whether I’m a “pro” is up for debate—you never stop learning, especially in yoga.
But I do teach, yes :-)

That’s nice.
I just practice for myself, all by myself, for about an hour a day.
I think that if you’re allowed to teach, then you’re already a pro—and you should always keep learning anyway, even as a pro, in any profession.
I’d be curious to know if there are more people here on CP who practice yoga. I think that crafts and yoga go very well together—both physically and mentally. Maybe Josefa could start a thread about it sometime :-).

You’re right. For me, crocheting and knitting are definitely a bit meditative, too.
I’d love to join a thread on that topic as well :-)

By the way, it’s great that you practice yoga every day! 

I feel I have to say this: I plan to live to a very, very old age with a well-functioning body, a clear mind, and good mental health :-)

Good idea! 
Due to an injury, I can only do yoga in a very limited way at the moment, but there’s still plenty you can do.

Back to the wrist. I have a small foam roller that looks like a dumbbell. I’ve been using it on my whole arm for the past two days, and I have to say, it helps.
Not that I don’t have no pain at all anymore (but it was never the case that I had constant pain anyway), but I get the impression that it’s good for my arm and hand. I even knitted five rows yesterday (I’m still a beginner, so it takes a while ;-) )

That’s great! Hopefully that’ll help in the long run, though I still think you should build up your muscles if you plan on putting a lot of strain on your wrists.
Now I’m going to check out how a foam roller works—maybe I need one of those, too :-).

Yeah, that would be nice. I think building muscle is almost unnecessary if you do yoga regularly. You’re on your wrists so often—dog, cat, plank, etc.—though my husband has this kind of “gripper” that you squeeze to strengthen your arm muscles. I borrow it from him every now and then ;-)

You do use your wrists in yoga, that’s true, but I don’t feel like the muscles in that area are building up fast enough. After 3 years of yoga, I see noticeable changes in my upper arm, but actually none at all in my forearm—I think I need to do something specific there, something targeted.
Squeezing something is recommended by all orthopedists to build up wrist muscles, but I don’t really like that—it kind of irritates me. That’s why I loved the one-handed clapping in the video—it works for me.
But no matter what—the main thing is to find something that helps you :-).

That’s true. To be honest, I’ve never really thought about whether I have weak wrists. I’m generally on the thin side, and I guess that’s why I’ve never had any problems with my hands—or supporting my own weight, so to speak—even in poses like crow pose, for example.
If it makes you angry (interesting), then it’s definitely not the right thing for you :-) For me, the clapping exercise for the shoulders is very difficult. THAT is actually my absolute weak spot :-\/ Right now, I’m still enjoying the progress I’m making with the foam roller :-) 

I’m also thin, but I’ve always been aware that my wrists aren’t very strong—I even managed to get tendonitis in both wrists when my daughter was born—I just clung a little too tightly to the edges of the bed :-). And I’d had several bouts of inflammation before and after that, too. So if your wrists are too weak, you’ll definitely notice it :-).

I’m glad the foam roller is helping you—I wish you continued recovery!

Oh, yeah, that sounds like weak wrists. I come across that a lot in yoga too.
In any case, I hope your wrists get stronger soon ;-) !
Thanks, by the way—I didn’t use the roller yesterday, and I’m feeling it today, even though I didn’t do much yesterday.