Pain in my wrist with every little movement

Hey there,

I was wondering if you have any tips: I hardly knit anymore,
crochet even less often, and I’m taking it easy. But the moment I clean my bathroom, the pain comes right back. The doctor’s been telling me for 10 years: “Take it easy.”
Back then, I couldn’t let it heal properly (it all started right in the middle of my high school graduation exams), and now I’m dealing with these problems: Sometimes I take a few weeks off, then I pick up my needles, knit for an hour or two, and bam—tenosynovitis.
Do you know this problem? What helps you? Do you do specific exercises? Because I can’t take it any easier than I already am—I can’t completely give up crafts, nor can I stop doing general everyday activities.

Best regards :)
Floxine

Two years ago, I often had pain in my wrist and also in the tendons in my fingers. What helped me was wrapping a bandage around my wrist and the palm of my hand. There are also various fabric supports for the joints available to buy. I bought one of those too. Unfortunately, it was too big for my hand (I bought it online, of course, so I couldn’t check the size), so I ended up pulling it over my elbow joint instead (the pain was also radiating up to my elbow). That helped me quite a bit.

I also used Traumeel ointment and Traumeel tablets. Pain like this can also be hormone-related (e.g. shortly before and during your period due to water retention). I hope you find a solution. It’s really frustrating when your hands are affected - after all, you need them all the time.

Best regards,

Michaela

Hi Floxine,

try searching YouTube for Mady Morrison, and look for her wrist exercises. There are exercises there for strengthening, as well as fantastic stretches if it’s already hurting. My wrists are also really weak, but since I’ve been doing the exercises every day, I haven’t had any pain.

Best wishes,
Inna

Dear Floxine

I’ve also had tendonitis before; my doctor
recommended cold compresses, and they actually helped me.
Maybe just give it a try—you’ll notice pretty quickly whether it helps you;
everyone reacts differently, after all.

Best wishes,
Helga

The tendons are inflamed. I struggled with this for a long time. They often shorten. First, get a prescription for physical therapy. They should show you the best way to massage and stretch them. There are also small devices you can buy to exercise your fingers, but your therapist will tell you about that.

So, massage and stretch the tendons. Once you’ve stretched and massaged them well, the area will feel nice and warm. Then apply ice immediately—either with ice packs or, even better, with ice cubes. This causes a contraction.

It actually worked for me—I had tennis elbow that I could barely move for a year because of the pain. After 6 weeks of self-treatment, the pain was completely gone.

When crocheting or knitting, be careful not to tense your fingers too much. I bought a different crochet hook, and that made a big difference.

I hope you get well soon. And be sure to see a physical therapist first.

Best regards, Diana

@Diana,
I’m so glad you mentioned the physical therapist—I’d completely overlooked that option, because in my experience, orthopedists, who always just recommend “rest,” never refer patients to physical therapists. But who knows if that’s always the case everywhere—it’s definitely worth a try.

I had severe pain in my wrist for half a year and suffered in silence. My brother is a doctor, but he lives 400 km away. During a visit, I complained to him and he gave me an injection into the joint. It consisted of cortisone and a painkiller. It worked quickly, and the pain has never returned since then. That was about 7 years ago. Maybe you should try that, too.