Hand Pain and Fiber Art
Prevent Injuries & Avoid Aches When Knitting or Crocheting
Knitting and crocheting should never be painful. Follow these recommendations to prevent aches and pains.
When knitting or crocheting, hands become a loom as they make a fabric, stitch by stitch. Eye and hand co-ordination is at maximum as the brain allows the body to smoothly repeat the same movements over and over in an easy, rhythmic, soothing, and pleasing way. Most knitters and crocheters express that this meditative, low energy/low stress characteristic is what they love most about knitting. However, these crafts do have a repetitive nature that can be harmful if warning signs are not heeded.
Knitting and crocheting should be fun, not painful. If aching becomes troublesome, some action needs to be taken. There are preventative actions a fiber artist should take every time hooks or needles are picked up.
Pain-Avoidance Tips
Use hooks and needles that are comfortable. Some knitters and crocheters find hooks and needles with cushioned handles or grips to be helpful.
Pay attention to any pain stemming from the back or shoulders. Projects should rest on the artist’s lap; their weight should not be held with the hands. Arms and elbows should be supported while stitching, and take care not to slouch.
If there is a choice, use elastic yarns rather than cotton, linen, silk, or any other inelastic yarns. Some yarns are harder on the hands than others.
Therapeutic gloves are available at some craft stores and yarn shops, and they may be helpful. They run approximately $10 to $22.
Marathon knit or crochet sessions are not good for the hands. Avoid them.
Take frequent breaks. Sometimes, it helps to simply rotate projects or to switch back and forth between knitting and crocheting. Keep several projects going using different types and gauges of yarns, needles and patterns.
Sit in a comfortable chair where good lighting is available. Knit with your arms parallel to your body from the shoulder to the elbow, and perpendicular to your torso. Keep a tight profile. Don't bend your wrists. Keep wrists aligned with forearms. Hold your knitting needles at the same non-angled degree as your forearms. Don't tilt up or down.
Rest and stretch by extending the fingers of both hands as far as possible for a count of ten, and then making clenched fists for a count of ten. Rotate wrists clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Shrug shoulders up, down, and in circles. Repeat these exercises ten times.
Use circular needles to knit back and forth or in the round. They take the weight and bulk off hands and wrists and let laps do the heavy duty holding.
Causes of Hand Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is often blamed for hand pain, but there are dozens of other possible causes. An excellent list and discussion of these is located at “Hand Pain Diagnosis.” It’s important to not jump to conclusions about something as important as this.
If Pain Persists
Non-inflammatory pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are available over the counter, but please consult a doctor before using them.
Always see a health-care professional if discomfort persists, especially if tingling or numbness occurs. Knitting and crocheting should never hurt.
