# Hand brace - Do you use one?



## SavtaSoreget (Nov 11, 2015)

I've noticed that my hand/lower arm are starting to feel a bit sore after I knit/crochet for a while. 
I'm taking a break for a few days to see if it helps. 
(I also work in computers, so I'm typing all day as well! But I mostly feel it after crafting. )
Do you use a brace of some sort? Does it help?
Thanks!
Deb


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## Carol J. (Jan 27, 2011)

When that happened to me I found out I had carpal tunnel in both wrists and hands. The wrist splints I wore at night took away the symptoms so I didn't need surgery but now I limit the time I spend knitting or crocheting. I am on the computer for fun every day too and that also can cause the discomfort. My hands went numb and my upper arm hurt so bad I could not reach behind me but the pains went away after a month of ibuprofen and wearing the wrist splints. Look into carpal tunnel problems,your doctor can help and I hope you avoid the surgery.


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## LilgirlCA (Jan 22, 2011)

Definitely sounds like repetitive stress issues. There are good stretching exercises that can be done before and after keyboard and knitting sessions as well as periodically during. Wrist braces at night help too.

See your Dr about it and be sure to ask if physical therapy would help. Be sure that Dr and Therapist know you are on computer and knit so they can check the ergonomics of both activities.


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## SavtaSoreget (Nov 11, 2015)

Thanks!!!


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## bakrmom (May 30, 2011)

Carol J. said:


> When that happened to me I found out I had carpal tunnel in both wrists and hands. The wrist splints I wore at night took away the symptoms so I didn't need surgery but now I limit the time I spend knitting or crocheting. I am on the computer for fun every day too and that also can cause the discomfort. My hands went numb and my upper arm hurt so bad I could not reach behind me but the pains went away after a month of ibuprofen and wearing the wrist splints. Look into carpal tunnel problems,your doctor can help and I hope you avoid the surgery.


My experience, too. I do wear gloves when I do a lot of hand sewing or knitting. It seems to help. The wrist splints go on at night if my wrists start acting up. At first I wore them every night for months, now usually a week or so when I notice symptoms returning. I've had them 8+ years now.


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## SavtaSoreget (Nov 11, 2015)

Gloves? What kind of gloves?


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## ioneodi (Feb 16, 2015)

Glad to hear the wrist splints work. Also diagnosed with CTS yesterday so out today to buy the gloves. Dr. Said to use the gloves at night to keep fingers and hand in straight position. Appreciate the advice and hope you find relief. Ione


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## knit4ES (Aug 24, 2015)

SavtaSoreget said:


> Gloves? What kind of gloves?


There are fingerless gloves made out of stretchy fabric (probably spandex/polyester) that act a bit like compression socks.
They do help but if your pain is continuing, it's important to see a doctor 
I use mine occasionally ... but I try to remind myself that I need to give it a rest for a bit and that helps....

google "fingerless gloves for stress" and you'll see several options.... often craft stores will have them too


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## AuntKnitty (Apr 10, 2011)

I too have problems and wear these gloves... http://www.handezegloves.com/

These are the original therapeutic gloves that other companies copied and I have noticed a difference between HandEze and other brands. These gloves saved me when I had such a bad RSI that my doctor couldn't help. I wore these day and night for 2 weeks and have only had intermittant problems since.


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## ynipper (Sep 21, 2013)

I've used the HandEze gloves for years, when pain returns. I agree with AuntKitty, the HandEze ones work best.


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## bakrmom (May 30, 2011)

SavtaSoreget said:


> Gloves? What kind of gloves?


Stress relief gloves, you can usually find them in the knitting aisle of Joann's. The first pair my DD gave me after I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel(both hands). I liked them enough to buy a second pair. One lives in my knitting bag, the other in my sewing box. 
http://www.joann.com/stress-relief-gloves-for-knitters/9713058.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw26C9BRCOrKeYgJH17kcSJACb-HNAzwMezHaUlVX4lIirEAENN7MacCX6bykH4QkYyXjGHBoCgs7w_wcB


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## momcat531 (Oct 27, 2011)

I have had my wrist injected. When my wrists start to hurt I wear braces at night that were fitted by a professional recommended by my doctor.


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## Sine (Jun 12, 2011)

momcat531 said:


> I have had my wrist injected.


I go to an orthopedic doctor who specializes in hands.
I had a cortisone shot in my wrist, too. Also my elbow. Helped a lot.


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## bakrmom (May 30, 2011)

What works for one may not work for another. My Dr. recommended starting out with braces. (He prefers minimally invasive, so do I)If they didn't work the next step would be shots, lastly surgery. Braces worked fine for me, hope it stays that way. My friend had surgery because her Dr. felt the other options would just prolong the inevitable. She's glad she went with the surgery, I hope to avoid it altogether


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## SavtaSoreget (Nov 11, 2015)

Thanks everyone!!! I've made an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow. I'll check out the gloves and show her those links too.
Happy Yarn Crafting to all!!!!
Deb


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## Nittinnut (Jan 10, 2014)

I've never been able to find a wrist wrap that applied support where i need it and they slip, so I use the stretchy, self-adhesive wrap you can buy at any drug store. I can remove it and if self adhesive quality stops working, I just use a little medical tape to hold the end down. Here's a picture of my wrap. Third picture down.

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nittinnut/timberline


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## SavtaSoreget (Nov 11, 2015)

Thanks! And your sleeve is beautiful!!!


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## Dsynr (Jun 3, 2011)

As a Secretary, I do a lot of typing. Add the knitting on the bus to and from work, and my hands were getting a pretty hard workout. 
Carpal tunnel struck, so bad that I literally could not open my hands except by painful force. Surgery was the only option left to me.

I had to wear a brace after diagnosis until the surgery. The brace helped a little, but not much.

I've had the surgery on both hands and have not had any more problems.

Each person's hand status is different. You and your doctor should decide which treatment is best for you. Don't put off seeing your doctor. It will only get worse.


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## Profet (Oct 30, 2014)

You may be developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Try taking large daily doses of Thiamine to heal the nerve.


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## Beachgirl1000 (Sep 29, 2015)

If you should need CTS surgery in the future, be sure you find a doctor who does the surgery without cutting your wrist open! This can take a long time to heal! I had mine done 20 years ago, My surgeon used a minimally invasive technique, and I was using it within a week. I have never had the slightest problem with it.

If the doctor tells you that you must have the open type of surgery, get a second opinion from another doctor who is not in the same office.


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## Beachgirl1000 (Sep 29, 2015)

Profet said:


> You may be developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Try taking large daily doses of Thiamine to heal the nerve.


Are you a doctor?


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## Profet (Oct 30, 2014)

I'm a nurse who worked with an Industrial Health physician, and this was her routine treatment for employees before trying anything more drastic or invasive. Double or triple the amount of Thiamine recommended on the bottle for a week or two and see if it makes a difference.


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## Profet (Oct 30, 2014)

My brother had carpal tunnel and took the Thiamine. That was years ago, the carpal got better and he hasn't had any trouble since. It may work for you, may not, but it's worth a try.


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## Beachgirl1000 (Sep 29, 2015)

Profet said:


> I'm a nurse who worked with an Industrial Health physician, and this was her routine treatment for employees before trying anything more drastic or invasive. Double or triple the amount of Thiamine recommended on the bottle for a week or two and see if it makes a difference.


Wow, that's interesting. Since you're a nurse, I'd like to pick your brain for a moment. 
Were there any side effects from the thiamine? If so, how long did they last? Is thiamine recommended for any other conditions, and should it be taken for the same length of time?
Thanks in advance!


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## nankat (Oct 17, 2012)

Also stretch your hands and wrists before, during and after knitting. And...warm them up....rubbing/massage them or literally run hot water over your hands to warm them. MD suggested the last one.


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## ioneodi (Feb 16, 2015)

Could someone,please, describe the different type gloves available or refer me to site? Ione


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## sockyarn (Jan 26, 2011)

I had the surgery and never regretted it. Better then having to wear splints all of the time.


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## JTM (Nov 18, 2012)

SavtaSoreget said:


> I've noticed that my hand/lower arm are starting to feel a bit sore after I knit/crochet for a while.
> I'm taking a break for a few days to see if it helps.
> (I also work in computers, so I'm typing all day as well! But I mostly feel it after crafting. )
> Do you use a brace of some sort? Does it help?
> ...


I have been using a little glove like thing called HandEze. It does seem to help a bit.


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## suziehhh (Sep 13, 2011)

I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel about 25 years ago and received cortisone shots in each wrist. My job required a lot of time on the computer. I was fine until about 5 years ago when I started knitting more and my wrists started to ache again. I got the wrist braces from Amazon and for the most part I am good except around the Christmas holidays when I am trying to do a lot. I also use a product called Penetrex which is a cream that I apply when the wrists are especially achy. I decided to use it because it contains arnica which my mother always used for aches.... So far so good.


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## ioneodi (Feb 16, 2015)

The neurologist that tested me said use the glove/splint at night while sleeping. Anyone else receive this diagnosis? I


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## Beachgirl1000 (Sep 29, 2015)

ioneodi said:


> The neurologist that tested me said use the glove/splint at night while sleeping. Anyone else receive this diagnosis? I


This treatment may work well with cases that are not too severe. CTS often is worse at night when we automatically curl up our hands. A brace will prevent this, taking the pressure off the carpal nerve.
When CTS is advanced, night is when it can be most painful, as the whole arm often aches. I had to hang my arm off the bed!


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## teresa1998 (Mar 27, 2011)

It's quite eye-opening for me to discover that folks do have problems with pain (as described) when
doing a lot of knitting.

Each summer I try to knit about 70 pairs of mittens (my last year total) for charity.

Last Nov, I fell and broke my shoulder. All this time later, I've thought it strange that when I knit
pain can shoot all the way up my arm....the thing hasn't completely healed.

I'm not sure if the gloves would help me as my hands are fine....just the awful pain in my upper arm
when I knit.

T.


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## ioneodi (Feb 16, 2015)

Beachgirl1000. Your reply is exactly what the testing neurologist said, almost word for word. I decided to wait until my Sept. Appt. with my neurologist to see if her diagnosis is the same and either take take pics on my iPad in for her to indicate which glove I should use or ask her to pull it up on computer which is right next to her/us. That must be terrible what happens to your arm. My daughter is 60 and a competitive tennis player and I worry about her arms, wrist, hand, fingers, etc. never considering my own other than just attributing my problems to aging and osteoporosis. Ione


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## Profet (Oct 30, 2014)

To my knowledge there were no negative side effects to taking Thiamine---it is a B vitamin. The body does not store it.


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## EqLady (Sep 1, 2011)

I have had carpal tunnel surgery in my right wrist. Now, with arthritis in my thumbs. I use the splints that also stabilize my thumbs. I got zero relief from wearing gloves.


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## Beachgirl1000 (Sep 29, 2015)

Profet said:


> To my knowledge there were no negative side effects to taking Thiamine---it is a B vitamin. The body does not store it.


That's good to know! Thanks for educating us! ☺☺☺


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## Beachgirl1000 (Sep 29, 2015)

In


ioneodi said:


> Beachgirl1000. Your reply is exactly what the testing neurologist said, almost word for word. I decided to wait until my Sept. Appt. with my neurologist to see if her diagnosis is the same and either take take pics on my iPad in for her to indicate which glove I should use or ask her to pull it up on computer which is right next to her/us. That must be terrible what happens to your arm. My daughter is 60 and a competitive tennis player and I worry about her arms, wrist, hand, fingers, etc. never considering my own other than just attributing my problems to aging and osteoporosis. Ione


Actually, I had the surgery about 20 years ago. Just two tiny incisions, one on my palm and another on my wrist. (Off--topic alert!!!) There's no pain at all, except when I cut myself in the kitchen. Which happens with alarming frequency!
Incidentally, "they" say that you will cut yourself quicker with a dull knife than a sharp one. No.With a sharp knife, you can cut yourself to the bone, or slice off the end of a finger. Ask me how I know that.


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## tinasmail1 (Jul 20, 2016)

Had the surgery on both wrists and I still wear the braces almost all of the time. Also helps with trigger finger (had that in both thumbs and only surgery on one thumb. The braces helped so that I did not need the second thumb surgery.


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## gma11331 (Oct 18, 2011)

I have carpal tunnel and was so bothered by hands going numb at night that it interrupted my sleep. Started sleeping in the wrist/hand braces and it alleviated the problem and I am pretty much asymptomatic now day and night.


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## flokrejci (Sep 24, 2015)

The splints are not the same as the stretchy gloves; they have a rigid bar in them to keep the wrist straight and Velcro straps to keep the splint snug. They can be bought in any drugstore, at least in the U.S., come in sizes and for right or left hand. Though I'm right-handed, I have used one on my left wrist at night for perhaps 30 years; my orthopedist just shrugged when I complained of pain in that wrist and said something like, "Guess you wore that joint out early!" Now that I'm retired and using a computer less (or at least typing on one--don't count the time I spend reading!), the problem has lessened, but I haven't stopped using my splint and the wrist pain is minimal. I apparently did/do not have a carpal tunnel problem.


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## Juliaschild (Aug 10, 2016)

I had carpal tunnel issues for years. Doctor said surgery was my last option. A friend suggested acupuncture and I thought I'd give it a a try. After 3 treatments the pain was gone. Once in a while I have a flair up (after lifting heavy stuff moving) and one treatment has controlled it. I was a skeptic but I'm a believer now.


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## 9sueseiber (Oct 29, 2011)

I have went to a DR. She said to give it a little while. I tried wearing a wrist brace, but seemed to make it worse. I have ordered these wrist gloves and hope to avoid surgery with them. I have never had my hands hurt in the 4+ years I have been knitting. Guess its my turn though. My middle two fingers go numb and wrist hurts. She said it could be the start of Carpal Tunnel. My ex husband had two of those surgeries and didn't help much. For me to have it done, they would have to give me shots in the shoulder to numb my whole arm as I can't be put to sleep, anymore because of my breathing problems from COPD. I want to avoid that if at all possible. Lets hope the gloves work.


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## KnittersSerendipity (Jul 31, 2016)

You can do hand stretches before and during your knitting to help. I found a very helpful video here:





I have nerve damage in my spinal cord that causes my hands and fingers to go numb or become painful. I have found that using a TENS unit with contacts at the base of my neck, shoulder on the hand that is problematic and wrist helps a lot. I have managed to get a lot of knitting done!


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## tonyastewart (Sep 1, 2014)

I don't have carpal tunnel mom did my heart went out to her, but I am disabled in several body areas so I spend ALOT of time knitting when I over do it (and I often do) I wear a good supportive wrist brace the kind you can get at most riteaids cvs and other such stores they help alot and if I can't knit motion that I need to I know I need to find other things to do my ebooks can help when it comes to that.......please take such pain seriously as it can lead to carpal tunnel and wrist strain and doing a job like typing adds to the problem please do be careful


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## knittingrocks (Jan 1, 2014)

Yes I do But can't wear a hard one. Only soft one.


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## SavtaSoreget (Nov 11, 2015)

Thanks everyone for all of your replies!!!
Went to the doctor and she said it's NOT CTS, but Tennis Elbow!! (Haven't played tennis in YEARS! LOL!)
She told me to use a topical anti-inflammatory and if it doesn't help, to take an oral anti-inflammatory.
She said that OT/PT might help, but NOT to start with shots!
I think I'll still get the glove to see if it helps - just to give a bit more support to my hand.
Y'all are great! Happy Yarn-Crafting to all!
Deb


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## ceciliavillabona (Oct 2, 2011)

I have changed ALL my keedles to wood since the metal are heavy and the plastic were too bendable and both made my hands hurt. I am OK since, I also do aqua exercises in the pool 3 X a week at the YMCA and all my joints thanks me for it!


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## tinasmail1 (Jul 20, 2016)

Glad that you went to the doctor.


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## Judy M (Feb 17, 2011)

Nittinnut said:


> I've never been able to find a wrist wrap that applied support where i need it and they slip, so I use the stretchy, self-adhesive wrap you can buy at any drug store. I can remove it and if self adhesive quality stops working, I just use a little medical tape to hold the end down. Here's a picture of my wrap. Third picture down.
> 
> http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nittinnut/timberline


Looks like an Ace bandage -- some fasten to self with velcro and others have little metal pieces that snag the fabric.
I have some exercises too and wear a brace at night on right hand/wrist.
You can also find many different things in an area near a pharmacy in other stores -- Kroger, WalMart, Costco, Target = So be sure to look around. Many stores today sell more than just food and drink.


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## bakrmom (May 30, 2011)

Carol J. said:


> When that happened to me I found out I had carpal tunnel in both wrists and hands. The wrist splints I wore at night took away the symptoms so I didn't need surgery but now I limit the time I spend knitting or crocheting. I am on the computer for fun every day too and that also can cause the discomfort. My hands went numb and my upper arm hurt so bad I could not reach behind me but the pains went away after a month of ibuprofen and wearing the wrist splints. Look into carpal tunnel problems,your doctor can help and I hope you avoid the surgery.


I did the same when I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel in both hands. Between wearing the braces and retiring it isn't a problem unless I overdo. When i had deQuevains tendonitis in my thumb I wore a spica splint. It took a while but I can finally do handwork again.


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