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Hands and fingers in knots |
SES
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2003
Posts: 992 |  Posted: 2004-03-15 8:57 pm Permalink
I lifted weights to help with my work. I need to have strong arms to accomplish things like immediately stopping my arm from a sudden slip so I don't gouge the setting graver tools into my other hand or a very expensive gem.
We were discussing treatment of after the fact injury of overworking the hands.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2004-03-15 9:22 pm Permalink
Simple solution, and the only fact that matters. Try the hot soak in Epsom and a cold dunk after on one day. Try an ice pack another. See which feels better the next morning. You have your answer. Nothing better than what works for you.
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SES
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2003
Posts: 992 | Posted: 2004-03-15 10:03 pm Permalink
It isn't just about the feels better for the moment it's about the heals better in the long run.
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10306
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2004-03-16 07:47 am Permalink
Basically everyone is on the right track. I speak from experience when I say the Majority of Hand pain sufferers do Not use the proper precautions. No Warm up, no excersize, no stretching. Just go to work and feel the pain and look for a cure. No preventative medicine. If I had done more to Prevent the pain I would not have needed the "cure the pain" regimin.
So here I am carving after 10 years off and getting the old familiar hand pain. This time I will start a stretching and strengthening program before it gets "Out of hand"(no pun intended)
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[ This Message was edited by: Benzart on 2004-03-16 08:40 ]
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Raffertiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 31, 2003
Posts: 1527
From: L.I.
| Posted: 2004-03-16 10:57 am Permalink
My hands do feel noticably better after soaking in epsom salts, and switching from hot to cold water. I didn't consider carving an excercise before, but it obviously is. So if I'm going to take it serious, and save my hands, I will employ stretching as part of the routine. As far as weight training, those days are behind me. I haven't had time to train seriously since I got married.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2004-03-16 11:57 am Permalink
fishy, you might just get you one of those grippers things to exercise your hands. Keep it around and on off days (not the day you carve, but before that as much as possible) do a few "sets". Squeeze the thing as many times in a row as possible and rest a few minutes and do it again and again. That's one set. That should be enough for a while. If you are able to squeeze it closed more than 10-15 times in a row on the first try, maybe a stiffer gripper is in order. Smaller muscles can be worked more often (like abs) so you could do 3 sets a day, spread out, on off days and be okay. Just listen to your body and don't have your hands feeling the effects of the gripper when you hit the chisel. So try it and see how fast your hands recover from the exercise so you can be fully recovered when you carve.
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SES
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2003
Posts: 992 | Posted: 2004-03-16 6:22 pm Permalink
Taking breaks often and changing tasks so that you aren't doing the same thing over and over is the best way to prevent the overworking but it's really hard to stop when you are in the mood to work. I alternate things as much as possible instead of piling everything similar to do at once.
I work with the torch, get up and stretch, pliers, hammer, coffee break, computer break, food, sleep(maybe)... mix it up and often...
I think stretching is the best thing you can do to keep in shape. I stretch everyday. When I was 13/14 I read some story about a girl who snapped her hamstrings and it sounded so horrible I decided to stretch and keep things flexible ever since so it wouldn't happen to me. Standing I can place the palms of my hands flat on the floor behind the heels of my feet without bending my knees.
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10306
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2004-03-16 9:18 pm Permalink
Yeah Susane, I guess you Gotta stretch. People don't think of jewelers having hard hand work"Your pieces are sooosmaall,how could you hurt your hand wwith that?" They don't realize the Impacting your hands take or ther strength it takes to push a line precisely thru a gold ring or,,or,or I did jewelry for a year after I quit wood but it turned out Harder in many ways than wood.
Now we know. Stretch , Excercize,,, Eat right,,Take Breaks Regularly.
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Lake Surfer
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 21, 2002
Posts: 3308
From: Milwaukee, WI
| Posted: 2004-03-16 10:50 pm Permalink
I haven't had problems with sore hands yet... (knock on a wooden tiki) just blisters from grasping the mallet and chisels... and I've been very good at not cutting myself lately... (once again... knocking on wooden tiki)
Sore biceps and shoulders... yes... sore back... yes...
Most goes with the territory... sometimes the key is moderation...
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SES
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2003
Posts: 992 | Posted: 2004-03-17 12:42 am Permalink
Hahahah too funny Ben!
Thought your carving area looked familiar!
Jewelry work is very labor intensive. Just check out the tools we use sometime and you'll get the picture. Forging metal into a shape with a hammer is not so easy! I once watched a demonstration of a bowl being raised from a heavy sheet of copper that was truly amazing.
I love it though but I learned to pace myself so I don't burn out. That's the key.
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[ This Message was edited by: susane on 2005-03-13 03:39 ]
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10306
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2004-03-17 07:07 am Permalink
Susane yes it's a Small world. I Mostly worked with Wax and Titanium sheets.Here are a few of the waxes I never had cast.
 and the first piece I did for the company that got me the job
I know it isn't tiki, but it is part of my history and enabled me to do the work I'm doing now.
By the way, I just got back from a trip around Susanes website. Wheew, what a site.
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[ This Message was edited by: Benzart on 2004-03-17 07:36 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Benzart on 2004-03-19 07:59 ]
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SilverLine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 02, 2004
Posts: 608
From: Kansas City
| Posted: 2008-01-18 8:50 pm Permalink
Bump!
Lots of new carvers here (myself included) and it's been almost 4 years since this thread was at the top.
I bring this up because I've concluded that the joint damage in my left hand is probably carving related. Not sure what I'm going to do about it now, but there may be things new carvers can do to help prevent this sort of thing.
And NO, it's not going to stop me from carving!
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RevBambooBen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7196
From: Huntikington Beach
| Posted: 2008-01-18 9:13 pm Permalink
Anyone out there a real doctor??
Help me with my foot cramps!!!!!
Summer good. Winter BAD!!!
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Robin
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 01, 2007
Posts: 402
From: where the road and the sky collide
| Posted: 2008-01-19 07:29 am Permalink
One day I got up and couldn't wrap my fingers around the handle of the coffee pot. I knew I was in trouble! Seriously, I have heard about and used the heat cold method on numerous body parts. Heat to keep the blood flowing, cold for swelling. 10 mins. each. Ice immediately after an injury or a sprain keeps the swelling down, and then heat/ice..heat/ice for maintenance. Lots of water helps keep the muscles and joints lubricated. After the coffee pot incident I took B6....water soluble, can't OD...it worked really fast...never happened again.
p.s. RBB...try eating more bananas....potassium is great for leg and foot cramps...also good for the heart.
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5079
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2008-01-19 09:07 am Permalink
As a nurse...just had to weigh in here, but nurse Trixie has ya covered and everyone has really great suggestions. Workstation ergonomics is definitely important since prevention of injury is critical. Heat and cold is the best care like has been described here.
You might also try a hot wax treatment (which is used in most hand therapy programs). It will provide the "deep" heat that you need and also keep your skin soft.
Take Care 
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