How to Prevent Hand Pain and Fatigue: Part 3

Self Care Strategies and Supportive Tools

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We all love to indulge in our crafting, but it can also be detrimental to our hands if we don’t take care. Many people ask me, “but how do I take care of my hands?” In this article, we'll explore self-care strategies and supportive tools that crafters can utilize to alleviate and avoid overuse injury.

5 Essential Self-Care Strategies and Supportive Tools for Hand Health in Crafting

1. Improve your Self Awareness

2. Rest and Recovery

3. Self-Massage

4. Ergonomic Crafting Tools

5. Wrist Braces and Supports

Let’s get started!

Improve your Self Awareness:

The first step to improving your posture and hand health is to improve your self awareness. Do you know what your hands and wrists look like when you’re crafting? Are you aware of how much or how little tension there is? 

Try this exercise I call “Identify your Pain Generator”. Pause in whatever position you are in. Close your eyes and begin to scan your body from head to toe, taking note of how each part of your body feels. Does it feel tense? Tight? Stiff? Or does it feel good, loose, calm? Next, try to conjure a mental image of what position your entire body is in, as if you were looking at yourself from the outside. Notice anything? Are you bent over to the side? Are your hands clutching your project? Then, open your eyes and begin to consciously relax those tight body parts and adjust your posture if needed.

This exercise is a great way to improve body self awareness and to perform a wellness check on how your body is physically feeling. The more awareness you can build about your body, the more information you have on what you may need to improve on or need help with. 

Rest and Recovery: 

Taking regular breaks during crafting sessions is essential for allowing the hands and wrists to rest and recover. Set a timer to remind yourself to take breaks every 30 minutes to an hour, and use this time to stretch or massage your hands. You can perform the stretches shown in the last article or use the small massage balls from my Wrist and Hand care kit to massage your hands and forearms.

These short breaks help your body to reset and allow blood flow to move between the tissues. It allows the fascial layer in between your skin and your muscles/bones/joints to stretch and prevent stiffness.

Self-Massage:

Self-massage is a simple yet effective way to alleviate tension and promote circulation in the hands and wrists. Use massage balls or your fingers to gently massage the muscles in your hands and forearms, paying special attention to areas of tightness or discomfort. For a specialized technique to decrease pain and promote blood flow, check out my Transverse Friction massage video available for purchase.

Ergonomic Crafting Tools: 

Investing in ergonomic crochet hooks and knitting needles can make a world of difference in reducing strain on your hands and wrists. Ergonomic tools are designed to fit comfortably in your hand and promote proper hand positioning, reducing the risk of discomfort and fatigue. They can be quite a financial investment, so I advise you to purchase one size first and test it out in a project before committing to an entire set. Not all ergonomic tools will work for everyone, since everyone’s body is different and will react to things differently. 

I have been testing out the Prym ergonomic needles and crochet hooks, and so far have found them to be useful in reducing my hand fatigue. I particularly struggle with hand fatigue when I am working on projects that use a US size 9/5.5mm needle, or larger. The Prym ergonomic needles are made of plastic and have a steel, memory-free cord, which means lighter needles and less weight. The triangular shape of the needles is inspired by the large triangular pencils that children learn to write with in preschool. If you are interested in purchasing a set to try for yourself, I have an affiliate link here.

Wrist Braces and Supports: 

Wrist braces and supports can provide additional support and stability to the wrists and hands during crafting activities. Choose a brace that is comfortable and adjustable, and wear it as needed to alleviate pain and prevent overuse injuries. I generally do not recommend wearing a wrist brace unless you are having active pain, or know that your wrist is feeling weaker. The best way to utilize a wrist brace is to wear it while crafting when you are in pain, and then perform strengthening exercises daily to strengthen the wrist. I have a video titled Wrist 101 that is meant to be a comprehensive strengthening/stretching daily routine. Wearing a wrist brace all the time will only weaken the muscles as they rely on the brace to do their job for them.

I include a wrist brace in my Wrist and Hand care kit that is supportive but still allows for decent range of motion. It does not cover the hand, so no yarn or fiber snagging!

Pillows and Cushions: 

Using pillows and cushions to support your arms and hands while crafting can help reduce strain on your muscles and joints. Place a pillow in your lap to support your arms while knitting or crocheting, or use cushions to elevate your hands and wrists while working at a table. A pillow in your lap with your project on top of it can also help elevate your project closer to your eyes while also reducing the weight of the project on your hands and wrists.

Let’s Bring It All Together:

By incorporating self-care strategies and utilizing supportive tools, crafters can alleviate hand pain and discomfort and continue enjoying our hobbies with ease. Practice improving body awareness, take regular breaks, and invest in ergonomic tools and equipment to promote hand health and prevent overuse injuries. I hope you have found this blog series helpful in understanding why hand health is important, and how to address it.