arthritis in hands wrist

[rickm]

seemingly I have developed arthritis in my hands and wrist. I have been doing a lot of mallet and gouge work and can hardly hold the mallet. other than lay off for awhile, any suggestions to ease the discomfort/

[Nomad]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked? I discovered mine was very low. Had a lot of problems with my feet and other arthritis problems and it seemed to help me a lot. It is an anti-inflammatory.

[DiLeon]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

Work in cycles....meaning many projects at different stages... switch what you are doing often. I carve with a knife,.... then switch to mallet work,...then switch to dremel work, ...then switch to sanding.... go to the foredom... or finish work and then back to carving. I can not work with one tool for any length of time. If you switch often, take breaks...it really helps those sore joints and does not abuse them.

[Guest]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

I to have arthritis issues with shoulder wrist and hands. I have found some things that help.
I use Absorbien Junor on every thing before I start. It is not a grease and drys fast. I use a wrist support glove used for weight lifting. I have gone to a 12 oz ploy mallet. I use power tools for roughing out most things. I have more issues with my palm tool. I got a egg timer and try to stop and rest every 15 minutes or so. Just a few minutes rest seems to help. Sharp tools making shallow cut requiring less pressure. I also try to do a lot of exercising of my hands and wrist when I am not carving. If I don't it is really painful when I start up. If I do not push it I can carve a few hours a day with out adding to the regular discomfort. I know how flustrating it is.

[chipmunk]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

I agree with [Carving barn] And also use aspercream on my hands wait 30 mins. then wash.
I also suggest and dead blow poly hammer the small 1 it take a lot less to get more from it. i chuck mine up close to the head and use my elbow more.
power carvin is harder for me..sometime i tape the dremal in my hand and fingers.
i have a lot of tendonitis. that causes me to drop the tools

[riverwood-dan]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

Seems there are quite a few of us with arthritis. I'm lousy with it, so I do know your pain. I found that taking 2 tbls cold pressed flax oil daily reduced my inflammation by 75% in just 3 days. I take one tablespoon in the AM and one in the evening before bed. I can't say enough good about Flax oil, anyone with arthritis should try it. Cost is around 12 bucks for a bottle, which is a cheap fix for your pain. Make sure you get it from a place that keeps the flax oil in a refrigerator and use it within 6 weeks after opening. It goes rancid if left on a shelf and not refrigerated. So don,t buy it off the shelf. Flax oil has helped me more with my arthritis than any pharmaceutical. Dan

[Goody]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

I Have went to larger tool handles. Di has the same Idea as I do. Many different projects. When I find carving is getting to me I turn on the lathe for awhile. I used to take a lot of Ibuprofen but being on blood thinners now I take Tylenol. Docs have given me narcotic pain meds but I refrain from using them unless I haven't slept in a couple nights.
Goody

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

I am with Goody. a larger handle helps lots....take a piece of foam pipe insulation, put it on your handles and use maybe the stretch medical tape that sticks to itself?

[rickm]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

hmm I appreciate the answers. I will try the vitamin d thing. I am on morphine for stenosis and it barely eases the pain in my wrists. Barely. It is really getting to be not funny. I live in Chicago and its been like 90 percent humidity, I mean I might as well live inb the rain forest which I have to think doesn't help.

[Nomad]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

hmm I appreciate the answers. I will try the vitamin d thing. I am on morphine for stenosis and it barely eases the pain in my wrists. Barely. It is really getting to be not funny. I live in Chicago and its been like 90 percent humidity, I mean I might as well live inb the rain forest which I have to think doesn't help.

If you take vitamin D, you want to buy D-3. That's what your body uses. D has to be converted in the body to D-3 to be utilized. I started with 2000 IUs per day and then switched to 1000 IUs. There is also some evidence that vitamin D protects against the common cold. D levels drop in the body in the winter because of shorter days which led some scientists to hypothesize that one of the reasons cold infections increase in the winter is due to lower exposure to sunlight and therefore a reduced level of vitamin D occurs. At the moment, there is only a little bit of data to support this idea though.

[William]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

My RA is bad, I've been taking Prednisone for 25 years to control the pain so I do what Di and Goody do, 6 or more WIP's at a time all at different stages and work on the one I can handle at the time.

[Just Carving]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

Before all else, the best thing to do is to limber up. I have pains in my thumbs and wrists from time to time especially after a long spell of carving. If that happens, it reminds me to limber up. What's limber up? Stretch and flex the joints--do range of motion. For the wrists, hold arms out in front of you--nothing strenuous just give yourself some room. Bend them up and down as far as they will go--with no pain. I find stiffness when I bend them down. So, when I bend them down, I go a little further as long as there is no pain. This is the actual stretching part. Then I go side to side--same thing. If you can rotate the hands at the wrist joints, do so. Again with no pain. Thumbs I bend all of the joints up and down, and then go in circles with the thumb at the joint closest to the wrist. That's where my problem lies the joints closest to the wrist. Comes from the years of controlling powered hydraulic and electric rescue tools with my thumbs. You may feel a slight burning sensation but it usually goes away.

Sometimes I use ice if there's swelling and inflammation. In the winter, moist heat seems to be the solution. And then there's ibuprofen for reducing swelling and inflammation.

As with anything, if it aggravates your condition, then give it a rest and then try again. But don't give up.

With time, patience and perseverance and maybe a bit of ingenuity and adaptation, you can overcome an obstacle. It's not uncommon for me to switch from using a knife to a palm tool skew or bull nose chisel.

Nobody says it won't be without some discomfort and frustration.

Bob L

[rickm]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

just carving that is a great reply thanks.

[rickm]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

well its 90 degrees and 60 percent humidity here in the city of beautiful weather, Chicago and Im in so much pain I can hardly type/ Even the vicodin I have doesn't help. If this is a hallmark of what the future holds I don't like it.

[shakey875]

Re: arthritis in hands wrist

Rick
can you get Cod Liver Oil tablets over there They are rich in vit D and you take one per day They certainly help both forms or arthritis Its not instantaneous but it supplies the fluid that your bones and joints need so badly

Mike