Okay, first and foremost, as a sufferer of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and a veteran of the Carpal Tunnel Release operation, let me give you a piece of advice... NEVER work when your hands start burning.
When I was younger, I thought that if I just worked through the burning, it would toughen me up. While that might work with exercising your body, when it comes to your hands, that's NOT the best thing to do.
My hands started going numb. I stopped being able to play the piano, and eventually, I was unable to even crochet. You can imagine how this might have affected me! I felt like my life was over.
When the doctor said it was definitely CTS, he told me there were two options... 1)stop gardening, baking bread, sewing, crocheting, knitting, piano, drawing, writing, and playing on the computer for the next several years ... or 2) get an operation and be doing all those things again in less than a year.
A lot of people told me to do whatever it took NOT to have the surgery.
I am SO glad I didn't listen to them! I woke up in the hospital with nothing hurting except the incision. To this day, I can still do all the things that bring me joy, but I do them in moderation now. And at the first sign that the CTS is returning, I force myself to rest for several days, and wear my brace at night. End of story!
Your body is pretty smart. It will tell you when to quit doing something that's bad for it. If crafting is your life, LISTEN to your hands. They won't guide you wrong! :)
(Coming soon, some exercises you can do to help keep your hands in shape and keep CTS at bay!)
Tip number two:
Take care of your skin!
I don't know about you, but when I deal with yarn or material all day, my hands feel so dry that I don't want to touch anything!
The solution for me was something wonderful! I discovered (through my boss) a simply fantastic skin care regimine... for my hands! I can't use the copyrighted name on here, but e-mail me for it, and I'll be happy to tell you!
It consists of a four step process that massages in thick emollient cream, buffs the dead skin away, cleanses away both of those, and then moisturizes to leave your skin so soft and wonderful that you won't believe it. My hands always feel so energized when I'm done, I'm usually ready to go another round... literally! :)
Three:
This is pretty much self-evident.
REST YOUR HANDS! No project is worth the health of your hands!!!
That's it for now! As I come up with different tricks or tips, I"ll let you know!
