[babeknits]

I had to have a cortisone shot in my right thumb joint for arthritis and have to wear a brace for awhile. Dr. does not want me using my thumb for a few days. I am also a hairstylist. Guess my thumb gets double duty. So, How do i knit without using my thumb on my right hand? I am so bummed. Also found out I have another ruptured disc in my lower back. Had surgery for that over a year ago. I'm only 46. Way too young for all this! lol
Thanks for any suggestions!! Have a great day everyone!

 

[tamarque]

Oh, you poor woman. What a pain (quite literally). As for needles--Have you tried to grab the right hand needle with your 4 fingers--you know how babies do with a spoon when learning to handle one? I think it would be hard with very small needles, but larger ones might work okay. Play with them in different sizes and lengths. It will be awkward but, you know the old adage: practice makes perfect.

And you are right, you are too young for all this pain. Have you worked with a holistic nutritionist or homepath? These are the people who will look at your whole body condition and try to figure out why you have such weakness. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition meaning that your body has a general inflammatory state which is manifesting as arthritis in your thumbs which are overused and have an inherent weakness. Your disc problem can also be viewed in a holistic way. It may be an ergonomic one caused by improper shoes, for example. It could be how you stand when working as another possibility. Chiropractors can check your back for subluxations. But practitioners such as Alexander Technique can help you understand how you are using your body and work with you on changing your habits. Pilates is a great form of training for strenth and proper alignment and it feels good. As a hair styist you are probably on your feet for hours at a time. Also, if you use standard type hair product, you are heavily exposed to toxic chemicals which are taking a toll on your health.

Hope these notes help give you some other ideas on how to work on healing and and building strength.

 

[phammitt]

I know the feeling, after the 3rd carpal tunnal surgery I have nerve damage in both hands and really no feeling in my thumbs plus good old Arthur (Arthritis) is setting in. I have found that if you use a brace the keeps your thumb from moving you will adjust real quickly to using your fingers and only throwing yarn over that bad thumb. I also have found that knitting again after a few years away from it is actually good for my sore old hands. You can do anything if you set your mind to it! Hope you are better soon and have fun in the meantime, the only thing you will have problems with are complicated patterns, just play with simple patterns and they are just as beautiful...God Bless

 

[joanh8060]

I make the statement that arthritis doesn't "run in my family" It gallops! I'm 81 now and have very little...I credit the years I have taken vitamin and mineral supplements, a careful diet, and regular exercise...in the pool. Just had hip x-rays and expected to be told it was replacement time. Instead heard...no arthritis, good space there, no spurs, no turmors....trochateric bursitis. I'm blaming the way I sit while I knit. But I'm still knitting.....Joan 8060

 

[phammitt]

Fantastic! I should have taken better care of myself...LOL

 

[TnWonderer]

have you tried the "continental style". I tried for years to knit and never could. People said it was because my fingers were so short...lolllll. But on YouTube they show how to do it...not sure if this will help or not...just a thought.

Wanda

 

[phammitt]

I forgot all about that! My Aunt used to knit that way and I could never get it right....LOL

 

[tamarque]

Fantastic! I should have taken better care of myself...LOL

Yeh, well all the would haves, should haves and could haves--we all have our lists. We all have our learning curves and what is important now is that you learn some new tricks for taking care of yourself along with new knitting techniques.

Nutrition is really our first and best medicine. And what is so great is that it gives us so much pleasure. Maybe a bit difficult to change destructive habits, but we can get there and find that we enjoy our medicine on our dinner plate even more than ever. Mega-supplements and exercise and relaxation will need to be part of the formula in order to begin to rebuild your health, but it can be done.

 

[tielma]

I am in the process of learning Portuguese style knitting. With it, you use your LEFT thumb exclusively. Tension etc is controlled by passing the yarn from the skein around your neck (or thru a pin on left shoulder). Right hand does nothing much except hold the rt hand needle and control tension from the skein. It's not hard to learn, just different. I'm no spring chicken, and had no trouble learning the basics. Check YouTube if you're interested.

 

[tamarque]

I think there was discussion in the past on KP about Portugese knitting. Worth checking out.

 

[gypsie]

Sandi, just give it a break, not the thumb but the knitting!LOL
I've been out of commission for a month. I had to go through withdrawal, still don't know how I'm doing it. I'm retired so it was a big part of my day(life). I have a pinched nerve in my lower cervical vertebra that has given me a terrible painful shoulder arm and numb fingers. The pain is now gone but my pinky is still numb. You have to give it up for a while or you could do permanent nerve damage. Let it heal, just like a broken arm or leg. Most parts of the body take about 6 to 8 weeks to heal, just like recovering from surgery.

 

[babeknits]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. May try continental. That looked like the least amount of thumb movement. I am starting to get arthritis in my left thumb as well. Don't want to start overworking that one. lol

 

[MarilynKnits]

A person dear to me has rheumatoid arthritis, and her immunologist and nutritionist told her to avoid nightshades, which contain the toxin solanines, which aggravate arthritis. Check out http://forum.davidicke.com/archive/index.php/t-160121.html

Since she carefully researched what she can eat, she has not had any more painful flare ups of arthritis. As a bonus, her husband, who joined her in the diet, saw his psoriasis clear up. She mentioned that beside the potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, she finds blueberries and rosemary also cause her trouble. As an aside, black pepper is ok; it is not in the same family as all the other peppers. She has learned to read labels carefully. Beware of "modified food starch" which is often potato starch, "vegetable broth" which often contains tomatoes, and "spices" which can contain paprika and other kinds of pepper.

Once you are in better shape, consider joining a beginner tai chi group. This is a gentle but comprehensive exercise that uses isometric movements to strengthen you and improve your balance. You feel the workout, but it is relatively easy on your body.

Good luck, and I truly hope you feel better. Being able to knit is such a mental health joy. I had years with carpal tunnel issues, and once I retired and had microsurgery by a specialist in hand surgery, my whole life took on a new brightness. Among the other benefits was meeting so many kind and lovely people around the world on KP.

 

[missylam]

This was very interesting to read, I looked at the link.

 

[NoraP55]

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