newbie question

I taught myself to knit in November and have been quickly
addicted. Over the Christmas holiday I finished a baby
blanket for my sister who is due in February. I am having a
great time knitting but I have a problem and wondered if
some of you experts could give this newbie some advice.

The pinky finger on my left hand is all tingly and numb. I
have never had this problem before and I wonder if one can
get carpal tunnel from knitting? I sure hope this is
something that will pass because I love to knit. Any words
of wisdom?

Edie

edie wrote:
I taught myself to knit in November and have been quickly
addicted. Over the Christmas holiday I finished a baby
blanket for my sister who is due in February. I am having a
great time knitting but I have a problem and wondered if
some of you experts could give this newbie some advice.

The pinky finger on my left hand is all tingly and numb. I
have never had this problem before and I wonder if one can
get carpal tunnel from knitting? I sure hope this is
something that will pass because I love to knit. Any words
of wisdom?

Yes, Edie, you CAN get carpal tunnel from knitting. Have you had it before?
TO prevent this, all you need to do is to stop regularly - BEFORE your hands
cramp - and exrecise. The physiotherapy people can give you exercises to
help.
HTH
Katherine

Welcome to RCTY, Edie!

Don't know about the carpal tunnel, but anytime you're doing something like
that, it helps to take some short breaks frequently and shake your hands and
wiggle your fingers a little, keep the circulation going -- I have to do
that when I am doing a lot of typing. If it's just that one finger, you
might want to check out how you're holding the needle and see if there's a
way to adjust it.

Karen in MN



"edie" wrote in message
...
I taught myself to knit in November and have been quickly
addicted. Over the Christmas holiday I finished a baby
blanket for my sister who is due in February. I am having a
great time knitting but I have a problem and wondered if
some of you experts could give this newbie some advice.

The pinky finger on my left hand is all tingly and numb. I
have never had this problem before and I wonder if one can
get carpal tunnel from knitting? I sure hope this is
something that will pass because I love to knit. Any words
of wisdom?

Edie

Katherine wrote in message ...

Yes, Edie, you CAN get carpal tunnel from knitting. Have
you had it before?

No. I have never had this kind of tingle and numbness
before. But it feels just like what friends with carpal
tunnel describe. I am surprised to have this kind of pain
in such a short period of time.

TO prevent this, all you need to do is to stop regularly -
BEFORE your hands
cramp - and exrecise. The physiotherapy people can give you
exercises to
help.
HTH
Katherine


Thanks so much Katherine. I do need to remind myself to
stop, otherwise I would just knit for hours on end.

Edie

If you rest your elbows on something (arm of chair? hard pillows?) as
you knit, you could be compressing the ulnar nerve, which serves your
pinky, ring, and middle fingers. A slumped posture (hunching over
your work) can do odd things to nerves exiting the cervical spine, as
well.

Examine your posture - sit up straight, don't rest your elbows on
anything hard, and hold the work so that you needn't bend your elbows
past 90 degrees.

And of course stop periodically and do something else. When I'm on a
marathon knitting session I keep a kitchen timer by my chair - 45
minutes of knitting, 15 minutes of random housework.

On Sun, 4 Jan 2004 08:27:48 -0500, "edie" wrote:

I taught myself to knit in November and have been quickly
addicted. Over the Christmas holiday I finished a baby
blanket for my sister who is due in February. I am having a
great time knitting but I have a problem and wondered if
some of you experts could give this newbie some advice.

The pinky finger on my left hand is all tingly and numb. I
have never had this problem before and I wonder if one can
get carpal tunnel from knitting? I sure hope this is
something that will pass because I love to knit. Any words
of wisdom?

Edie

Slinky wrote in message ...
If you rest your elbows on something (arm of chair? hard
pillows?) as
you knit, you could be compressing the ulnar nerve, which
serves your
pinky, ring, and middle fingers.

That is it! I am sure I rested my elbow on the arm of the
sofa at least part of the time while I was knitting the
blanket. Oh thank you!

Edie

Hi Edie!

I know the feeling...I know. I mean...my hands, neck and shoulders get achy
too. And wrists. Poor me! Sometimes I really have to keep a break to be able
to go on. And when I keep a break, it is a long one. A week or more. Can't
deny....that is how it goes to. But whenever my hands and shoulders allow
me, I knit.
Best: Pirjo
"edie" kirjoitti viestissä
...

Katherine wrote in message ...

Yes, Edie, you CAN get carpal tunnel from knitting. Have
you had it before?

No. I have never had this kind of tingle and numbness
before. But it feels just like what friends with carpal
tunnel describe. I am surprised to have this kind of pain
in such a short period of time.

TO prevent this, all you need to do is to stop regularly -
BEFORE your hands
cramp - and exrecise. The physiotherapy people can give you
exercises to
help.
HTH
Katherine


Thanks so much Katherine. I do need to remind myself to
stop, otherwise I would just knit for hours on end.

Edie

Edie,

Well, now you have the answer I do hope you come back and let us know how you
are doing. I retired over five years ago and got overzealous in knitting and
crocheting and had to stop knitting as I pulled the tendon in my left thumb
from overuse. So do take breaks and watch how you sit.

Nora

In article ,
edie wrote:
Katherine wrote

Yes, Edie, you CAN get carpal tunnel from knitting. Have
you had it before?

No. I have never had this kind of tingle and numbness
before. But it feels just like what friends with carpal
tunnel describe. I am surprised to have this kind of pain
in such a short period of time.

It's probably the hands, but another possibility is a
crick in the neck.

For instance, if I sit with my head tilted to one side
or looking down too much, I'll get tingly fingers on whichever
side of my neck is pinching a nerve. I have to stretch my
neck and adjust my shoulders until the tingle goes away.

=Tamar

Excellent advice! I would also mention that frequent breaks are good for
your eyes.

"Slinky" wrote in message
...
If you rest your elbows on something (arm of chair? hard pillows?) as
you knit, you could be compressing the ulnar nerve, which serves your
pinky, ring, and middle fingers. A slumped posture (hunching over
your work) can do odd things to nerves exiting the cervical spine, as
well.

Examine your posture - sit up straight, don't rest your elbows on
anything hard, and hold the work so that you needn't bend your elbows
past 90 degrees.

And of course stop periodically and do something else. When I'm on a
marathon knitting session I keep a kitchen timer by my chair - 45
minutes of knitting, 15 minutes of random housework.

On Sun, 4 Jan 2004 08:27:48 -0500, "edie" wrote:

I taught myself to knit in November and have been quickly
addicted. Over the Christmas holiday I finished a baby
blanket for my sister who is due in February. I am having a
great time knitting but I have a problem and wondered if
some of you experts could give this newbie some advice.

The pinky finger on my left hand is all tingly and numb. I
have never had this problem before and I wonder if one can
get carpal tunnel from knitting? I sure hope this is
something that will pass because I love to knit. Any words
of wisdom?

Edie