Finding a Fix For Bad Fingers Cause Not Stitching is Not an Option

"I finds my fingers."  This is what the old folks at home would say when they had achy fingers- they were finding them bad or sore is what they meant. 

A little bit of panic here this morning...

Every now and again I get the tinglings and aches in my right hand signalling I'm overusing it.  I mentioned this before when I was knitting daily in the winter.  I don't know if this is carpel tunnel syndrome or what.
  For years, I would experience the same feeling at report card time (back in the old days, they had to be hand written) and with a day or two of rest, all would be normal.

Two weeks ago I started with a slightly swollen index finger knuckle, something brand new to me, and achiness along the palm and up the fingers of my right hand.. I stopped all sewing and typing. I kept reminding myself to relax the death hold that I usually put on the steering wheel when driving.  I didn't use the pick ax once in the garden.  I switched Murphy's leash to my left hand when I was walking her. Surprising all the things you do that involve a tight grip of the hand.
And even at night, I made sure to rest my bad hand in a neutral position on a pillow which I'd read would be helpful.

 I've now been a week pampering this hand,and it is improving though mostly in the knuckle which is almost back to normal. But I am still feeling twinges up and down my hand like those you get when you hit your funny bone. Definitely not bounced back to a completely symptom free state.  So I'm thinking when younger, a day or two of rest would make it all better, now I will need a week or two.  So we start week 2 of kindness to right hand.

Because there is no question about me not stitching.  When I say it is my therapy, I'm not kidding. My mind went to a bad place just contemplating what would I do if I couldn't sit and stitch. 

So now, I have to take further action.

 Glucosomine perhaps; research shows it helps some with taming arthritic symptoms.

A wrist splint
maybe; I just read a study that said this greatly helped patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

With that in mind, I looked up a couple of splints; the one on the right is to wear at night.  I guess it's important to keep the wrist and hand aligned and in that important neutral position. 
This one on the left is designed for women and gets good reviews. I've seen pictures of stitchers wearing these types of supports.

 
 I think I will check out the night time wearing one.  Though I wonder what Hubby will think.  I once tried lotioning my hands and wearing white gloves at night as a solution for dry skin.  I had to stop because Hubby found the white gloves looked a bit freaky in the dark. Ha ha

I promise myself to take more breaks when I'm stitching.  I just read that for each hour of sewing/knitting/etc., fifteen minutes of it should be taking a break.

I looked through various videos on Youtube that offered exercises to help with sore wrists and fingers.  This one made by Chris Madden, The Top 3 Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 
seemed like a good one.  I'm already doing them. 

So I  think I have a plan

1. Take glucosomine; it's worth a try from what I've read

2. Wear a wrist splint at night

3. Make the effort to take more breaks when stitching 

4. Practice the exercises specifically for improving wrist and finger movement

Cause not stitching is not an option.
No need to panic.

This will be interesting to see if it works for me.