I just got a job at a cupcake bakery, and my hand is killing me! I've always had easily cramp-able hands, and squeezing the icing bag all day really hurts. Is this normal? Will I get used to it? Also, the repetitive motion from scooping the batter into the cupcake trays is also quite uncomfortable, and I don't want to get repetitive motion injury from it later down the line. Any way I can help prevent it?

Thanks for your help! And I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong section. I looked but couldn't find an area for cupcake-related injuries hehe

EDIT: I meant to post this in cupcakes and now I can't move it...

Stretch your hands, fingers, wrists and arms before and after work each day for 10 minutes. Every hour, take 2 minutes to stretch as well. There are also soft braces you can wear.

I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from waitressing for 15 years but since I started caking it has intensified a lot. I wear braces at night and it usually helps me make it through the day. Sometimes I wear them during the day after a long night decorating.

I wear braces at night too. I wear the ones you get at the pharmacy that have steel inserts. They saved my hands.
For me, I got a lot of pain right away and then it eased as I got used to it. Hopefully for you, its just like working out, where your muscles are sore. If its pinched nerves, try the braces.
Otherwise, stretching helps too.

i assume you got the hardest job in the bakery. being new. before i would go on and on with it and take a chance of my hands cramping and carpal tunnel, and surgery in the future, etc, etc,. i would quit now. it is not worth it. my son suffers with pain in his wrist, it hurts me to see and know this. his came from working at a glass company 20 yrs. ago. he sleeps with braces. being an electrian doesn,t help it much either. he can,t afford to take off work to get the surgery. hope yours gets better. just exercise. dr. oz, the other nite. talked about this. he says to hold your arms out straight, and just like flap your hands back and forth pretty fast. you know like, up and down , up and down. hth

You NEED to do carpel tunnel excercises and streches EVERYDAY!!!!. Do them while you're watching tv, sitting, whenever. The more you move and excersize those muscles, the better off you'll be and the longer your body will last. Look some up online.

I understand your pain! My symptoms were really bad when I first started cake decorating. I was all set to have the surgery but came down with a really bad infection in my jaw and spent months recovering. The surgery had to be canceled. Since then I have been taking Flexerill at night (and sometimes during the day), I wear braces on both of my hands at night when I am doing a lot of physical work (not just decorating, but even working in the yard, etc.). I also take 800 mg ibuprofen as needed (prescribed by my dr.) Every now and then I take a whole weekend and do absolutely nothing by rest my hands. Makes things a whole lot easier to manage the pain. I have also learned to wear my braces during a lot of the decorating process, even while piping. However, I will say that I have adapted my decorating ideas and techniques to use methods that require as little actual piping as possible. I have a full time day job as a legal assistant and type all day long, and have learned to wear my braces while I type, write and file. I also gave up using my regular computer at home and got a laptop that I can use with my hands and arms lower than my elbows. That has made a big difference for me as well.

I know that what I do works for me and might not work for you. Try different things and you will find a combination that works for you.

Good luck

Anyone with CTS should get the surgery ASAP. CTS causes cumulative-damage to the nerves. The longer you wait to have the surgery, the more damage is being done and the less effective the surgery will ultimately be. I had surgery within weeks of being diagnosed and have not had any problems since.