Hey-I have a home based cake business and am now gettting to the point where I average 7-10 cakes a week. Since its just me, that's about all I can handle- but I do worry about my hands. I've seen so many posts of people who mention their carpel tunnel issues.

How do you prevent it from happening?

possably one of those wrist supports? I've never used one, but man oh man does my wrist get sore. Anyone out there use these and does it help or hinder your movement with a piping bag?
Amy

When I worked at Sea World back in the day, I had to work in the ice cream parlor for a few hours and got sore really quickly. They told me to scoop using my whole arm, not just my wrist. Maybe the same thing applies here? I think the wrist supports would help though too.

I'm an MT, I worry about carpal tunnel every single day.

I've posted this once a few months ago and someone answered with this link:

http://www.will-harris.com/yoga/rsi.html

The one suggesting me was a therapist I think. Those exercise work well. We always prepare before doing major exercises, but before work we should do the same.

HTH

Lorris

Thanks everybody- and thanks for the link Pootchi!

My wrist is also weak. I sleep in a wrist support every night (which you can buy in any pharmacy) and it really helps.

I had alot of trouble with mine when I was working at a packaging facility. I haven't had much trouble since being a SAHM, but now that I am getting more into cake decorating I am having trouble again. Numbess and tingling at night and some pain for a couple of days after making a cake that runs up from my wrist into my arm. Definately will be getting some wrist supports and using my braces at night again. Thanks for the link Pootchi. I will check it out now.

This problem comes from repetative movements without stretching the ligaments. This is done over and over and over for months and years. The doctors have to go in and release the nerves to give you relief. They do a nerve shock test to see how bad it is. Brace's are a temporary fix and will not cure the problem. If there is damage and you stop whatever is causing the problem, you still have the damage. It may not hurt as much, but it will come back eventually. If you do repetative motions, just stop every half hour and stretch all muscles, take a break, then try again. Surgery does help, but you can avoid it if you watch your angle of hands while working.

The supports help to keep your wrists straight, which can help prevent carpal tunnel. It's a pressure on the nerve which can be caused by a number of things. Genetics also plays a role here.

dldbrou, thanks for the info. I have had surgery already on my right hand. I had worked at the packaging facility for about 3 years when I got pregnant with my first. I had alot of swelling late in pregnancy...live in the humid deep south it was late July and I was 7 1/2 months along. Add to that the repetive motion, recipe for carpal tunnel.

My doctor actually recommended I use the brace at night. It keeps you from balling up your hand and making a fist, which makes the numbness and pain worse. This is something I do unconsciously in my sleep all the time. And the brace does help alot. I've noticed that when I have trouble again from rep. motion, if I wear the brace at night it at least keeps me from doing further damage in my sleep.

I proceeded to get so swollen during my pregnancy that working was not possible. My feet wouldn't go into regular shoes that I had to wear in the facilty (no open toe shoes were allowed). I got to the point that I could only wear a pear of stretchy flip-flop shoes or bedroom slippers. My hands were so swollen that I could not move them the way I had to to work. I had to go on early maternity leave. There was a good chance I wouldn't have so much trouble after the delivery, since the swelling would go down. But it continued to be a problem in my right hand/wrist. I had a ganglion cyst that actually formed on my wrist My right hand was in terrible shape, so 12 weeks postpartem I had surgery. And have been fine with that one ever since. It is my left one now that is the bother. I haven't worked in that facilty for about 2 years and this is my first recurrence of the problem since I've started doing alot of piping.

I developed pain in one wrist and tennis elbow in the same arm. I also made 20-30 cakes a week all myself. I ended up with a cortesone(sp?) shot, but the exercise the doctor had me do to strengthen my wrist was: take a small 1 or 2 lb. weight in your hand, rest your elbow on the edge of, say, the arm on your couch and just simply lift the weight just moving your wrist up and down. Do this motion with your palms up and then switch to palms down. It helps to strengthen the ligamens in the wrist and arm. Hope this helps!

NikkiDoc, you hit the nail on the head, (piping) you are keeping your hand in a position for a long period of time that is aggreviating your problem. After I had surgery I started back at throwing pottery clay and developed a trigger thumb. Another surgery to release a nerve. Both surgeries fixed my problems, but not as much strength in my hand now. I would do it all over again because it made such a difference in the pain.

It does help with the pain so much, dldbrou, I would have my surgery all over again too. I breastfed my daughter, so I was trying to do that as a new mom with one hand/arm. It was very awkward to say the least. At least by that time I had 12 weeks experience! My mom took a family medical leave from her job to help me with the baby which was a Godsend. It was very nice spending that time, just us 3 girls...I remember after the surgery going to have a nice big breakfast at cracker barrel still loopy from meds and when I got home I was sooo sleepy. I curled up with the baby and napped...that was the best nap of my life! LOL

dldbrou, oh...the reason for the left one now bothering me....I'm left handed...forgot to mention that.

NikkiDoc, I feel you pain. I am a former south paw myself. I had my right hand operated on since that was my main usage hand and the pain in my left was not as severe. Now, since my right hand is weaker, it gets tired faster and I tend to switch to my left hand. Then it starts to bother me. I guess eventually I will have my left done if it starts keeping me awake at night. I just use it for repet. movement if necessary. I guess I should explain why I am a former south paw, I was forced to switch hands when I was in 3rd grade. Was not allowed to go onto 4th until I switched. I was so stubborn that I repeated the 3rd grade and then gave in. I am glad that they do not do that anymore to kids. It really messed with my mind for the next 4 years. I tend to stick to my beliefs more now and there is no changing my mind.

One thing that I would like to add is also working with your hands at a higher position. Repetitive injuries occurr yes but if you have your hands lower than your elbow you do not cut off the proper circulation. That is why when typing or playing the piano your wrists should be lower than the elbow.
I have suffered a lot and still tend to from time to time. But when I take better care and make sure I am in a proper position I have found that I stave off the problems.
I used the braces for years but found them to be painful too. Now I just watch what I am doing and I take breaks, stretch and change positions a lot.
Claire

oh my goodness! I've heard that it used to be very common for children to be forced to use their right hand if they were left handed. I've never actually known of anyone who endured it, but now I do! It really must have been very traumatic.

I can't imagine using my right hand for things that require alot of coordination. Most of the time my right hand, when it comes to things like writing or piping, feels like a piece of dead meat. I'm sure righties feel the same about their left hands. I like being left handed. It kind of forces you to have your own way of doing things, since you have to do almost everything backwards or reversed. LOL

When I had my surgery on my right hand, I was substituting at a high school at the time. The kids knew that I was right handed and were amazed that I could write very legable on the board with my left hand. They were all trying to see if they could do it and were amazed that I could. I told them that I look at it now like a second language. Some people have a talent that others have trouble with. I do a painting technique on walls and I am always using both hands to paint. In tennis for years, I did not have a backhand, I would just switch hands. Some people would call this ambidextrious (sp) but I was not born this way, I learned it from being forced to. When I write on paper, I still have to turn my paper completely sideways like a left hander does. Otherwise I write backhand.

i was once a lefty too.

when i was little they switched me too...and for awhile i wrote in a mirror image.

a healthy diet has alot to do with suffering from carpel tunnel...

i think it has to do with keeping the swelling down, so the nerves don't get pinched.

This was done in 1963. The thinking back then was that if you were lefthanded, you would face to many obstacles in life and that if they would change the use of your hands then your life would be more like everyone else. They used the excuse of sports, scissors, eating next to someone, and many everyday situations. They never realized that it would mess up the person they were switching. I felt like I would never be excepted as normal or that I was defected. I was only 7 and until I was 12, I did not care for school at all. I shut down. It is sort of funny now that my parents have grandchildren and great grandchildren that are lefthanded and they are strong minded and have no adjustment problems. I'm glad the world changed its' thinking on this subject.

There used to be lots of superstitions and negative connotations about left-handedness as well. I read a book called The Left Handed-Syndrome and this was mentioned in that book as well as lots of other interesting facts. One being that people don't just have a favored hand, but also a favored foot, and a favored eye even! And that alot of people who are left handed are also left footed and left eyed (the way to tell is by paying attention to which foot you put forward first when climbing steps, getting up from a seat, etc. And by which eye you close when you wink.) It was very good read. Found it at our local public library.

So those of you who have had the carpal tunnel surgery would do it again? I need it done it both hands. (The neurologist who diagnosed me suggested I have them both done at the same time..yeah, right) Is the recovery time long? I would probably go nuts if I couldn't decorate for months!

Yes. I would definately have it done again. It help so much with the pain and the numbness. Recovery is not that bad at all. But I only had one done. Two might be more difficult but just because you won't be able to do anything for awhile. It doesn't take that long. But it does feel weaker, but it's a small price to pay to ease the pain IMHO.

Ditto here. I was amazed at the lack of pain from surgery after. I was expecting throbbing and swelling. Very little pain and no swelling. Recovery not long, but limited usage for a few months.

I had a lot of trouble and started taking vit.B6.Taken reg.Dont have any trouble. It was so bad I cried at night and couldnt sleep.But must keep taking it.But its worth it.

Interesting PTLA, I am going to look that up and maybe try it. Thanks!