Adventures with Craft-Related Injuries

Well I experienced my first *real* craft-related injury last week!  No, not the usual needle stab wounds to my fingers, sitting on my pin cushion, or slipping on a pile of scraps.  This time I had a brush with carpal tunnel!  All of the tendons from my wrist almost down to my elbow were so sore I couldn't do anything with my right hand for several days!  It was all the cutting involved in making several fabric flowers for my shop, as well as the hand-sewing.  I tried several remedies and checked with my trusty chat friends on how to address the problem.

One of the most successful treatments was wrapping the affected area in a "moist heat" producing heating pad - the one I normally use when I twist my ankle (a common occurrence).  I also tried splinting my wrist to limit movement.  It didn't really do anything other than abate my symptoms during the time it was immobile.

One of my jewelry designer friends told me about a therapy he swears by - contrast baths.  It involves 2 buckets of water, one as hot as you can stand, and one as cold as you can stand.  Dip the affected arm in the hot one first, wait, and then in the cold.  Repeat as necessary.  He tells me it feels "wonderful" but it sounds like some kind of torture to me!

I suffered with this injury for more than 3 days.  The symptoms finally began to disappear after a few treatments with the heating pad, a hefty dose of anti-inflamatories, and gently massaging the tendons on the rounded corner of my desk for about 4 hours!  The next day it was much better.  I'm happy to report that I've regained function in my right arm again!  yay!  Next time I will take precautions before I go on a cutting binge!  Feel free to share your experiences and remedies related to craft induced injuries!!