Sore wrists???

[Sis]

This might be a dumb question (I'm famous for those ) but is it normal to have very sore wrists when rooting? I'm rooting my very first baby and I can't believe how sore my left wrist is...the one that holds the mohair. It hurts terribly. Am I doing something wrong, or is it just a part of rooting? Is there something I can do to prevent the pain?

[Sally - USA]

I don't know the answer to your question but I DO have a remedy.
I was just told about Arnica by my 88 year old mother. And then my son and his wife told me about it too.
It comes as a gel or rub on, it's a pain reliever and it also helps bruises.
I have tried it, and so has my husband now, and we both think it works!

We found it in our grocery store but it's available in the health food store and, believe it or not, Target too!

[kristi]

Yes it can be if doing repetitive activity, it often impinges the nerves when tendons cause friction or become fatigued. You can end up with carpal tunnel syndrome or other nerve impingement. Wrist splints like Futuro brand can help while you are rooting to keep your wrist in neutral and decrease wrist flexion. Local drugstores have them.

[Sally - USA]

Your solution Kristi sounds like a good idea!

[Sis]

I don't know the answer to your question but I DO have a remedy.
I was just told about Arnica by my 88 year old mother. And then my son and his wife told me about it too.
It comes as a gel or rub on, it's a pain reliever and it also helps bruises.
I have tried it, and so has my husband now, and we both think it works!

We found it in our grocery store but it's available in the health food store and, believe it or not, Target too!

Wow, that sounds very cool! I'll have to look for that stuff. Than you so much!

[Sis]

Yes it can be if doing repetitive activity, it often impinges the nerves when tendons cause friction or become fatigued. You can end up with carpal tunnel syndrome or other nerve impingement. Wrist splints like Futuro brand can help while you are rooting to keep your wrist in neutral and decrease wrist flexion. Local drugstores have them.

Thank you! I was wondering if braces of some sort might help.

[Sally - USA]

You are most welcome. Please let me know what your experience is if you by Arnica.

[Debbie@TNGUN]

Arnica is an awesome product and you can take Arnica pills too (you let them absorb under your tongue). Tiger balm is excellent as well but the thing that saves my wrists the most are Nikken magnets. I use all three!

Here is a link to the most current Nikken magnetic bracelet: http://www.ebay.com/itm/NIKKEN-KENKO-PO ... 1c52f45c92

[RedBilled]

Wrist braces are no good if you're working. They're designed to immobilize the joint to give it a chance to heal. Most people keep working anyway which makes it worse, because apart from still doing whatever task it was you were doing before, you are doing it fighting against the brace.

Magnets don't do anything at all.

A homeopathic preparation of Arnica, or anything else for that matter, also does nothing at all.

There is evidence that (actual) Arnica applied topically can help with pain and inflammation so that's worth trying, just make sure that what you buy actually has Arnica in it and isn't the homeopathic variety.

As to actually preventing your injury in the first place -- I'd suggest check your posture. Perhaps you're holding you're holding the head too tight, perhaps you have your wrist at a funny angle, or perhaps you're using your wrist to support the weight of your arm.

It might also be worth having someone watch you work, or work in front of a mirror or record it so you can better see what it is that you're doing from another angle.

[Debbie@TNGUN]

Wrist braces are no good if you're working. They're designed to immobilize the joint to give it a chance to heal. Most people keep working anyway which makes it worse, because apart from still doing whatever task it was you were doing before, you are doing it fighting against the brace.

Magnets don't do anything at all.

A homeopathic preparation of Arnica, or anything else for that matter, also does nothing at all.

There is evidence that (actual) Arnica applied topically can help with pain and inflammation so that's worth trying, just make sure that what you buy actually has Arnica in it and isn't the homeopathic variety.

As to actually preventing your injury in the first place -- I'd suggest check your posture. Perhaps you're holding you're holding the head too tight, perhaps you have your wrist at a funny angle, or perhaps you're using your wrist to support the weight of your arm.

It might also be worth having someone watch you work, or work in front of a mirror or record it so you can better see what it is that you're doing from another angle.

I am sorry but I have to fully disagree with you regarding the magnets. It DOES depend on the type of magnets one purchases. The ones at Walmart etc usually do nothing at all. I have used Nikken Magnetic therapy on myself, my family and my pets for over 14 years. I know for a FACT that it does indeed work. I cannot do the work that I do without it.

Yes, one needs to make sure they are purchasing pure arnica and not a mixture diluting it down. And yes, immobilizing the wrist and other joints could cause problems but the use of a magnetic bracelet like in the link I showed does not immobilize the wrist.

[LollipopCradle_Paula]

Glad you asked about this Sis. My wrists get sore sometimes too. And thank you ladies for the arnica and magnet suggestions that work for you.

[Sis]

Thank you, ladies! I am glad there are so many different things for me to try.

[Adaberny]

i use to have to wear an arthritis glove when rooting, it gave me comfort for my very sore wrists when i had done my first 2 heads, but over time i can say it does disappear, i barely use it now. I guess its just muscle memory perhaps..

[RedBilled]

I am sorry but I have to fully disagree with you regarding the magnets.

I'm sorry, I should have stated that they don't work beyond placebo. From the ebay link provided:

STRENGTH PLUS FULL RANGE OF MOTION. You'll feel the difference when you wear the PowerBand™ Wrist bracelet. It uses exclusive TriPhase® Technology, Far-Infrared Technology, and Negative-Ion Comfort Technology, that release the kind of negative ions that one finds near natural settings like waterfalls, streams, and forests. These give a tranquil, relaxed feeling and sense of well being!

Those "technical" terms sort of sound good, but don't actually make any sense at all; quackery at it's best.

A weak, static magnetic field applied outside the body has no demonstrated efficacy, and also no plausible mechanism for it to work.

Basically, if the honking-big magnet in an MRI does nothing to you, a little baby one on your wrist won't either. For comparison, the magnet in an MRI machine is capable of sending metal objects flying across the room, whereas the magnets typically used in "therapeutic" devices barely stick to each other.

A quick article on pubmed sums it up http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1325112/, and there are plenty of studies published there as well if you're interested in reading.

Sorry, health-related scams are a bit of a red flag for me. At least this one isn't dangerous for the user, just for their wallet.

[Sis]

i use to have to wear an arthritis glove when rooting, it gave me comfort for my very sore wrists when i had done my first 2 heads, but over time i can say it does disappear, i barely use it now. I guess its just muscle memory perhaps..

I'm glad to know that pain gets better as wrists get stronger! Thanks Ada!

[krystleslittlemonkeys]

With having Lupus it effects my joints so my fingers and wrists can get painful and swollen when rooting. So I usually root for 1-2 hours max per day or if I have a full day free I will root and hour and then take an hour or so break, on and off all day. I make sure to stretch when I take the breaks and put heating pads on my hands if needed.

[Beachwalker Mandy]

I have a lot of arthritis in my wrists. I have bought the wrist supports to use when my wrists really hurt. Usually I don't need to use them more than a day or two and I am back to being pain free. I also take Ibuprofen when my wrists really pain me a lot. Also, that is not a daily necessity, just a day or two and I am usually back to being pain free. I knit and crochet daily so I am using my wrists constantly.

[HushabyeMargie]

I had a problem with that years ago when I used to reborn all the time and was very busy. My doctor suggested an elbow brace while working and wrist braces the rest of the time. He said part of the problem was sitting with my arms in the same position for long periods of time, not necessarily the difficulty of the work.

I make my own arnica balm and it really does work. I discovered it a few years ago when I had a torn rotator cuff in my shoulder. I had to stop using the more traditional rubs because the menthol was irritating my skin. I've given my recipe to physical therapists who were thrilled with it. It's great when inflammation is the problem. Or bruising. Mine smells really good too.

[Debbie@TNGUN]

I am sorry but I have to fully disagree with you regarding the magnets.

I'm sorry, I should have stated that they don't work beyond placebo. From the ebay link provided:

STRENGTH PLUS FULL RANGE OF MOTION. You'll feel the difference when you wear the PowerBand™ Wrist bracelet. It uses exclusive TriPhase® Technology, Far-Infrared Technology, and Negative-Ion Comfort Technology, that release the kind of negative ions that one finds near natural settings like waterfalls, streams, and forests. These give a tranquil, relaxed feeling and sense of well being!

Those "technical" terms sort of sound good, but don't actually make any sense at all; quackery at it's best.

A weak, static magnetic field applied outside the body has no demonstrated efficacy, and also no plausible mechanism for it to work.

Basically, if the honking-big magnet in an MRI does nothing to you, a little baby one on your wrist won't either. For comparison, the magnet in an MRI machine is capable of sending metal objects flying across the room, whereas the magnets typically used in "therapeutic" devices barely stick to each other.

A quick article on pubmed sums it up http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1325112/, and there are plenty of studies published there as well if you're interested in reading.

Sorry, health-related scams are a bit of a red flag for me. At least this one isn't dangerous for the user, just for their wallet.

Nikken Magnetic Therapy is not a scam. It truly does work for me, my family, my animals (they are the perfect testers of "placebo", as are babies) and many of my friends who have tried it. Like I said, it depends on where you buy the magnets. (BTW, I am not a distributor for Nikken and I gain nothing from telling people how they work for me.) Nikken magnets are costly, although cheaper than drugs, and I'll pass up the big screen TV and the trip to McDonalds for my health. Plus I would much rather use natural therapies over drugs any day. The article link you provided screams the typical government subsidies to doctors that I see in the medical field. Doctors push RX drugs because they are subsidized and supported to do so. Here is what Thomas Edison says about doctors:

"The doctor of the future will give no medications, but will interest his patients in the case of the human frame, diet and in the cause and preventions of disease." ~Thomas A. Edison

What a profound statement in all that I have learned about health and longevity.

So, you don't have to believe it, especially if you have never tried it, but it is unfair to state that it DOES NOT WORK to those who are looking for an answer to their discomfort.

[Sis]

With having Lupus it effects my joints so my fingers and wrists can get painful and swollen when rooting. So I usually root for 1-2 hours max per day or if I have a full day free I will root and hour and then take an hour or so break, on and off all day. I make sure to stretch when I take the breaks and put heating pads on my hands if needed.

Ahh...Lupus is not fun! I have hemophilia, so when my joints and muscles do something they're not used to doing I have to take it very slow and careful (apparently something as low-impact as rooting!). The heating pad is a really good idea...I bet that would help me a lot. Also, thanks for the reminder to slow down. I always want to get things done FAST, sometimes at the expense of my body.