?Arthritis of thumbs makes thin to thick cuts difficult. Any experience?

highveldt · Dec 5, 2016

Should I just try to work it out with more heel on my gravers; or have some of you with hand problems of not being able to hold the graver well enough to cut very thin cuts found other methods to work around this disorder.

Arthritis in my thumb joints and some in my fingers.

FANCYGUN · Dec 5, 2016

Are you hand pushing or using power assist? Power is a bit easier but most importantly try to lighten up on your grip try also a longer or shorter graver thus changing your finger postition slightly

Brian Marshall · Dec 5, 2016

I have that problem as well as a "few" others.

This is my morning ritual on the days that engrave. It works for me, and believe me - I have tried everything I could find.

There is a Diclofenac cream, which I've never seen available up here (don't get me started on the US pharmaceutical industry) called Voltaren in Mexico. Made by Geigy, a Swiss company.

You can find it in any border town pharmacy for around $5 a tube last time I bought a box of them.

What I do is apply the cream to the affected fingers, let it dry. It goes through the skin...

Then I have a hot wax tank (commonly available, try Amazon) that I dip the entire hand into about 8 or 10 times.

Build it up to about a 3/8" thick "glove". Cover the hand with a plastic bag and insert it into a thermal glove made for the purpose. (or wrap with a towel)

I've learned to keyboard with the other hand and post on here, sit and read, meditate, or lay on the floor with a pile of dogs on top of me for about 20 minutes...

Strip it all off, put the wax back in the tank to use again. Wash the residue off your hands.

Then there are hand and finger "exercisers" (Amazon again) that I work with for 10 minutes to loosen everything up.

It takes a lot of time to do all of this, but all of you will someday get to this point - where you haven't much other choice...

Brian

Sandy · Dec 5, 2016

I have found that blue emu cream helps me with my wrists and fingers.

PaulE · Dec 5, 2016

I second blue emu cream. Buy it at WalMart

Dave London · Dec 5, 2016

Welcome to the golden years

Silberschweif · Dec 6, 2016

Last jear i got my first expirience with that **** and i tryed a few things.
Diclofrenec works best against the pain but only in a higher dose for me.
I had very good results with the Hildegard von Bingen Medicine specialy with vermouth cream

that reciept

"Break the vermouth (leaves) in a mortar into juice, then take a portion of the stag, two pieces of deer stale, and four parts of this vermouth juice (mash). Make an ointment. A man who is afflicted with severe rheumatism, so that even his limbs threaten to break in the joints, the anointing near the fire where it hurts him, and he is healed. "

you can buy a ready bottle as well but dont know if its on the american market.

Hildegard von Bingen has a very straight philosophy about healthy Nutrition
you can try that too for me it was a hard expeirience but it helped
There are a few books out
we have changed a few things since then so we do bake our own bread a few times a week
spelt bread its delicious and very healthy
and you can be sure there are no chemicals inside

highveldt · Dec 6, 2016

Brian et al;

I did not realize that more than a "few" others had similar arthritis problems as I do. Thank all of you for your mention of the ointments and methods you use to help. I am going to make a trip to Walmart pharmacy to see if I can find them.

Also what is the temperature of the wax bath that you use and where do you procure such a "machine"?

Regards;
Steve

Brian Marshall · Dec 6, 2016

This is the unit I have been using since my hand was rebuilt 30 years ago... so, I think it might be considered fairly durable?

You don't need to worry about the temp, comes preset.

https://www.amazon.com/Therabath-Pr...8&qid=1481047276&sr=1-2&keywords=parafin+tank

There ARE more economical ones out there that work just as well, just don't know anything about 'em.

Brian

Dave London · Dec 6, 2016

Also compression gloves help YMMV

mdengraver · Dec 31, 2017

Vick's Vapor Rub is good for removing many aches, including earaches!

takedeadaim · Dec 31, 2017

Ill second the compression gloves, best Ive found also help with vibration reduction and protect the carpel tunnel area. I must be the odd man out, heat feels good when applied but later brings more inflammation. Massaging the hands in the AM helps get me moving.

monk · Dec 31, 2017

brian: man what a routine to have to endure !. does the technique reduce pain, stiffness, or both ? curious to also know the duration of relief this brings to your engraving hand ? i have no arthritis. but now and then the fingers of my engraving hand will go into spasms. sometimes they "lock up". i have found immersion in very warm water helps relax the spasms.

Big-Un · Jan 1, 2018

I don't have severe arthritis in my hands, but enough to hurt and am not able to make a simple fist, but I found that a cream named Two Old Goats works well enough to ease the pain. As for engraving, I use Lindsay's PalmControl and can adjust the settings to suit the lines desired. I also found that I unconsciously grip the handpiece way too tight and learned to just hold it loosely and let the graver do its job, not force it to cut.

mdengraver · Jan 1, 2018

Big-Un may the force be with you in 2018!

Big-Un · Jan 1, 2018

mdengraver said:
Big-Un may the force be with you in 2018!

Thank you and may 2018 be your best year yet.

?Arthritis of thumbs makes thin to thick cuts difficult. Any experience?

highveldt

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