Knitting, sewing, drawing, painting, pottery and other crafts all rely on your hands and wrists. When one wrist has started aching, the hobby that usually helps you unwind can start to feel like hard work. A few changes to your tools, position and session length can help you keep creating while your wrist settles.

Why crafts can affect your wrist

Many crafts involve small, precise movements repeated thousands of times, often while gripping a needle, brush, pen or tool tightly. Knitting and crochet use quick, repeated wrist and finger movements. Drawing and painting can mean holding your wrist bent for a long time. Cutting, sculpting and pottery need strength and pressure.

When you are absorbed in a project, it is easy to lose track of time. Long sessions without a break are often what tips a wrist into soreness. In most cases, the wrist is irritated rather than damaged.

Your tools

Some changes to your tools can reduce how hard you grip:

• Use thicker or padded pens, pencils and brushes, or add a foam grip.
• Choose ergonomic knitting needles or crochet hooks with wider handles.
• Use spring-loaded scissors, which open by themselves.
• Use a rotary cutter and cutting mat for fabric.
• Keep blades and scissors sharp, so you need less force.

Your position

How you sit and hold your work can make a big difference:

• Keep your wrist straight, in line with your forearm, as much as you can.
• Use a sloped board or easel for drawing and painting, so your wrist does not bend back as much.
• Rest your forearm on a table or cushion to support your arm.
• Bring your work closer, rather than reaching.
• Use a good light, so you do not need to grip tightly to see fine detail.

Ideas for particular crafts

A few changes for different crafts:

• Knitting and crochet. Try looser tension, larger needles or hooks, and chunkier yarn for now.
• Drawing and painting. Move from your elbow and shoulder for larger strokes, rather than just your wrist.
• Sewing. Use pins or clips rather than holding fabric tightly, and a sewing machine for long seams.
• Pottery and sculpting. Use softer clay, tools rather than your hands for shaping, and shorter spells at the wheel.
• Card making and papercraft. Use a craft knife with a thick handle, and ready-cut shapes for now.
• Embroidery and cross-stitch. Use a hoop on a stand or clamp, so you are not gripping it for long spells.

Choosing smaller projects for a while, like a hat rather than a jumper, can help you keep enjoying your craft without long sessions.

Working in shorter sessions

Long sessions are often what bothers a sore wrist most. Some ideas:

• Work in sessions of around 20 to 30 minutes, with breaks between.
• Set a timer if you tend to lose track of time.
• Switch between tasks that use your hands differently, like planning, sketching and choosing colours.
• Spread a bigger project across more days.

VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can remind you to pause.

Gentle movement during breaks

Something to try between sessions:

• Open your hand wide, then make a gentle fist.
• Gently bend your wrist up and down.
• Turn your palm up, then down.
• Shake your hands out loosely.

If you would like a guided stretch, VIDA has short videos you can follow at your own pace.

Reading how your wrist responds

A mild ache during or after crafting that settles within an hour or so is usually fine. If your wrist is sorer the next morning, make your next session shorter.

Building strength

As your wrist feels easier, gentle strengthening helps it cope with longer sessions. Something to try a few times a week:

• Grip squeezes. Squeeze a soft ball or rolled-up sock for a few seconds, then let go.
• Wrist curls. Rest your forearm on a table, palm up, with your hand over the edge. Holding a light tin, slowly lift and lower your hand.
• Finger spread. Place a rubber band around your fingers and gently spread them apart.

Start light and build up gradually.

Building back up

As your wrist settles, you can gradually build your sessions back up and return to more demanding techniques. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how your wrist responds.

What to take away

• Repeated, precise movements and tight grips can load a sore wrist.
• Use thicker, padded tools and keep blades sharp.
• Keep your wrist straight and support your forearm.
• Work in shorter sessions with breaks between.
• Build grip and wrist strength as things settle.

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