Your Body Almanac

Knitting and crochet

Thousands of small, repeated stitches with your head bent over the work.

Knitting and crochet are calming and good for the mind. The body cost is repetition and posture. Thousands of small stitches load the thumb and wrist, and looking down at your lap for hours strains the neck and eyes.

01

Thumb and wrist tendon pain

Gripping needles or a hook and twisting the wrist over and over can irritate the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. Pain when you pinch or turn your wrist is a common sign.

SourcesDe Quervain's tendinosis (OrthoInfo, AAOS)Repetitive strain injury (NHS)
Do tendon glides for your handsDailyMove your fingers through five positions to help the tendons slide smoothly through the wrist. Stretch your wrists and forearmsDailyGentle wrist flexor and extensor stretches for hands that type, grip or tap all day. Get up and move every 30 minutesDailyBreak up long stretches of sitting with a few minutes of standing or walking.
02

Neck and upper back strain

Looking down at your work for long stretches pulls your head forward and rounds your shoulders. Neck and upper back aches build over the hours.

SourcesNeck pain (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Do chin tucksDailyGlide your head straight back to counter the forward-head posture that screens and desks encourage. Stretch the sides of your neckDailySlow side tilts to loosen neck and upper-shoulder muscles that tense up at desks. Extend your upper back over a chairDailyGently bend your mid-back backwards over a chair to counter hours of rounding forward.
03

Hand numbness and trigger finger

Repeated gripping can contribute to carpal tunnel symptoms or a finger that catches and locks as you bend it.

SourcesCarpal tunnel syndrome (OrthoInfo, AAOS)Trigger finger (OrthoInfo, AAOS)
Do tendon glides for your handsDailyMove your fingers through five positions to help the tendons slide smoothly through the wrist. Vary your grip and postureDailySwitch hands, tasks and positions so the same muscles and tendons are not loaded for hours.
04

Eye strain from close work

Focusing on fine stitches up close for a long time tires the eye muscles, especially in dim light or with an out-of-date prescription.

SourcesComputer vision syndrome (American Optometric Association)
Follow the 20-20-20 ruleDailyEvery 20 minutes at a screen, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Get a comprehensive eye examYearlySee an optometrist or ophthalmologist every one to two years, and every year once you are 65 or at higher risk.
05

Long hours sitting

A good project can keep you in your chair all evening. Long, unbroken sitting is linked to poorer heart and metabolic health.

SourcesHealth risks of an inactive lifestyle (MedlinePlus)
Get up and move every 30 minutesDailyBreak up long stretches of sitting with a few minutes of standing or walking. Take a brisk daily walkDailyWalk at a pace that raises your breathing for at least 10 minutes a day, building up over time.

When to see a professional

See a doctor for numbness or tingling that wakes you at night, a finger that locks or catches, or thumb or wrist pain that lasts more than a few weeks despite rest.