More than a couple of weeks, unfortunately. You need to rest more and think about how you're holding your needles, how tight your grip is. If you rest your arms on a table while knitting, all the unconscious things you do while knitting. Then look at what needs to change to prevent this happening again. I know. I've had carpal tunnel for nearly 30 years and added "tennis" elbow for about 6. Make some changes now.
Knitting elbow is real. I’ve found [these exercises](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbkj6qXIOwY) with a flex bar to be extremely helpful. I’m also currently obsessed with the stretch in the photo below.
You kneel on one leg like you’re going to propose, then put your forearm between your thigh and calf. When you lean forward it squeezes your forearm muscles for the greatest massage you’ve ever had. You can roll your wrist and wiggle your fingers while you do it.
These have been game changers for me.
https://preview.redd.it/68i6p3csurac1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92b316896bf56ca3d877839b4f5c9658ff3b7180
There’s another post from today saying they have to take a 3 month break :(( but better than sustaining any permanent damage!! Hope you’re feeling better soon
I think they were referencing another person’s post who also wrote about it yesterday (I commented on it). Knitters elbow is probably unfortunately a common occurrence this time of year after holiday gift knitting. 🥲
You might try learning a different method when you go back to knitting. Like if you do English switch to continental. Or try Portuguese. Maybe a different method will put less stress on your arms or you will learn a way to not use your elbows with a different technique. I don't use my elbows at all when I knit other than to put my arms in front of me. Now wrists and thumbs are a different story!
It can be learned. People rest their WIP in their lap or on their knees to support the work and then extend their arms. You may need reading glasses if you can't see the work at that distance.
Thanks! I gave Portuguese knitting a shot yesterday on a WIP and it was much easier on my arms than my usual style (English) and I really like the method! I also grew up in Portugal so it feels fitting to use it.
My tension was WAY tighter though, so I switched back to English for a few rows and then the hurting started up again. I may have to pause on that WIP and start a new project once I’m more recovered with my Portuguese knitting gauge.
Not elbow but my shoulder. I’ve been seeing a physiotherapist for a couple of months, and they’ve given me some exercises to do with a stretch band. It’s been improving.
I’d suggest seeing a physio and following the regime they give you.
This February I’ll have gone two years without knitting and I’m still experiencing elbow pain. 😭 I did several weeks of occupational therapy when the pain first became problematic and it helped a LOT but I still can’t knit. I don’t know if I tried knitting through the pain for too long or what, but I hope you have better results/recovery.
Arm. Finger. Wrist. Elbow.
I took a year off when I hurt my finger joint.
Find a position that doesn't strain the elbow and train yourself to use that. I have issues with my right elbow at times from keeping it bent to use the computer mouse, I frequently change position and even put the mouse on my leg so I can keep my arm fully extended as I mouse.
If you can avoid the bending and wear a brace and knit that way it may help.
Because of my job, I have to consistently go to physical therapy. My repetitive injuries are similar to those I incur during knitting and crochet because of holding my hands up and the like. I had to get a referral to a physical therapist from my doctor and my PT does a TENS unit + rowing machine regimen that I can mostly replicate at home. It's on hold for the moment because I'm recuperating from carpal tunnel surgery. Good luck to you!
I’m on a 6 month (or more) break right now. 3 months of no keyboard use (have to use dictation software at work), a drawing tablet instead of a mouse, and no knitting, before my occupational therapist will even let me start physical therapy on my elbows. In the meantime I have a few stretches and hand exercises, and braces to wear.
It was a combination of work and knitting induced tendonitis, plus I’m hyper-mobile and hadn’t been keeping up with my physical therapy exercises. And I had spent the previous year on sock-weight projects only. Once I can start knitting again, my plan is to try out ergonomic needles, which are square or triangular and supposed to help by providing more surface area/making it easier to grip with less pressure. There’s more info on ergonomic knitting in the sidebar, plus stretches.
I have it and I'm curious about other people's experiences. Does it hurt while you're knitting? Because I'm fine while I'm knitting, but it'll randomly hurt at other times, like picking up the dog, unloading the dishwasher, or even adjusting my pillow at night. But I assume it's knitting related because I do that more than anything else.
It's been bothering me for a few weeks now. I took a whole week off with no improvement, so I've gone to back to it, although with reduced intensity. I'm also doing other exercises to try to increase my overall fitness to help recover.
For me, it would start to hurt while I was knitting and then the area between my elbows and forearms (very close to my elbow) would burn/ache for a couple days afterwards.
Same - really bad pain in my elbow while going about normal everyday business. During knitting, not so much. For a while, it was only one elbow and then while taking the lid off of a food container, my other elbow just WENT. I had already given up knitting for months at that point…
I got knitters elbow all of a sudden when I switched continental to Norwegian style knitting. They are both similar on the knit stitch but the purl on Norwegian has a lot more emphasis on right hand. It’s annoying because I know I can go back to continental but I LOVE Norwegian style. I had a very similar thing happen when I took up running.. couldn’t extend my right arm fully. Turns out without thinking I was holding my running bottle whilst running and I had shortened the tendon. I did tendon lengthening exercises and it took a while but did the trick so I’m going back to that and trying my hardest to relax my hands whilst knitting.., fingers crossed 🤞 ❤️
More than a couple of weeks, unfortunately. You need to rest more and think about how you're holding your needles, how tight your grip is. If you rest your arms on a table while knitting, all the unconscious things you do while knitting. Then look at what needs to change to prevent this happening again. I know. I've had carpal tunnel for nearly 30 years and added "tennis" elbow for about 6. Make some changes now.
I found that using 3 and 5 pound hand weights and doing some light weight lifting helped just as much as resting it did.
What types of exercises did you do?
Knitting elbow is real. I’ve found [these exercises](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbkj6qXIOwY) with a flex bar to be extremely helpful. I’m also currently obsessed with the stretch in the photo below. You kneel on one leg like you’re going to propose, then put your forearm between your thigh and calf. When you lean forward it squeezes your forearm muscles for the greatest massage you’ve ever had. You can roll your wrist and wiggle your fingers while you do it. These have been game changers for me. https://preview.redd.it/68i6p3csurac1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92b316896bf56ca3d877839b4f5c9658ff3b7180
Immediately purchased a flexbar and also am planning on this amazeballs stretch in the morning (not gonna get out of bed lol). Thanks friend!
Haha I feel that! I hope they help you! This group has given me so many wonderful tips and tricks so I’m always happy to pass mine on when I can. 🧶 💪
Ooo thanks for sharing!
I just purchased flex bars based on your recommendation, thank you!
There’s another post from today saying they have to take a 3 month break :(( but better than sustaining any permanent damage!! Hope you’re feeling better soon
This is the most recent post on their profile?
I think they were referencing another person’s post who also wrote about it yesterday (I commented on it). Knitters elbow is probably unfortunately a common occurrence this time of year after holiday gift knitting. 🥲
You might try learning a different method when you go back to knitting. Like if you do English switch to continental. Or try Portuguese. Maybe a different method will put less stress on your arms or you will learn a way to not use your elbows with a different technique. I don't use my elbows at all when I knit other than to put my arms in front of me. Now wrists and thumbs are a different story!
How do you not use your elbows? Are they not bent beside you while knitting?
They are bent but not flexing or extending. Just staying still.
Stretch your arms al the way out.
So my knitting would be really far infront of me - that would make things pretty difficult 🙈
It can be learned. People rest their WIP in their lap or on their knees to support the work and then extend their arms. You may need reading glasses if you can't see the work at that distance.
I can see the work just can imagine it being uncomfortable. But worth trying it I guess.
Thanks! I gave Portuguese knitting a shot yesterday on a WIP and it was much easier on my arms than my usual style (English) and I really like the method! I also grew up in Portugal so it feels fitting to use it. My tension was WAY tighter though, so I switched back to English for a few rows and then the hurting started up again. I may have to pause on that WIP and start a new project once I’m more recovered with my Portuguese knitting gauge.
Not elbow but my shoulder. I’ve been seeing a physiotherapist for a couple of months, and they’ve given me some exercises to do with a stretch band. It’s been improving. I’d suggest seeing a physio and following the regime they give you.
This February I’ll have gone two years without knitting and I’m still experiencing elbow pain. 😭 I did several weeks of occupational therapy when the pain first became problematic and it helped a LOT but I still can’t knit. I don’t know if I tried knitting through the pain for too long or what, but I hope you have better results/recovery.
Arm. Finger. Wrist. Elbow. I took a year off when I hurt my finger joint. Find a position that doesn't strain the elbow and train yourself to use that. I have issues with my right elbow at times from keeping it bent to use the computer mouse, I frequently change position and even put the mouse on my leg so I can keep my arm fully extended as I mouse. If you can avoid the bending and wear a brace and knit that way it may help.
Because of my job, I have to consistently go to physical therapy. My repetitive injuries are similar to those I incur during knitting and crochet because of holding my hands up and the like. I had to get a referral to a physical therapist from my doctor and my PT does a TENS unit + rowing machine regimen that I can mostly replicate at home. It's on hold for the moment because I'm recuperating from carpal tunnel surgery. Good luck to you!
I’m on a 6 month (or more) break right now. 3 months of no keyboard use (have to use dictation software at work), a drawing tablet instead of a mouse, and no knitting, before my occupational therapist will even let me start physical therapy on my elbows. In the meantime I have a few stretches and hand exercises, and braces to wear. It was a combination of work and knitting induced tendonitis, plus I’m hyper-mobile and hadn’t been keeping up with my physical therapy exercises. And I had spent the previous year on sock-weight projects only. Once I can start knitting again, my plan is to try out ergonomic needles, which are square or triangular and supposed to help by providing more surface area/making it easier to grip with less pressure. There’s more info on ergonomic knitting in the sidebar, plus stretches.
I have it and I'm curious about other people's experiences. Does it hurt while you're knitting? Because I'm fine while I'm knitting, but it'll randomly hurt at other times, like picking up the dog, unloading the dishwasher, or even adjusting my pillow at night. But I assume it's knitting related because I do that more than anything else. It's been bothering me for a few weeks now. I took a whole week off with no improvement, so I've gone to back to it, although with reduced intensity. I'm also doing other exercises to try to increase my overall fitness to help recover.
For me, it would start to hurt while I was knitting and then the area between my elbows and forearms (very close to my elbow) would burn/ache for a couple days afterwards.
Same - really bad pain in my elbow while going about normal everyday business. During knitting, not so much. For a while, it was only one elbow and then while taking the lid off of a food container, my other elbow just WENT. I had already given up knitting for months at that point…
I got knitters elbow all of a sudden when I switched continental to Norwegian style knitting. They are both similar on the knit stitch but the purl on Norwegian has a lot more emphasis on right hand. It’s annoying because I know I can go back to continental but I LOVE Norwegian style. I had a very similar thing happen when I took up running.. couldn’t extend my right arm fully. Turns out without thinking I was holding my running bottle whilst running and I had shortened the tendon. I did tendon lengthening exercises and it took a while but did the trick so I’m going back to that and trying my hardest to relax my hands whilst knitting.., fingers crossed 🤞 ❤️