Often, our passions and hobbies bring us joy and satisfaction, but some of them can have a negative impact on our hands if not practiced with caution.

The good news is that it’s not about giving up these activities we love, but about being aware of certain habits and practices that can help us avoid hand pain.

We discuss below five common hobbies that can cause hand discomfort and provide useful tips on how to enjoy these activities without putting the health of our hands at risk.

1. Knitting or Crocheting

Knitting and crocheting are creative and relaxing activities that many people enjoy, but for those with conditions such as arthritis, these hobbies can be especially painful. In such cases, steps can be taken to make them more bearable, such as wearing a thumb immobilizing splint to reduce strain.

To prevent pain, be sure to take regular breaks during your knitting or crocheting session. Practice gentle stretches of the hands and fingers before and after knitting. Also, adjust yarn tension to prevent stitches from being too tight, which can cause more strain on your hands.

2. Playing Musical Instruments

Playing musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano or drums, can be extremely rewarding, but it can also put significant strain on your hands and fingers, especially if you have conditions such as arthritis.

To avoid pain, it is essential to warm up the joints in your hands before you start playing. This can be accomplished by warm kerosene baths or immersion in hot water with coarse salt for about 10 minutes. These methods help relieve stiffness and prepare the hands for musical activity.

3 . Video games

While it is true that the average age of arthritis patients often exceeds that of video game enthusiasts, it is important to consider injury prevention in young people who play video games intensively. However, it is critical to recognize the limitations of using splints in a young audience, who may not have adequate disease prevention awareness.

To prevent pain when playing video games, it is advisable to maintain proper posture and use ergonomic accessories, such as wrist pads and ergonomically designed keyboards. In addition, it is essential to perform stretching exercises for the hands and fingers during breaks in the game and to limit the time spent playing video games.

4 .Handcrafts

The practice of crafts, such as painting, modeling or scrapbooking, may require fine and precise movements of the hands, which can cause pain and fatigue, especially in those who suffer from arthritis.

To prevent pain, it is important to use tools appropriate for the craft being done and to maintain an ergonomic posture while working. Hand and finger stretching exercises before and after crafting sessions are essential to maintain flexibility and relieve tension.

5 Gardening

Gardening is a highly rewarding activity, but it can be physically demanding on the hands, especially when pruning, transplanting and digging. Such repetitive motions can put stress on the hands and wrists and result in pain.

To prevent pain in gardening, measures can be taken such as wearing proper gardening gloves to protect the hands. In addition, it is recommended to reduce hand strain by using tools with ergonomic handles. Hand and finger stretching exercises before and after gardening sessions help maintain flexibility and prevent long-term problems.

With what we have just discussed you should know that it is essential to enjoy our hobbies, but also that we must take care of our hands, especially if we suffer from conditions such as arthritis. By following these tips and practicing self-care, we can continue to enjoy our passions without putting the health of our hands at risk. Prevention is key to keeping our hands in good working order over time.