Tips to prevent injury!!!!

I figured I would put this up to help people and hopefully never experience what to go thru for that last few years!! Your wrists have alot of tendons and veins running through a very small space. Cross stitching makes you use the same motion over and over again. I did experience a repetitive injury and it took over 3 years to fix its self (well almost-- I'm still very careful with the one tendon that runs from between your thumb and straight down my arm-- it still gets sore time to time)

1- Never stitch with cold hands - try to warm them up first if you really want to stitch!!
2- Stretch before you stitch and during a colour change.
3- When you wrist feels tired or sore-- stop!!! Put an ice pack on around your wrist If you continue after this point-- you can do some serious damage!!

If you experience any pain/swelling in your wrist/or if the muscles on your forearm get tight and won't relax -- go see your doctor!! The sooner you do this-- the sooner you can recover an injury!!

I hope this helps a bit!! I just don't want people to experience the same thing as me!! Tendons can a long long time to heal if they are damaged.

Thank you for posting this. I have been worried about hurting my wrists with the same movement over and over. I think the only reason I haven't so far is because my neck usually ends up hurting from looking down before my wrists

I've never read anything on this subject before, and it sounds really helpful and reasonable! I will keep these things in mind while I stitch. It's really odd that things like this aren't written up in magazines, though! (It must be the cross stitching lobbies throwing their money at the publications to stop them from warning stitchers of the inherent dangers of their hobby. XD )

Yes.. everybody only mentions eyes and maybe neck or back ache.

No they don't tell you that. How else are they suppose to make their money!!

I don't experience any neck or backaches since I got my stand-- When its on m desk --It allows me to look straight onto it. Plus I sit in a straight back chair and I don't get the back pains at all.
I suffer from migraines time to time and this helps so much!!

I grew way to fast so I have always had back pain. I can't really blame the cross stitching but I find it hard to sit in a chair to stitch. I always sit on my bed and lean some pillows up against the wall. If I buy a stand I might try sitting at desk and maybe I can stitch longer.

I mostly sit on my sofa too, or lay on my belly and stitch. Or when the pattern is only on the monitor since I don't have a colour printer, I have to sit at the comp and do it there.

I think trick is to find the perfect chair to sit on...everyone is totally different. I have a basic cheap chair- it supports my upper back perfectly. All I need now to make a foam cushion to sit on!! I have the foam and material -- just haven't sewed the cover yet!! Would only take 1/2 hour to make.....