Occupational Hazards
Hello! If you're new to the blog, please take some time to sign up for my monthly newsletter, The Monthly Bling! Get tips on jewelry care, jewelry trends, and get a chance to win a free piece of bling in my monthly jewelry giveaway!
Making art is not a hazard free occupation. There are a number of injuries that artists can be subject to from poisoning from toxic chemicals and injury from power tools to repetitive motion injuries. Because much of my work require a lot of repetitive hand movements, I’ve gotten into the habit of wearing support gloves while I work. I even wear these gloves during shows as I often custom fit bracelets and necklaces for customers on-site. I get a great many comments about them. “Carpel tunnel?”, someone might ask. Or, “No wonder you have carpel tunnel, look how intricate these designs are!” I usually reply that I don’t have carpel tunnel and that the gloves are just preventative, but sometimes I have to repeat my myself so often I just stop explaining. One of my craft colleagues joked that I was using the gloves to get some sympathy sales. Actually, I’ve been getting more advice on carpel tunnel surgery and the proper way to get chiropractic adjustments for my back and shoulder that I know what to do with.
But sometimes you run across injuries and hazards that you don’t expect or anticipate. Lately I’ve been having a lot of pain and stiffness in my left knee. Other than a daily workout and show set up, I couldn’t think of anything that could be causing the pain in my knee. A couple days ago, my husband James pointed out that the way I sit while I’m working could be the thing that’s was causing the pain in my knee. When I’m making jewelry, I usually sit cross legged or with one leg (usually my left) tucked under the other. Which means that I spend hours working with my left leg in a bent position which strains the ligaments and tendons in my knee. After a visit to the doctor, I’m wearing a knee brace to prevent me from keeping my knee bent during the day and a light Ace bandage to stabilize my knee at night. It’s a hard habit to break, the brace makes me realize how often I sit cross-legged while working. James laughed and said that I’m the only person he knew that could injure themselves while sitting down. This actually isn’t true, many people cause pain in their backs, necks, and shoulders by slumping in their chairs while at their desks. That’s one reason why Aeron chairs got to be so popular.
Now when I’m getting ready to work, I feel like I’m suiting up for a round of hockey instead of preparing to make some necklaces and bracelets. Yesterday I spraying acrylic on some new paper beads and was going outside wearing my NIOSH saftey respirator, my knee brace and support gloves. James looked at me and said, “Who are you, Darth Vader?” He can always be counted on to make a funny comment.
[tags] jewelry, carpel tunnel, repetitive stress [/tags]
