Friday Idleness: Help For Aching Hands

If you’re a keyboard warrior whose hands are increasingly achy after a hard day’s work, you might look for help beyond the obvious (i.e., ergonomic keyboards and mice, wrist rests, keyboard trays).

Help for you might be hanging in your local craft store. A long-time favorite of mine, I found my first Handeze gloves hanging alongside embroidery kits at a nearby Michael’s. This craft glove slips on and off like a regular glove, but coverage only goes up to the first knuckle on your fingers and thumbs, letting you maintain dexterity for crafting (or keyboarding).
 
Made of stretch Lycra, this lightweight material improves the circulation in your hands. Essentially, by keeping your hand and wrist warm and flexible, the glove keeps your hands from cramping up or getting stiff. Whether you’re dealing with joint pain from arthritis or repetitive stress injuries, muscle/ligament/tendon pain from conditions like tendinitis or carpal tunnel, or fatigue and aching from writer’s cramp/crafter’s cramp, I’ve found through my network of acquaintances that the gloves provide comfort for all conditions.

(NOTE: If you’re typing, writing, or crafting for hours at stretch without taking adequate micro-breaks and longer time-outs, you’re going to interfere with any product’s ability to help you.)

The original glove comes in four sizes; there’s a sizing guide on the back of the package or, if you’re ordering online, you can use the guide on the Handeze Web site. The glove fits either hand, and can be hand-washed and line-dried, or machine-washed on the delicate cycle and tumble-dried on low. The company also provides three-quarter fingered gloves (only your fingertips are uncovered) and a glove with a small thermal pillow in the wrist.

You’re most likely to find it at craft stores and Web sites, but I’ve also seen it in Rite-Aid pharmacies, on eBay, and Amazon.