Best Gloves for Typing and Art?

ArtistBeej
ArtistBeej Member Posts: 4
edited 14. Oct 2015, 03:19 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi everyone, Ive just registered. Im hoping someone has good advice re this topic?

I am a professional Artist & Designer, have been doing it all my life since my first painting of a Vulcan bomber got hung on the wall at school age 7! :) And I guess repetitive stress over 30+ years of sign-writing, airbrush illustration and now over the past 15 yrs, computer work, have all led to problems. Been diagnosed with cervical spondylosis and has an operation this time last year to un-trap nerves in left hand/arm.

Typing at the moment is becoming difficult :( And with the weather getting colder literally overnight, well, you all know how that feels! So, Im looking for any advice on an excellent pair of gloves which will allow me to still paint, airbrush and type on the keyboard without the material being too thick.

Any advice would be massively appreciated as at the mo, Im really starting to struggle.

I have been on Naproxen for a long time but, having decided to try to go pill-free (including no anti-depressants now for 2 months or so) Im really feeling the pains, neck and hands especially :( I think I may have to go back to see Doc to get a prescription for Naproxen as it did seem to help. I don't like pain-killers as the Doc put me on Tramadol a couple of years ago and it took me a LOT of effort to get off those nasty opioids! Plus, I'd rather have a hang-over from alcohol any day, thanks!! ;)

Thanks for any help you may have :)

Beej

Comments

  • LignumVitae
    LignumVitae Member Posts: 1,972
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Welcome to the forum! I'm no artist but I know cold hands aren't fun. If you can find them then thin silk liner gloves designed for ski-ing might be what you are looking for or other thermal liner gloves as sold in outdoor shops. They tend to be very thin.

    I'd get that naproxen and stick with it - do make sure they prescribe a stomach protector with it though if you take it long term. If it helps then that's what you need. No point in struggling through pain. I've never taken naproxen but I do use cocodamol when necessary. I don't have the same kind of arthritis as you though. You can get cocodamol from the pharmacist and it doesn't make you wooey or hungover.

    Have you considered voice activated software? I reluctantly tried it again this year after a ten year break. It's actually really good now and once you are used to it it can really help give a break from typing. I don't know how far you can do that for your work. I tend to use it when I can such as emails etc so that I save all my finger ability for work where I can't talk such as mapping. The software is now a lot better than in the past due to investments from phone companies, it's the same technology as voice activated phone thingies like siri.
    Hey little fighter, things will get brighter
  • theresak
    theresak Member Posts: 1,998
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello and welcome to the forum.

    I can`t really advise on the subject of gloves - I can`t draw to save my life!! My older son bought me some fingerless gloves for cold days, which I can wear in the house. I can`t remember what they are made of, but he`s a climber, & got them in an outdoor shop, plus a little heat sachet you can slip inside.


    I hope you can find what you need.
  • dibdab
    dibdab Member Posts: 1,498
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi there,
    Sorry you had to find us, but welcome aboard !

    I use support gloves supplied by the Occupational Therapist which control swelling and keep my hands warm, they have open finger tips to make typing easier. If you type arthritis gloves into a search engine you'll find lot of different kinds to try. Having previously bought cheaper and more expensive versions, in my opinion you get what you pay for, so it's perhaps worth trying a mid-range pair for quality and comfort.

    Deb
  • Slosh
    Slosh Member Posts: 3,194
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I use voice activated software at work and also have it on my laptop at home and it's a real boon. At the end of last term my dragon died and this term our lovely IT technician decided the best thing for me would be to get an upgrade, he's great about seeing it as a necessary thing for me. It took about three weeks to arrive (the member of staff who,does the orders not seeing it as a priority ) and I realised just how much I missed it and was so pleased when the upgrade arrived.

    I can't help about gloves I'm afraid.
    He did not say you will not be storm tossed, you will not be sore distressed, you will not be work weary. He said you will not be overcome.
    Julian of Norwich
  • daffy2
    daffy2 Member Posts: 1,636
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Whichever type of gloves you decide to use it might also be worth looking at wristwarmers/cuffs in addition. A couple of years ago I had fun knitting lots of mitts, fingerless gloves and also a variety of fingerless mitts/ wristwarmers for presents, and as a result found that a thinnish pair of gloves with something wool round the wrist was the best way to stop my hands getting too cold if I needed to use my fingers - I suppose because it keeps the blood supply warm, same as running cold water over your wrists in hot weather. The simplest design, a tube with a gap for the thumb, I often wear around the house when my hand are sore as they are easy to slip on and off - or more usually take the thumb out and just push up out the way!
  • Boomer13
    Boomer13 Member Posts: 1,931
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello. I think you've got some good advice here. I would echo LV's advice, especially the searching for gloves at a good outdoor store. Fingerless wool gloves are pretty good but obviously the finger tips still get cold. Wearing thick wool on your wrists like daffy suggests, is very good for warmth. Keeping a hot pack or heating pad in your lap might help. You can warm up your hand(s) periodically.

    I have Raynaud's along with PsA, so cold, painful hands are always an issue for me too. I constantly search for the perfect glove. Haven't found them yet.

    Best wishes.
  • Grangi
    Grangi Member Posts: 11
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi you might want to try compression gloves. They help to support your hand, and reduce swelling. They are very light but warm too whilst still allowing full movement . I find the fingerless ones really good. I got mine from my Occupational Therapist but you can probably get them on line. Some have the seams on the outside so comfortable for sore hands. Hope this helps worth investing in these I think for your work. Good luck
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    It's a matter of trial and error because what suits one person may not work for you. I think I can say with some degree of certainty that none of us enjoy swilling back our pills and doing our injections but sometimes needs must: if the nap helped then it's worth taking a small amount on a daily basis to keep the nasties at bay - we often don't realise what the meds were achieving until we stop taking them. I wish you well. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben