7 Reasons Why Your Thumb Pain Keeps Coming Back When You Knit (And How One Splint Fixes It)

Margaret Whitmore

Margaret Whitmore

Summary: Nobody told you the joint at the base of your thumb is sliding, not failing. That's not your fault.

Read on to find the solution.

1. It clicks when you knit and goes quiet when you stop. Age doesn't do that.

1. It clicks when you knit and goes quiet when you stop. Age doesn't do that.

Arthritis from age doesn't come and go with the stitching. A loose joint does. The joint is the CMC, at the base of your thumb, and years of gripping the needle have worn the ligament that holds it steady. Every stitch shifts it past itself. That's why it flares twenty minutes in, and why you say one more row anyway.

2. Resting it doesn't tighten it back up

Your body swells the tissue to protect the joint, and the swelling stiffens it, so the next stitch hurts more. So you stop. Two weeks in the drawer and it settles, but nothing else does. It isn't a hobby. It's your sanity, your therapy, the thing that gets you through the day. Then you pick them up and within the hour it's back, usually worse.

3. Every other brace holds the wrong thing

3. Every other brace holds the wrong thing

Compression gloves squeeze the swelling. Rigid splints lock the whole thumb. Neither one holds the joint that's actually moving. The Knitter's Adjustable Thumb Splint is moulded to sit over that one joint and hold it steady while your thumb still bends — and the strap lets you set exactly how much hold you want. Not a squeeze. Not a cast. A stop.

4. The Knitters Thumb Stabilizer

4. The Knitters Thumb Stabilizer

Every splint that holds the joint also takes your hand out of the game. This one leaves all four fingers free, so you grip and tension the yarn exactly as you always have. Knitters, crocheters, quilters, hand-sewers: the grip stays yours.

5. Built by a hand therapist, not a marketing team

5. Built by a hand therapist, not a marketing team

Designed with Dr. Simmons, a hand therapist with 7 years treating knitters and crocheters. These were the patients she watched get handed a golfer's brace and sent home. She shaped the support around how a knitter's thumb actually moves.

6. The advice you keep getting doesn't hold the joint

"Rest it." "Switch to Continental." "Find another hobby." Rest doesn't hold the joint, and plenty of lifelong Continental knitters click anyway. A cortisone shot buys a few months, then less, then the talk turns to surgery.

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[Most knitters order two, since they are hand wash only]

7. Your thumb doesn't take days off, so this doesn't either

Soft, lightweight, no velcro to snag your yarn. Comfortable enough to stay on for a whole afternoon, not twenty minutes at a stretch.

8. The simpler it is, the more you'll use it

8. The simpler it is, the more you'll use it

Slide it on. Cast on. Take it off at night. No referral, no waiting list, no learning to knit again at seventy.

9. Over 30,000 people stopped putting their wool away

Less clicking. Longer sittings. Finishing the blanket they'd told the grandchildren wouldn't be finished. Not miracles. Just what happens when the joint stops sliding.

10. If the click doesn't stop, you lose nothing

10. If the click doesn't stop, you lose nothing

60-day money-back guarantee. Wear it through a full afternoon of knitting. Still clicking? Send it back, return postage covered, no questions.

SUMMER SALE
Limited time sale

50% Off

While stocks last

Sell-Out Risk: VERY HIGH

60-Day Money-Back Guarantee

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27 comments
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Olivia Wilson
Can anybody vouch for these?
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Emily Lewis
Yes, is the only thing that helps. It provides firm, stable support right at the base of the thumb without limiting your movement. Before, the pain at the base of my thumb got so bad I had to stop knitting after twenty minutes. With this splint, I'm back to knitting most evenings again.
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Annie Jones
Crocheting is my life line. Yes, arthritic pain. I am not stupid enough to go near a doctor. Knitting for 61 years and crocheting for 33 years.
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Zoe Cummings
Mine just arrived today, thank you! I'm knitting again. I had to stop for a while but the suppopry works beautifully which is why I have ordered more. (I don't want to wear one out and have to shelve my needles again) Thank you for developing this.
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Dawn Taylor
Thanks for putting this on, I am having problems with recovering from a trigger finger op , after previous successful ops on other fingers in the past. You inspired me to be proactive and have an appointment with a hand remedial clinic so hopefully this will ease my problem.
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Sheila Simmons
I stopped knitting due to arthritis in my index fingers. I’ve now started felting, it’s just as satisfying.
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Shirley Baker
I am 71 and in the last 2 years had both thumb joints replaced and was told by my physio that the best exercise was knitting which has helped me get the movement back in my hands.
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Margaret Summers
Has anyone actually tried this? My thumbs have been getting worse for years and my doctor just keeps offering me cortisone shots. I'm 64 and frankly terrified of surgery.
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Susan White
Margaret I bought one in February. Wear this every time I sit down to knit and the deep ache has definitely reduced.
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Kathie Jackson
Switching from English style throwing to European style scooping helped me over a period of thumb problems, as did adopting shorter (the bit you hold) circular needles help my wrists.
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Pauline Smith
Ok but is it actually different from the $30 ones on Amazon?? I've bought about five of those over the years and every single one broke at the seam within a week. Usually at night.
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Janet Bailey
Pauline I had the exact same thought. The Amazon ones either fall apart or they're so bulky you can't actually knit while wearing them. This one is slim enough that you can still hold the needles properly. Two months in and the structure hasn't budged.
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Thelma Davies
Embroiders, Crocheters, have the same, problem with Arthritis. Painful, but, what else is there, when you love it so much, plus if you’re in a group , it’s extra special. We have to keep our fingers and, brain active. I have been hand sewing for over seventy years, and, don’t intend to stop now. Just adapt.
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Jennifer Bale
It doesn't say whether it's for the left or right hand. I need it for my right hand.
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Julie McGrann
Jennifer, it says each order contains a pair, I wanted it for my left and found the info in the product details section.
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Avery Jackson
Does anyone know how long the shipping takes? Want to buy some for the girls at knit n natter
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Linda Wright
Hey Avery, mine arrived after about a week
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Fagan Helen
Hi this is the second review im writing so I am sorry for flooding your page Hand Hearth Knitting . I have been using my hand stabilisers for the past week and wanted to share my experience of using them. They are a game changer, I wear prescribed stabilisers daily and in comparison these are the most comfortable by far. I had literally given up thinking that I wouldnt be able to knit again. I was often in tears thinking I would not be able to complete any of my projects. These stabilisers are a life saver for me. In comparison with other products I have tried. They are soft yet offer great support to my thumbs making knitting easier and enjoyable again. The fabric is so soft and comfortable to wear. I love the range of colours and they are styled in such a fashionable way that I would wear them outside as they offer good support unlike others which are cumbersome offering great support. Sizing is accurate and I plan on buying more in the future. Thank you Hand Hearth Knitting
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Jane Jibson
The hand stabilizers arrived safely today, and thank you for the circular needle. The gloves are perfect. Thanks so much. I will be a return customer for sure!
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Susan Smith
I received mine yesterday, purple size small.I tried them last night and they are great.I wish I had bought them sooner.I can highly recommend Thank you Hand Hearth
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Christie Cares
I received mine last week. They are like a hug for your hands. Dealing with this company's kind customer service has been a refreshing experience. I recommend 100%!
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Karron Warburton
I wasn't sure at first but some how the work and I'm using mine all the time now ❤️
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Anne Hewitt
I have had to use gloves for arthritis for years. But the silicon dots for grip catch on the wool. I am impressed with these. They made a massive difference to my thumb joint. I was so surprised! Thank you!
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Lester Wilson
I like this product and it's well worth purchasing. That said, consult an orthopedic doctor if you have bad pain. A simple steroid shot in the problem tendon fixed my pain issue. It's worth a try. I still use this product though and recommend it.
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Debra Higgs
I love mine. Just ordered another pair
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Joyce Schnarr
They are awesome. Able to knit much longer.
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Janet Legere
Just got mine today ... been crocheting for a few hours and I am stunned ... my thumbs feel great! They really do work!
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