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Ok /ic/, I'm an animator and I draw everyday pretty much.
In the last month I've gotten a monitor tablet but recently my thumb has been feeling numb and painful after I draw within 2 hours.
I bought a wrist brace in case but how long should I lay off drawing until the pain goes away?
Has anyone experienced carpal tunnel and know how to prevent it?
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>>2603379
Usually it has to do with ergonomics. Wrist brace is only a temporary solution. Obviously you cannot stop drawing, but you should take regular breaks and do carpal tunnel stretches. Make sure you're not hunching over, that your chair is at a good level, and that you don't have to bring your hands up to your desk. Something for me specifically is that I had a habit of tightening up when trying to draw precise lines. Watch out for habits like that and try to keep your muscles relaxed. You can try a more ergonomic mouse such as the sideways ones as well.
If your carpal tunnel remains really bad though you should see a doctor.
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>>2603379
Pretty much what >>2603384 said. It's more than just your wrist, something in your body is either off or you're overworking without taking breaks.
When I started in my first animation studio, I had wrist and finger pain. I changed up posture and made sure I took stretch breaks. I also work digitally so a tablet is a lot easier on the body than a pencil.
Are you traditional or digital? Please don't tell me you use a mouse...
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I'm fairly new to the world of artwork but i've been playing Smash Bros. Melee for 6 years pretty competitively and I found that all hand pain disappears once you start doing numerous hand stretches throughout the day. Just pull back your fingers and your wrists until you feel a burn and hold it.
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>>2603379
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdD7CgN5FGg
Here's something that helped me a ton, i do these every morning when i wake up, and whenever i feel tension or pain i just stop what im doing and do these again
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>>2603502
By the way, remember to do the neck movements included in these stretches, because the medial nerve involves a lot more than just your wrist, it goes up all the way to the neck, so you should watch out for that and stretch your neck too during breaks and of course keep a good posture.
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I'm actually doing a project on artists and overuse injuries and how damage can be best prevented alongside creative practices, if OP or anyone would like to take part in my study then drop me a message.
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>>2603379
NSAID cram on your wrists.
I have cubital tunnel syndrome, and that, plus minding sleep position and using elbow cushions have helped me a lot.
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Stretching helped immensely.
Getting a trackball mouse was also tremendously helpful. If I go back to using a normal mouse it almost instantly fucks me up.
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>>2603434
I'm a shut-in PC guy who had plenty of hand and wrist pain in my short 20 years life.
I started doing weird hand movements/stretching when I stop typing. Like snapping fingers, holding palms together like you are praying or a buddhist monk, you know, moving fingers randomly, etc.
The pain got better but now I ended up with a habit of doing those things everywhere I go :/
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>>2603822
thanks for making this
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>>2603463
>cintiq arm?
Yes.
Standing desk too if you can afford to. If its in studio you can get your health insurance to buy it for you. When I brought in my cintiq arm and a Cintweak so that I can stand, I've seen increasing number of coworkers get standing desks. I've also felt physically much better all around.
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>>2606780
I made that image (not that it matters), I'm glad someone liked it enough to be spreading it around and caring about the subject matter, however from what I've read and what I'd been told by users on /ic/ even shortly after making it, sitting straight up isn't actually ideal. Leaning back 120-135 degrees is apparently the best, so if true it might be in each of our best interests to find a way to make that kind of seating position viable given our own work spaces:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6187080.stm
According to the article sitting straight up can actually be harmful in the long run, and it even suggests that sitting up straight might actually be worse than leaning forward.
>Disk movement was found to be most pronounced with a 90-degree upright sitting posture.
I don't know what to believe anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrcNHERRyCI
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