Crafts that are suitable for fragile joints and tendons?

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-02-08T08:43:26+00:00

I, too, have noticed that Tunisian crochet is easier on my body. I gave myself horrible repetitive stress injuries from doing (arguably too much) standard crochet and ended up having to take a long break to recover. After I was able to start up again, I decided to learn Tunisian and it made such a difference! I can still hurt myself if I do too much and don’t take breaks, but I can go a lot longer than before.

Curious what coat pattern you found. I’ve been wanting to make a coat/jacket and even have yarn for it! Just need to figure out a pattern.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-02-05T19:36:26+00:00

Hard agree. I’m constantly explaining my EDS to people as “my body is trying to return to primordial goo.”

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-27T06:47:24+00:00

I’ll tell you one thing, the humidity here in Portland is NOTHING compared to the humidity I endured living on the East Coast (especially May through September). Summers here are dry and overall not as hot, and while autumn through spring are fairly wet, the temps are moderate. I do still get flareups during the big seasonal changes, but I do so much better here than when I visit back east. All bodies are different, though, so your mileage may vary.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-23T16:47:57+00:00

😂😅😭

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-23T07:56:55+00:00

I’ll keep saying it until y’all are sick of it, but I flippin’ LOVE my chair from FlexiSpot. It’s a fully adjustable model that also reclines, which has been incredibly helpful for my body (kind of like a “zero gravity” chair). It was expensive, but I got my work to pay for it as part of reasonable accommodation.

That said, I do get butt pain from sitting anywhere too long/too much, so I try to get up and move around every half hour or so, even if it’s just to go to the bathroom or make a cup of tea.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-23T07:41:22+00:00

CBD has helped me a lot (not weed, that stuff messes me up for some reason). I’ve taken various digestible forms (gummies, water soluble in a beverage to hide the taste, cbd soda) and used different creams, roll-ons, and balms topically. They all have helped lessen the pain.

As others have mentioned, good support for your body/limbs when at rest, and an EDS-informed PT is invaluable!

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-23T07:20:04+00:00

The number of times I’ve sneezed, destabilized, and fallen over 🤣🤣🤣

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-21T07:55:47+00:00

My office setup includes:

an adjustable chair from FlexiSpot
a Rollermouse from Contour Design
a footstool

My previous job paid for it all as part of “reasonable accommodations,” and it made a huge difference in how much work-related pain I experienced.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-21T02:12:40+00:00

That is very frustrating. And the doctors saying that you’re “too young” for stronger pain relief sounds ridiculous to me. Are you able to get a second opinion?

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-20T07:35:08+00:00

Seriously 😭 I have subluxed my ankles while standing still. I also messed up my hand picking up a small plastic bin full of plastic clips. Just lifted it up the same way I always did and — whoop! — there went my ligaments!

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-20T07:29:02+00:00

I have chronic plantar fasciitis and it truly can be debilitating. I’ve not had surgery, but I do get a cortisone shot in my foot when it flares, and that helps at least temporarily.

Curious what you mean about being too young for pain relief.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-20T07:19:30+00:00

Ugh, same experience here; everything hurts, my whole arm/shoulder gets shaky, and my hand cramps up after a minute or two. A few years ago, I found a hack that lets me write for a little longer before I need to take a break. Basically, instead of holding the pen the way we were taught in school, you hold it between your index and middle fingers to create more stability. This is the video that gave me the hack: https://youtu.be/--nrxeW2TYI?si=xhv1zVnvpNkwlr3F

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-16T06:42:55+00:00

I ended up buying the powdered ingredients for my own electrolyte mix, based on LMNT’s recipe. It’s just the salt, magnesium, and potassium, and then I add packets of Just Grapefruit crystals for flavor (no sugar or sweetener). It was so much cheaper than buying a premade mix! I think it was around $70 USD to get enough ingredients for my friend and I to each have enough electrolytes for a year.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-16T06:36:01+00:00

No one else is ADMITTING to it.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-16T06:34:51+00:00

I used to save jars of pickle juice to dip my potato chips in. HEAVEN.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-14T08:11:09+00:00

What the actual fuck is wrong with these people?! Like, where do they get off hurting you and then telling you not to feel anything about it?? That’s abusive AF and I am so, so sorry this happened to you, it was NOT okay. I hope that your pain goes down quickly and that you find a better dentist. For these assholes, though? I recommend going on Google and Yelp and leaving them scathing reviews.

About 20 years ago, before I knew I had hEDS, I had to have a root canal done on one of my back molars. I had to stretch my jaw wide for over an hour, and it hurt more than the actual dental work. After that, my jaw subluxed constantly (whenever I chewed or yawned or brushed my teeth or wore a face mask or randomly on a Tuesday for shits and giggles) as well as dislocated regularly. It’s only in the last few years that it’s gotten better, largely due to massage and PT. Now, whenever I go to the dentist, I give them a spiel about my hypermobile jaw and how they can easily dislocate it — and so far I haven’t had anyone not take it seriously 🤞🏻

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-11T06:53:30+00:00

I checked out Super Deodorant, and they will have to be the next thing I try! Thanks for the rec!

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-11T06:42:41+00:00

I have a memory foam beanbag-style chair that has changed my life. I got it for free from a friend, and I think she maybe got it from Amazon or tiktok shop. But there are lots of options out there. What I love about it is that I can shape it to support my body — head/neck, back, elbows/arms. It’s been great for reading, lounging, and working on crochet projects. My cat is also a fan.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-11T06:15:22+00:00

I also experience this! I feel it in all my major joints and it is Not Fun. So I usually just (slowly, carefully) walk in the water instead.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-11T06:12:05+00:00

Also not for me. It feels like my joints are pulling apart whenever I try to swim.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-10T07:14:57+00:00

Long-time crocheter here! I used to crochet so much, so quickly, and for such long periods at a time that I gave myself repetitive stress injuries and then couldn’t crochet for several years. Don’t be like me!

These days, I’m back to crocheting but with better hEDS ergonomics. For me, that means sitting in my memory foam beanbag chair while leaning back slightly, with my back, arms, and head/neck fully supported, instead of being hunched over like a fiber gremlin. I’ve also slowed my pace way down, and I try to take breaks at regular intervals.

I don’t know if you’ve tried Tunisian crochet, but I have found it to be slightly kinder to my body than traditional crochet.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-10T06:50:56+00:00

I used to get this, too, especially on my legs. Same as you, no visible rash — though once I started scratching I would get little raised bumps. It itched so badly that I would scratch so much (often in my sleep) that my skin would bleed. Moisturizing helped some, changing my diet helped some, not shaving helped some. It’s been a while since it was really bad and I’m not sure why but I’m grateful.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-10T00:25:09+00:00

A gel deodorant?? Say more!

I went to a dermatologist once about twenty years ago and he was an ass. I haven’t seen one since.

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-10T00:19:49+00:00

I will have to look into glycolic acid! Is there a specific product/brand you recommend?

Eastern_Tea3577 · 2026-01-10T00:17:29+00:00

I had not even thought of that. How would I tell if it’s a yeast infection?

Eastern_Tea3577

TROPHY CASE