I am finding my hand kinda goes numb when airbrushing

V

Visualfury

Guest
Anyone else have their hand go numb? Its not total numbing but I have to stop every so often and give a shake and work my fingers for a bit to get the feeling back. Didn't know if this is a common issue or if its just me. If its common, does it go away with time or does it stick around?
 
Happens to me everytime!!! I went to walmart and bought a glove for my hand, almost feels like spandex, but really thin and it helps a ton! Theyre cheap and in the pharmacy department. I know they sale them on the airbrush sites as well. They work well for me!!
 
No so numb but cramping, the comp piece killed my hand :(
Jaime Rodriguez used to use a glove/wrist thing, don't know what for though.
 
Happens to me too!! I have taken some of my magnets and put a hole in the and put a piece of welding rod in between the and made a little dumbbell out of them, now I warm up with some curls before I paint!! Light weigh with a lot of reps for endurance!! Don't wanna get to bulky!! Lmao!!
Seriously, mine does cramp up a lot!!


Josh
 
Carpal tunnel syndrome is why Jamie wore the support.


Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist. Typing on a computer keyboard is probably the most common cause of carpal tunnel. Other causes include:

  • Driving
  • Painting
  • Playing some musical instruments
  • Playing sports such as racquetball or handball
  • Sewing
  • Using tools (especially hand tools or tools that vibrate)
  • Working on an assembly line
  • Writing
The condition occurs most often in people 30 to 60 years old, and is more common in women than men.


[h=2]Symptoms[/h]
  • Clumsiness of the hand when gripping objects
  • Numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands
  • Numbness or tingling of the palm of the hand
  • Pain extending to the elbow
  • Pain in the wrist or hand in one or both hands
  • Problems with fine finger movements (coordination) in one or both hands
  • Wasting away of the muscle under the thumb (in advanced or long-term cases)
  • Weak grip or difficulty carrying bags (a common complaint)
 
Carpal Tunnel syndrome is definitely something to be concerned about when airbrushing. A couple of techniques I learned to guard against this are to first of all try and relax your hand, meaning you don't need the death grip on the airbrush to achieve good results. When my hand starts to cramp up, the death grip is usually the culprit. The other technique is to change the way you trigger the airbrush. Do not use the very tip of your index finger, which is what I always did and still do at times. This causes stress on you entire hand and especially your wrist. Instead, place the back of the trigger into that first crease of the index finger. Tuck the trigger snugly right into that first crease nearest the tip of the finger. Now all you have to do is move your index finger up and down to trigger the airbrush instead of pulling and pushing the trigger back and forth. It does take some practice to relearn to trigger the airbrush this way, but your wrist will thank you for it in the long run.
 
Carpal Tunnel syndrome is definitely something to be concerned about when airbrushing. A couple of techniques I learned to guard against this are to first of all try and relax your hand, meaning you don't need the death grip on the airbrush to achieve good results. When my hand starts to cramp up, the death grip is usually the culprit. The other technique is to change the way you trigger the airbrush. Do not use the very tip of your index finger, which is what I always did and still do at times. This causes stress on you entire hand and especially your wrist. Instead, place the back of the trigger into that first crease of the index finger. Tuck the trigger snugly right into that first crease nearest the tip of the finger. Now all you have to do is move your index finger up and down to trigger the airbrush instead of pulling and pushing the trigger back and forth. It does take some practice to relearn to trigger the airbrush this way, but your wrist will thank you for it in the long run.

That is exactly what I do with the tip of my finger, I will try to do what you said.
Thanks




But I'm not sure my wife will like the change, lmao!!! I had to throw that in there ;)


Josh
 
Thank you all for the quick replies, I think I might have one of those spandex wrist support gloves around somewhere. I think I will give that a try.

I will check how I am triggering the airbrush as well. I might have to adjust my finger.
 
The biggest thing is to stay relaxed. It's hard to do especially when you get into the zone. The deeper the focus the more stress to put to your grip. Strangling your little chrome buddy does not help. When you step back to check your progressive, just open and close your fist to keep the circulation going. As hard as it can be stay relaxed. JT's suggestion about adjusting the trigger position on your finger helps out a lot. But, it does take a bit to get use to.
 
Visual - could be the type of airbrush also?? i find my iwata alot more rigid than my badger. If airbrushing for a long period of time i'd go my badger before my iwata just because the trigger is so solid on the iwata..
 
jaime's was the same kind of support used by sufferers of arthritis I believe
 
Perhaps you could try this. The mod not only makes the trigger softer, nut also taller. The latter is good, since taller triggers increase the amount of control you have over the amount of paint you spray. Don't make the trigger too tall and always use a hard material right on top of the trigger and a soft pad on top of that. This construction allows you to have two advantages!
 
I really like the look of that trigger modification, I get dreadful cramp after about 20 mins.
anyone know of a decent glue for sticking rubber to metal.?
 
it works so well, I have recently modded my velocity like this....works a treat. minute trigger adjustments!
 
I really like the look of that trigger modification, I get dreadful cramp after about 20 mins.
anyone know of a decent glue for sticking rubber to metal.?


Use double sided sticker pads, you can easily remove it from time to time for cleaning.
 
I had the same issues not only numb fingers but also my wrist hurt like hell after only ten minutes or so. I think it has mostly to do with my deathgrip on my brushes, and especially when going into tight detail.

I can highly recommend to buy a powerball and start training your hand and wrist with it.
 
I had the same issues not only numb fingers but also my wrist hurt like hell after only ten minutes or so. I think it has mostly to do with my deathgrip on my brushes, and especially when going into tight detail.

I can highly recommend to buy a powerball and start training your hand and wrist with it.

LOL, Death grip, I can relate to that, I had exactly that problem when I started out, but I learned to hold it just tight enough to stop it falling out of my hand.
 
I don't miss the death grip at all. LOL I used to bend the trigger on my badger 155. Now I can control the air pressure with my trigger on most of my AB's
 
Easy fine detail mods that also make gun handling smoother. Training with the Powerball mentioned by justme I also found useful to strengthen the muscles and tendons I during airbrushing as well.
 
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