Hurting Hands, Hurting For Advice

Hey guys , so I've been driving for a little over 6 months , and my hands are beginning to really hurt while driving now. the areas that hurt are the big fat muscles in the bottom and the under knuckle part. (the area on your open hand where your finger joints connect to the rest of the hand.

I use various grips on the wheel through out the day and try to switch grips every 10 min or so... but it doesn't help much. my hands started to hurt around the 4 month mark or my driving , before that point they didn't bother me at all.

I was going to buy a nice padded steering wheel grip the other day to seeif that helps , but a veteran driver I asked there told me that they are not worth it because they slide on the wheel and they are dangerous . is there any truth to this ? also did your hands ever hurt at some point and what was your remedy to stop them from hurting ? I am not interested in popping pain killers everyday just to combat this so any tips and advice that is not involving that is greatly appreciated

Get a suicide knob

Deonte, are you really holding on to the wheel? Tight or almost tight?

Most of the time my hands are just resting on the wheel. Thumbs dropped through the spokes. No tension. True, hitting those bumps I do hold on, but that's only for a short time.

If you are used to driving that big beast by now, you should be relaxed on your throne.

P.S., I couldn't easily find a wheel cover. It's larger than the ones available at Walmart.

Hey guys , so I've been driving for a little over 6 months , and my hands are beginning to really hurt while driving now. the areas that hurt are the big fat muscles in the bottom and the under knuckle part. (the area on your open hand where your finger joints connect to the rest of the hand.

I use various grips on the wheel through out the day and try to switch grips every 10 min or so... but it doesn't help much. my hands started to hurt around the 4 month mark or my driving , before that point they didn't bother me at all.

I was going to buy a nice padded steering wheel grip the other day to seeif that helps , but a veteran driver I asked there told me that they are not worth it because they slide on the wheel and they are dangerous . is there any truth to this ? also did your hands ever hurt at some point and what was your remedy to stop them from hurting ? I am not interested in popping pain killers everyday just to combat this so any tips and advice that is not involving that is greatly appreciated

Deonte- I don't know the answer. I did a Google search: "hands hurt gripping steering wheel, truck driver"- Results:

http://www.rsiinsurancebrokers.com/2-13hand/

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/hands-and-wrist-gets-sore.145614/

I haven't started driving a truck yet, but I have 4 years experience driving taxi. My hands on occasion would hurt, just like you said. Usually with the heat on in the van, its really dry heat.

At any drug store/Walmart you can find wrist braces, anywhere from $10-30/ hand, designed for carpal tunnel syndrome. Slide one or both of those babies on and the pain goes away. Worth a shot! I suggest going for the nicer one that have some grips and not the extreme angle in the wrist for driving. They are also great for training your hands to be not in such awkward positions, so you blood can flow freely to your fingers.

Good luck and may the pain go away. I hate taking any painkillers, too. I have to be in a serious amount of pain to even take a single ibuprofen.

You might try some driving gloves. I have a pair of motorcycle riding gloves with gel inserts in the palms and they help with reducing the vibration you feel from the handle bars quite a bit.

You're holding way too tightly. Relax.

My hands are very small and since I was a teenager have tended to ache when doing anything with them (even something as simple as holding a paperback book) for an extended time. The three things that have helped me the most are stretching as much as possible, wrist wraps and taking a joint supplement daily.

Even though it might be uncomfortable to stretch your hands when they're already in pain, doing so gently can actually ease a lot of it. I usually stretch my hands for about two or three minutes before I drive, at various points during, and for a few minutes after my shift. Don't stretch if it causes you sharp pain, but getting into the habit can really reduce the severity of hand and wrist aching.

I use a compression wrap on my wrists when they're sore, and if the pain in my palms or fingers is particularly bad when I end my shift I'll sometimes use aspercreme. I know people who have had very good results with tiger balm but have never personally tried it.

Indeed you're holding that wheel way too tightly. Hold it exactly like Errol recommended. Also use an Aloe Vera based hand lotion when your hands are free, it will help a ton.

Good tips, above, but I'm going to give you something different to focus on: Sugar intake—specifically, minimizing it.

I've found that too much sugar causes me inflammation and joint pain similar to what you're describing.

By cutting out all simple sugars (candies, soda, and juices) and also minimizing starchy carbohydrates (breads, pastas, crackers, and snack foods) you'll greatly reduce the levels and number of spikes of insulin in your body while reducing inflammation.

So, if you've got a sweet tooth, or if you eat a lot of starchy carbs, try cutting way back and replacing those calories with leafy green vegetables, healthy fats (like coconut oil and butter and bacon and nuts), and protein (like steak and eggs).

I wouldn't be surprised if your hand pain disappears after trying this for a week or two.

Just note that you'll probably feel lethargic for a few days eating this way, until your body adjusts. Just bear with with. After 4-5 days, you'll feel amazing.