Nintendo Thumb

Ron Eggers

SPFG, Supreme Picture Framing God
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This is mostly a tip for cold-climate framers. Those in the warmer climates can gloat. All you have to worry about is tinea cruris.

Low humdity, combined with frequent hand-washings and repetitive movements (like wire-wrapping) can cause painful cracks on your finger tips. I get this most often on my right thumb. I noticed this first when I used to play Mario Brothers for hours with my (then) young son, so I call this problem Nintendo thumb.

I would sometimes use an antiseptic liquid bandage, like New Skin to protect the injury and give it a chance to heal, but these products contain alcohol, which dries the skin further and hurts like ******!

Lately, I've been applying a good cream - especially one with aloe as a key ingredient - and covering my thumb with a finger cot, just before I go to bed. You can experiment with what kinds of creams work best for you. Udder Guard, a veterinery product that you'll sometimes see on the counter with hand creams, works very well. (I don't think you have to live in America's Dairyland to find this.)

A finger cot, if you haven't seen one, looks exactly lke a little condom. (Sorry, but it does.) You get them from a drug store - usually with the band-aides and first aid supplies. Walgreens has 'em.

The finger cot keeps the area moisturized and lets the cream do its work. When I'm not framing, or appearing in public, I'll sometimes do this during the day, but I wouldn't leave the finger cot in place for more than about 8 hours or so continuously. If you're sensitive to Latex, I'd ask about whether these might be a problem, since they appear to be a similar material.

If you don't suffer from Nintendo thumb, you might think I'm making all this up. But if you know what I'm talking about, give it a try.

Ron
 
Ron

Well thank you very much for this tip I will take it under review, and file it away for when it is needed, I have suffered a bit from what you describe in my time

Good tip I have being thinking of late that there must be hundreds of tips that we know for framing or related problems that come from framing that we have worked out a solutions in our own way, I not suggestion that they be of the rocket science type or very original just tips that what work for us some of it may be old hat to others but then again what we share may help someone else.

smiley.gif
 
I don't have Nintendo Thumb, but I think I have terminal remote control thumb. I'll have to suffer, though. Just can't bring myself to use a finger cot. :eek:

BTW: Audrey spells her last name 'Levins'
 
Hey, North or South doesn't matter. Joe (my husband) and I both have this problem, (although his is worse) but not only on the tips of our fingers, but along the sides of our fingers and on the outside edge of our hands. We just buy Neo-sporum (sp) by the gallon and bandaids by the gross!

Betty
 
I forgot to mention that an artist friend who has the same problem has told me she gets considerable relief by taking fish-oil capsules from the vitamin store. I guess it's your choice whether you'd rather walk around with condoms on your fingers or have fish-breath, though I haven't really noticed that my friend has either one.

Ron
 
Ron,
You can find the same sort of hand cream at some craft stores. I've used one called "Udderly Smooth". It's made with {swear to god} "bag balm".
Jan
 
For dry skin and itchy skin go to a health foods store and buy the brand name Barlean's 100% Flax Seed Oil. (And you DRINK the stuff, not rub it on your skin!)

It softens skin from the inside out and stops itchy shins and forearms dead in their tracks. And Barlean's seems to be the only brand that will work for me. I tried durn near all of them.

Jan,

"Bag Balm" and Udder Guard are one and the same. And don't laugh, it works! Also, for cuts, go to a vet supply store (where Udder Guard is available) and buy a cannister of nitrofurizone creme. It comes under a number of labels but it is fast for healing cuts. I had wire cuts and kick tears on my horses many times and used nitrofurizone salve on them and they healed with no need of stitches or anything. I thought, if it works on humans half as well as it works on horses, I gotta try it. And it does work. I have been using it for many years on cuts and any skin breaks and it heals these "ouches" quicker than anything I have ever bought "over the counter".

(If you have a gaping hole of more than 4" or so, I would skip the nitrofurizone and seek immediate medical help!)

Framerguy
 
I use Bag Balm, which I get on my yearly trips to New England. The stuff smells awful, but it leaves your skin soft, and has an anti-bacterial agent in it to boot. It's available at your local AGWAY.
 
Mr. Bogdanove,

Please 'splain your connection to Bag Balm.

Just a Rabid and enthused user?
Paid by commision?
Consultant or 1099'd?
Onwner?
Partner?
Importer?
Distributor?

Just fill in the holes.

Boldface product self promotion is fine, just let us know where you are comming from.

thanks,
Ron the framer ;)
 
I put a drop of super-glue gel in the cracks on my finger tips. I read about it in Prevention Magazine. It is also what is now being used to close surgery sites, only under a different name.

I strongly suggest you let it dry before you pick anything up and don't put it in a bend on your finger.
 
I have been using Gold Bond medicated creme (or the store brand that is similar) and it works better than what I used to use: vaseline and cotton glove-fingers (also known as gloveless fingers) over-night. With the Gold Bond knockoff I can appear in public, smell great, and heal at the same time!
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Originally posted by Ron Eggers:
This is mostly a tip for cold-climate framers. Those in the warmer climates can gloat. All you have to worry about is tinea cruris.
Ron
Gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat, gloat, etc. etc.

Jeez, you guys get some weird problems up there!

"Tinea whatris"? I don't think we have that down here either!
 
Originally posted by Bogframe:
It's available at your local AGWAY.
AGWAY? Is that like a Fleet Farm? I get this complaint during our busy time right before xmas. Between framing and doing artwork on photos, my hands get very dry but I don't like to put anything on them at work because I don't want to risk getting it on what I am working on. I usually put Vaseline or Neutrogena Hand Lotion (it's very concentrated) on the area and cover it with a band aid. I might try Ron's finger cot idea.

The other important thing to promote healing is to avoid anything at home that will make it worse, like cleaning, cooking, etc. I find whine about how bad it hurts effective to get my family to do the work. ;)
 
A further tip regarding the use of the finger cots:

The ones I buy come in an assortment of sizes. Do not be tempted to use one that's too small just 'cause it's there! You'll wake up with very soft fingertips from the cream and gangrene from the lack of blood-flow.

Ron
 
Ron,

I am also a chronic sufferer of what you have termed "Nintendo Thumb". Although, I prefer a full glove at bedtime versus a finger cot. Sure, the sight of a 230 pound man going to bed with little mitties on doesn't do much for my wife, but neither does open sores!

I must say, I think the thing that has helped most this winter is splurging for the plastic coated hanging wire. I was reluctant to spend the little bit of extra at first, but now I don't have to stop what I'm doing to clean the little smear of blood off my mat.

Tom
 
Originally posted by psychoframer:
I must say, I think the thing that has helped most this winter is splurging for the plastic coated hanging wire. I was reluctant to spend the little bit of extra at first, but now I don't have to stop what I'm doing to clean the little smear of blood off my mat.
Absolutely, Tom. In the olden days, I had a few customers mention that they poked their fingers with the wire while hanging the picture. I truly believe that, subconciously, they will never quite forgive the framer that makes them bleed, so I use the coated wire.

And, yes, I know there are all sorts of wire wraps and cord alternatives, but that's a subject for another thread.

Ron
 
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