"Crackberry Thumb" RSI...adaptive icing technologies?

August 11, 2011 11:09 AM

Icing, massage, less frequent use of the device (as if!) So....I know I could stick my hand in a bucket of ice. But has anyone actually devised any sort of glove into which one can put ice and ice down that thumb joint in a less liquid/messy way? Years ago, I used to ice down a knee with a bag of frozen peas. Would love to find or make a smaller, simpler alternative similiar to the "knee peas," for the left thumb joint.
posted by dorgla to computers & internet (6 answers total)

There are gel finger ice packs.
posted by GuyZero at 11:14 AM on August 11, 2011

I came to suggest the finger ice packs mentioned by GuyZero. Those things are great. It works better if you put them in the fridge rather than the freezer, because truly frozen gel wrapped around your finger is intensely painful.
posted by medusa at 11:35 AM on August 11, 2011

What about crushing ice wrapped in a tea towel with a hammer or mallet, then put it in one of those snack-sized ziploc bags? Mini knee-peas.
posted by LN at 11:56 AM on August 11, 2011

My friend had a device for his knee (and I know they have a shoulder attachment) that used a pump to continually circulate cold water around the joint. It was a post-surgery thing, and cost a couple of hundred bucks, I think, but he said it was worth it, and he still uses it to treat soreness issues.
posted by bashos_frog at 12:03 PM on August 11, 2011

Which thumb joint is it? They make tools (such as plastic thumb covers) for massage therapists to save wear and tear on the thumbs, you might try one of those. You should also drink enough water so that the joint has lubrication. And you should stop texting so much. Really. If you kill your joints, you won't be able to text *at all*, potentially for years.
posted by parrot_person at 2:26 PM on August 11, 2011

Frozen popcorn! Works great and doesn't get mushy
posted by chaoscutie at 2:49 PM on August 11, 2011