Strange hands after long chainsaw use

[huskydavid]

Right, a friend of mine was explaining a "problem" he has in his hands (mainly right) after long use of a chainsaw (4/5 days a week, felling, ringing firewood etc). Basically in the evenings they close up like the shape of holding a glass or the trigger handle of the chainsaw.

I'm struggling to figure out what it is. Would it be anything to do with white finger etc?

Edited April 9, 2012 by huskydavid
spelling mistake

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

white finger

[L200LOG]

Reynards disease or vibration induced white finger!!

[Mozza]

Wankers cramps that, the dirty git!!

[Old WoodChip]

Reynards disease;

I see they treat it with Viagra, my hands are stiff enough now lol

 

seriously; it helps circulation in your hands

 

Not sure how you would cope with climbing gafs on, oh well practice I supose and tuck you #### into your harness

[woodsculptor]

Get this all the time due not being able to take breaks when carving (get all carried away and absorbed!). I find doing lots of rapid hands exercises (shaking, wiggling fingers etc before you get any ideas :-)) helps with the pain, aught to really get a proper care programme put together for them or I'll be knackered by the time I'm 35!

 

Kim

[David Goss]

Not necessarily white finger or raynards. It could be trigger finger, mountaineers finger or any manner of tendon problems. Best bet is go ask the doc then you will know for sure.

[normandylumberjack]

White finger would as the name sujests, show as white tips and blotches on the fingers, tingleing sensation like pins and needles, worse in the cold.

I'm 29, been doing forestry/ estate work since I was 14. My hands tingle most days and worse in the cold. Using old strimmers, and chainsaws a lot of that time has taken its effect.

I love what I do so will live with it, but if your starting out in the bussiness and feeling it allready then you should think about your choice of career. Speak to your doctor and get some advice, keep your hands warm- it seems to help, check the AV on your saw.... just because it has av, doesn't make it vibe proof. Newer saws are getting better and the models with heated handles are a help. keep the chain sharp, and top up the fuel and oil as often as you can- it soaks up a little vibe IMO. People will tell you its part of the job and to man up, but imagine what your mitts will feel like when your 60?

[morten]

white finger

 

To be honest, the described symptoms do NOT sound like the typical symptoms of "white finger" to me Vibration white finger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

This is more likely a problem with the muscles of the forearm, that pull the tendons of the fingers, caused by prolonged overloading of the muscles resulting in a cramp-like muscle state.

If this is indeed the cause, a number of exercises (performed at regular intervals during the work-day) are likely to relieve the symptoms, see Exercises RSI Tendonitis sections:

• Forearm Flexor Stretch with Pronation
  
• Forearm Flexor Stretch with Supination
  

 

 

Alternatively, it could be Trigger Finger although the described symptoms don't match too well.

[Mark Bolam]

Sounds vibe related to me, but I doubt it's Reynauds, which I have had for as long as I can remember, since I was 5 or so, (but which is made worse by vibes).

 

If his hands are as bad as you say, his days on the tools are over.

 

Loads of threads on Arbtalk already about this stuff, none of it good.