Hand Injury--Any Tips?

[EHyde]

I was just getting interested in fountain pens and starting to do more writing (instead of typing) when I broke my right hand (I'm right-handed). Fortunately I can still use my thumb and first two fingers, but the splint I have to wear makes writing a chore. I feel like I'll teach myself poor form if I keep going this way (writing from just my fingers) too. Writing left-handed is almost an improvement right now...any tips or advice? I don't want to give up pen and paper for a month!

[jakers1]

I am no expert..... but speaking from someone who has little to no hand function. I say no point giving it up. Keep writing, any poor habits can be fixed once you heal up. Fountain pens are great for limited dexterity.

[mhguda]

If your doctor says it's OK to write, I'd keep it up with the right hand...

Some months ago I injured my writing hand and had trouble for about a week using it, but one of the first things I was able to do again was hold a pen and write... so I did. I still think it helped me get better, faster. It was awkward at first but improved rapidly. And in fact I found you use arm writing more when your hand is limited in how you can use it... so no fear for bad habits!

[quiapo]

It is an excellent opportunity to develop your arm for writing. Some of the old penmanship books retrain writing style so the arm is used more. There may be scripts that are more suitable for arm writing. My writing improved as my arm action improved.

[ParramattaPaul]

It is an excellent opportunity to develop your arm for writing. Some of the old penmanship books retrain writing style so the arm is used more. There may be scripts that are more suitable for arm writing. My writing improved as my arm action improved.

 

Agreed. I'll add that I had a hand injury that required me to wear a forearm and hand splint with the wrist, fingers and thumb of my dominant immobilised all the time for six months. While it took some getting used to, it actually helped me to improve my handwriting.

[Bookman]

I had frozen shoulder on my right side a few years ago. I couldn't even move my hand for nearly a month, and it was painful to write for a while after that. In the meantime, I shifted to my left hand. I had never been a left-handed writer before. It took three days to make my writing consistently legible, and of course it never look good. But I wrote left-handed and wrote every day. For everyone who loves writing by hand with a fountain pen, you might consider regular practice writing with your off hand. You never when your dominant hand will be temporarily useless.

[Catrin]

I had frozen shoulder on my right side a few years ago. I couldn't even move my hand for nearly a month, and it was painful to write for a while after that. In the meantime, I shifted to my left hand. I had never been a left-handed writer before. It took three days to make my writing consistently legible, and of course it never look good. But I wrote left-handed and wrote every day. For everyone who loves writing by hand with a fountain pen, you might consider regular practice writing with your off hand. You never when your dominant hand will be temporarily useless.

 

I just had shoulder surgery 3 weeks ago on my right arm, so can't write or type with that hand. I've been working on left-hand writing. Far from pretty, but quite legible and very thankful to have that option. I will continue practicing with that hand once I'm out of this sling from he**.

[pgmrdan]

You will adapt. Continue on. (Speaking from personal experience. I have the reverse-knuckle-bender from physical therapy, scars, pins, and wires to prove it.)

Edited November 16, 2017 by DanielWS

[Bookman]

 

 

Good luck.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Bookman

[Ghost Plane]

Use the big muscle in your forearm as your pivot and kind of sketch your letters in sweeping movements.

 

Feeling suddenly & absurdly grateful I’ve a knee injury & not my writing joints.

[Aquaria]

I was just getting interested in fountain pens and starting to do more writing (instead of typing) when I broke my right hand (I'm right-handed). Fortunately I can still use my thumb and first two fingers, but the splint I have to wear makes writing a chore. I feel like I'll teach myself poor form if I keep going this way (writing from just my fingers) too. Writing left-handed is almost an improvement right now...any tips or advice? I don't want to give up pen and paper for a month!

 

I broke the thumb of my writing hand about 15 years ago, and couldn't write at all with that hand.

 

I switched to writing with my left hand because I had no other choice. I was always ambidextrous and wrote with it often, anyway, so that gave me a chance to improve my writing on that hand, which was only passing legible, not all that great.