Hand cramps - how to improve?

[Pen Ultimate User]

I hate my handwriting. It's messy and worst of all, it's inconsistent. I think part of the problem is the way I hold my pen. I've been told I hold I hold it "wierd" - very close to the tip. The longer I write the sloppier the letters get and the more my hand hurts.
 

I've practiced a ton and overall my writing looks better now than it did a few years ago, but the pain makes it hard to keep it up. 
 

What can I do to help this? Where can I go to find the correct way to hold a pen? Is it a strength issue? Are there exercises I can/should do to strengthen my wrist/hands? I typically type everything. 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Are you using a death grip? That's a common cause of hand cramps.  *speaks from experience*

 

For me, I need a lightweight pen with a fat section.  That seems to help.  What kind of pen are you currently using?  And what would happen if you gripped the section higher up?

[LizEF]

There are various things to try.  I'm going to assume you're using a fountain pen (or at least a pen that doesn't require downward pressure to write - basically, a FP, pencil, or marker of some sort).

1. Relax your grip on the pen.  Do whatever is necessary for this to happen (more below).  FYI, it took me 6 months of constantly realizing I had a death grip and forcing myself to relax before this became natural, so don't beat yourself up, just patiently keep trying.
2. Posture matters - if you're hunched up, half-reclined in a corner of the sofa writing on a clipboard, that's not going to facilitate a relaxed grip.  Seated in a chair at the right height, with a desk / table at the right height, with plenty of surface area makes a world of difference.
3. Mood matters - if you're in a rush or feeling strong emotions, that can "encourage" you subconsciously to squeeze the life out of poor Mr. Pen.  Try to be conscious of this so you can control it.
4. Good pen, ink, and paper matter - so you're not tensing up due to frustration.
5. Experiment with the pen size, weight, and grip shape - only you can figure out what works for you.
6. Experiment with finger position (relative to each other and how far back on the pen).  I find that a grip similar to that used for Spencerian naturally encourages my hand to relax.  It's not currently natural to me, but when I feel myself tensing up, I switch my finger positions to be more Spencerian.  (An internet search for "Spencerian grip" should yield several images.)
7. Use your shoulder and elbow more (or completely - look up "arm writing").  This will take stress off your wrist and fingers.  (Of course, just relaxing your hand will do that too.)
8. Don't over-do it.  Too much practice can damage tissue in your hand / arm and that will just make matters worse, so build up to longer writing sessions slowly.
9. Whatever I forgot / never learned.

Best wishes!

 

ETA: Forgot: Your handwriting will suffer as you experiment.  Don't worry about that.  Once you find the combination of stuff that makes writing comfortable, you can work on your handwriting and it will improve quickly.

[Pen Ultimate User]

@Sailor Kenshin

@LizEF

 

I mostly use Flexion pens right now, I don't yet have a FP but I am looking into getting one. (I need to go to the FP section to look at recommendations for an inexpensive starter one) I have a Dr Grip that I really like too. The ink flows really nicely and I do have to hold it higher up because of the way it's shaped. 

 

I do have a death grip on it, I don't start out with one, but it gets tighter as I go. I'll work on that and Liz's other tips too. I also bought a book recommended in another thread on improving handwriting.

[Sailor Kenshin]

The Dr Grips are nice!  How inexpensive a starter are you looking for?  Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari are often recommended, or you could browse Amazon for Wing Sung piston fillers (my current obssession).

 

PS, I just picked up one of my Preppys to jot a note… about five dollars or less.  Can't go wrong with those.

[Pen Ultimate User]

I found this onr. Admittedly, I bought it because I thought the acrylic was pretty. Priorities!  I also bought some ink. Both cartridges and a bottle since I'm not sure which it uses. 

 

I found an alternative grip in the handwriting book I bought (hold the pen between the first two fingers, resting it on the web) and writing a full page of nonsense was messy, but not painful. Mostly just awkward. So I'm on the right track I think! Now to practice.

[Sailor Kenshin]

3 minutes ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

I found this onr. Admittedly, I bought it because I thought the acrylic was pretty. Priorities!  I also bought some ink. Both cartridges and a bottle since I'm not sure which it uses. 

 

I found an alternative grip in the handwriting book I bought (hold the pen between the first two fingers, resting it on the web) and writing a full page of nonsense was messy, but not painful. Mostly just awkward. So I'm on the right track I think! Now to practice.

Oooooo!  I had my eye on the red one.  But the pink is beautiful!

[Pen Ultimate User]

8 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Oooooo!  I had my eye on the red one.  But the pink is beautiful!

 

I loved the red one too. I love both pink and red, so it was a hard choice. My inks are both pink too. 

[LizEF]

40 minutes ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

I found an alternative grip in the handwriting book I bought (hold the pen between the first two fingers, resting it on the web) and writing a full page of nonsense was messy, but not painful. Mostly just awkward. So I'm on the right track I think! Now to practice.

Not sure how well that will work for fountain pens.  They're really designed to be held at a shallower angle than that grip allows.  And they're usually of a large enough diameter that unless you have large hands, it can be uncomfortable (a Bic crystal fits neatly between any two fingers, a Visconti Homo Sapiens not so much).  On the other hand, if it works for you, it works for you, and that can be the most important thing.

[Pen Ultimate User]

6 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Not sure how well that will work for fountain pens.  They're really designed to be held at a shallower angle than that grip allows.  And they're usually of a large enough diameter that unless you have large hands, it can be uncomfortable (a Bic crystal fits neatly between any two fingers, a Visconti Homo Sapiens not so much).  On the other hand, if it works for you, it works for you, and that can be the most important thing.

 

Yeah, we'll see when my pen gets here later this week. I do have big hands for a girl. They aren't much smaller length wise than my husband's. Width is a different issue. But in any case, we'll see and I will keep experimenting. I'm not married to anything yet. 

[A Smug Dill]

57 minutes ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

They aren't much smaller length wise than my husband's. Width is a different issue. But in any case, we'll see and I will keep experimenting. I'm not married to anything yet. 

 

That's confusing. 😁

 

Welcome to FPN! 

[LizEF]

49 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

That's confusing. 😁

[Pen Ultimate User]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

That's confusing. 😁

 

Welcome to FPN! 

Hahahaha, yeah I thought about that for half a second as I wrote it down. Oops!

 

My poor husband. I'm so mean to him online and he can't even fight back!

[A Smug Dill]

7 hours ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

I've been told I hold I hold it "wierd" - very close to the tip. The longer I write the sloppier the letters get and the more my hand hurts.

 

Generally speaking, the closer to the nib you hold the pen, the more physical effort it takes to exert precise control on the movement of the nib against the paper surface. Your handwriting and your hand both suffer when your muscles becomes fatigued.

 

7 hours ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

Is it a strength issue?

 

No, if by that you mean you hope to address the issue effectively by developing more muscle strength or even endurance in your hand.

 

7 hours ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

What can I do to help this?

 

Try using a Lamy Safari or AL-Star for a while. It doesn't even have to be a fountain pen; the rollerball versions also have a tapered, faceted gripping section designed to ‘force’ the user to adopt and adapt to a particular type of grip. They're large pens, but still relatively lightweight, so they may suit your hand better than, say, the Pilot Penmanship or Plumix, which also have gripping sections that are faceted for the same reason.

 

3 hours ago, Pen Ultimate User said:

I found this onr. Admittedly, I bought it because I thought the acrylic was pretty. Priorities!

 

I can't recall off the top of my head whether there's a frosty pink Lamy AL-Star. I know there was a Vibrant Pink special edition from a few years ago (and my wife still has it), and you might be able to find retailers offering those at clearance prices even today, if you like that colour and you're lucky.

 

6 hours ago, LizEF said:

Don't over-do it.  Too much practice can damage tissue in your hand / arm and that will just make matters worse, so build up to longer writing sessions slowly.

 

Excellent advice and a timely caution for the new fountain pen user!

 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Not sure how well that will work for fountain pens.  They're really designed to be held at a shallower angle than that grip allows.

 

I wouldn't say so, especially if the pen is resting against the webbing and not the knuckle at the base of the index finger. All of the fountain pens I have will write even when held in vertical position, in any case.

 

[LizEF]

20 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

I wouldn't say so, especially if the pen is resting against the webbing and not the knuckle at the base of the index finger. All of the fountain pens I have will write even when held in vertical position, in any case.

I remember you saying this in another thread where this grip came up...  When I put a pen between my first two fingers, it ends up at a pretty steep angle (maybe 80 degrees?), and I know some of my pens wouldn't like that - though you're right, most would be fine with it.  It's also possible that my short fingers result in a steeper angle than longer fingers might.  And perhaps it's possible to do this with one's fingers curled more or less, and thereby vary the angle...

[Pointyscratchy]

see other threads re seyes paper.This is incredible the difference it makes- your handwriting has to be consistent if you follow the seyes rules.

Can't help with the aches.

[ParramattaPaul]

I second the advice about grip being the primary issue.

 

Although it isn't likely a factor here, it is worth noting that a lack of potassium in one's diet can cause cramping.

[Pen Ultimate User]

15 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Generally speaking, the closer to the nib you hold the pen, the more physical effort it takes to exert precise control on the movement of the nib against the paper surface. Your handwriting and your hand both suffer when your muscles becomes fatigued.

 

Ah, this explains why my handwriting can start out relatively neat and progressively get larger and sloppier as I continue down the page. Fixing my grip will probably fix a large part of my problems. 

 

15 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

Try using a Lamy Safari or AL-Star for a while. It doesn't even have to be a fountain pen; the rollerball versions also have a tapered, faceted gripping section designed to ‘force’ the user to adopt and adapt to a particular type of grip. They're large pens, but still relatively lightweight, so they may suit your hand better than, say, the Pilot Penmanship or Plumix, which also have gripping sections that are faceted for the same reason.

 

I found a Safari for a decent price on Amazon. It's a bright pink, but honestly the color isn't super important. I do see what you mean about the grip, I can tell just from the picture they are different.

[inkstainedruth]

Some people don't like the grip on the Safari family.  I didn't at first, until someone gave me a cheap Chinese knockoff -- a Jinhao 599.  It taught me that I could get used to the grip after all.  Now?  I have something like five or six Safaris, two al-Stars, and an LX (I got that for less than a Safari costs when their old US distributor had a close-out a few years ago).

I have small hands, so lightweight is important to me.  My handwriting is pretty atrocious, though -- I wonder sometimes if a handwriting expert ever looked at my journal entries whether the person could tell all the entries were done by the same person....   

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Aether]

There are only two things to do to relieve writer cramp, hold the pen correctly, and relax. It's simple to say but does require some practice.