How to cure & avoid the writing knob/lump on middle finger?

[Dominink]

I write fairly much with a fountain pen (mostly German shorthand and learning Palmer method handwriting drills), maybe 1 hour a day, sometimes less, sometimes more.

Apparently, this is enough for my hand to develop a (bone?) kob/lump on the first joint of the middle finger, where the pen lies.

 

Are there any ways to cure it without surgery? And what can be done to avoid or at least not deteriorate it?

I tried wearing a thin knitted glove, but was sweating in the glove and found it uncomfortable to wear a glove when writing for more than a few minutes.

 

Please share your advice, recommendations and experiences.

Thank you!

 

PS: I don't know if this is the right sub-forum, please move accordingly, if I failed. Thank you!

[Al-fresco]

I think you need to seek qualified medical opinion… But (oh come on, there’s always a “but”) examine your pen grip.  I know that’s hard, I couldn’t even visualise my grip without stopping to pick up a pen.  We tend to adopt our grip at a very early age and stick with it but I’ve noticed many people hold their pens very differently from the way I do.  (And their writing is neater too.) I assume you’ve tried changing your pen - have you tried changing your grip?  Yes, it’ll be hard and it will slow you down at first.  

 

I probably don’t write an hour a day now - but when I was a student I wrote a lot more (using rubbish pens)  with no ill effects, apart from temporary “writer’s cramp.”
 

But, honestly, I’d see a doctor.  

[Dominink]

1 hour ago, Al-fresco said:

I think you need to seek qualified medical opinion… But (oh come on, there’s always a “but”) examine your pen grip.  I know that’s hard, I couldn’t even visualise my grip without stopping to pick up a pen.  We tend to adopt our grip at a very early age and stick with it but I’ve noticed many people hold their pens very differently from the way I do.  (And their writing is neater too.) I assume you’ve tried changing your pen - have you tried changing your grip?  Yes, it’ll be hard and it will slow you down at first.  

 

Thank you for your reply!

It is not that bad that it needs medical attention, but I will sure bring it up the next time I have a doctor's appointment (which could be soon, cold season is coming here in Germany anyway).

 

As for the grip: I use the traditional tripod grip, where the pen is "pinch"-held by thumb and first finger, resting on the middle finger. I learned that in school with the classic Lamy tripod fountain pen section and did some research, it seems to be the most recommended grip, especially for longer writing sessions.

 

Anyway in the meantime I did some research and found out it is quite common for writers, called "writer's callus" or "writer's bump". As long as it is not hurtful, which it isn't in my case, just odd-looking - it is not a "serious" condition it seems.

 

Still, I will keep an eye on it and ask the doctor next time to see what she recommends in avoiding it.

I guess I will try a cut-of middle finger part from a very thin fabric glove in the meantime. Maybe writing with less pressure might help and I will experiment with pens that require less pressure (my new Opus 88 demonstrator is perfect, it weighs enough, so it is put down by sheer gravity, which reduces the required pressure, also the ink flows freely, which also reduces the required pressure).

[Al-fresco]

Good to hear it.  But you do realise that now I can't pick up my pen without thinking about the way I'm holding it!

[Vintage_BE]

On 10/13/2024 at 9:41 PM, Dominink said:

Apparently, this is enough for my hand to develop a (bone?) kob/lump on the first joint of the middle finger, where the pen lies.

I don’t meen to be cheeky, but your predicament reminds me of something that Yves Montand (the Cary Grant of France) is supposed to have said. 
Next time you meet someone who works in the construction industry, or in gardening, look at her/his hands. 
And I agree with the recommendation to loosen your grip. It’s easier said than done, it took me several years, but it does pay off. Including for the fluency of your writing. 
Best of luck and enjoy your practice.

[Dominink]

46 minutes ago, Vintage_BE said:

I don’t meen to be cheeky, but your predicament reminds me of something that Yves Montand (the Cary Grant of France) is supposed to have said. 
Next time you meet someone who works in the construction industry, or in gardening, look at her/his hands. 
And I agree with the recommendation to loosen your grip. It’s easier said than done, it took me several years, but it does pay off. Including for the fluency of your writing. 
Best of luck and enjoy your practice.

 

Wow, this looks beautiful!

Thanks, this beautiful handwriting keeps me motivated to work on my handwriting as well as pen and finger grip/position.

 

I have started with the Palmer method of handwriting drills. It is supposed to help with all these problems: less cramping (by using the arm/shoulder instead of the finger muscles) and it allows for fast writing with a less hard grip (which should be good for the finger problem).

This weekend I will do some glove-shopping and try to use a cut-off glove finger on my middle finger joint and see if that also helps.

 

[Mercian]

On 10/13/2024 at 8:41 PM, Dominink said:

Are there any ways to cure it without surgery? And what can be done to avoid or at least not deteriorate it?

 

Back when I used ballpoints continually, I had one of those building up too.
I have found, since switching to fountain pens, that it has now largely disappeared.

 

I agree with Al-fresco that your grip may be a factor - not just the geometry of it, but how tightly you are gripping your pen.

When I first joined here I was looking for advice on how to improve my handwriting, and I saw several recommendations that one should make sure that one only grips one's pen very gently - the phrase 'as though it were a featherless baby bird' was mentioned a few times.

 

I also remember reading a thread in which someone said that they had had a teacher who used to wander around the class, occasionally plucking the pens out of kids' hands without any warning. And that if anyone were holding their pen so tightly that the teacher found taking the pen difficult, the kid would be told that their grip was too tight.

 

I found that it took me a good while to learn to relax my grip, but that, as I said at first, my 'writer's callous' has now diminished.

 

Caveat lector: I don't practice shorthand, so don't know if a 'relaxed grip' is desirable - or even possible - for that discipline.
I wish you the best of luck with it 😊

[PPPR]

My guess is you grip the pen too tightly. At least, that's how I got mine when learning the Palmer method many decades ago. I never could loosen my grip, so it's still there. 

[Vintage_BE]

3 hours ago, Dominink said:

This weekend I will do some glove-shopping and try to use a cut-off glove finger on my middle finger joint and see if that also helps.

By all means, experiment and find out what works for you.  I’ve tried gloves and other things, and concluded that I write best when my hand, wrist and fingers are free. 

[kazoolaw]

It must have been frightening to see the bump on your finger, but can assure you it’s not malignant, merely unsightly.  And that it is the result of a tight grip on whatever one writes with.  Mine began with the thick, black, round pencils we used as children to begin writing.  After stumbling across fountain pens in midlife and learning a looser grip the callus has largely gone away, leaving a small reminder of toiling away endlessly in a vain effort to earn a Palmer Handwriting certificate.

[Janeite]

So very helpful!  I've had that bump on and off over the years (depending on how much handwriting I've done), and now I realize that I need to loosen my grip.  Thank you to the posters in this thread!

[Dominink]

Thank you for your comments and contributions!

Very reassuring to know that this is just a minor issue and seems to be quite common (like many guitar player's hardened finger tip skin) and not a medical problem that needs surgery.

 

I have now ordered these over kleinanzeigen (German private marketplace for used items, like Crag's List in USA)

They are supposed to be used when you cut your finger and need the band aid to be kept in place. They are made from a cotton-rayon mix fabric.

 

I will intend to roll them over the upper joint of my middle finger, where the lump/callus is. Thus, I will cut them down, I don't need my whole finger covered, just the joint.

 

I hope they are not too thick as to feel awkward, hinder my handwriting or to make my finger sweat from warmth (if there even are sweat glands).

Will report when they arrive.

 

Also, I have begun to learn the Palmer method of muscular movement handwriting, which allows for a more relaxed grip and a different hand position.