Hey all you By-hand-milkers...

noeskimo · #1 08/06/13, 10:47 PM

I have 4 lovely ladies, a Saanen, a lamancha, and 2 Samanchas that I milk daily, I have for 4 years, no problems.I also have a right elbow that I broke "off" and the resulting repair left me with some metal. The outer 3 fingers of my right hand have lost most of their feeling, some tingling in my shoulder as well.The Dr thinks this is Carpal tunnel, but I think the motion of milking is wrong for that.I think it's the screws or something. VERY annoying, hard to milk,or do anything. I don't have the luxury of stopping to see if it goes away. So tell me; have any of you developed carpal tunnel from milking?

ozark_jewels · #2 08/06/13, 10:50 PM

I don't know if age has much to do with carpal tunnel(just not familiar with it), I am 31 and have been hand-milking cows/goats since I was 7 years old. Ranges from 1-4 cows or 2-12 goats. No problems yet.

noeskimo · #3 08/06/13, 11:07 PM

I've got you beat; I have a picture of me in training pants, milking.And I'm almost double your age.

ozark_jewels · #4 08/06/13, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noeskimo

I've got you beat; I have a picture of me in training pants, milking.And I'm almost double your age.

LOL!! That would be a sight! What were you milking, goats or cows? I started with cows at 7, but didn't get to goats until I was about 10. Then out of goats and back to cows when I was 15 or so. Then back to goats and cows when I was 18. Just goats now for a few years.

noeskimo · #5 08/07/13, 12:06 AM

My grandparents had a small herd of 6-8 cows that they hand milked and sold the cream from.They lived in north-central Mo. grandpa was older,and set in his ways. He had a team of mules in lieu of a tractor.

ozark_jewels · #6 08/07/13, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noeskimo

My grandparents had a small herd of 6-8 cows that they hand milked and sold the cream from.They lived in north-central Mo. grandpa was older,and set in his ways. He had a team of mules in lieu of a tractor.

Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Growing up with home milk cows, I didn't know that anyone but big dairies ever had milking machines. If you wanted milk, you worked for it! To this day I'd rather sit and milk peacefully by hand than flip that switch on a machine milker.

noeskimo · #7 08/07/13, 12:37 AM

Amen. That's why I hate even the idea of the cause of this being milking.

Squeaky McMurdo · #8 08/07/13, 01:02 AM

Have you been to a chiropractor? I have the same issue and it's caused by a sublexation in my shoulder blade which in turn misaligns my elbow, which causes my wrist and hand to feel "prickly" most of the time and sometimes go numb. An adjustment usually fixes me right up.

If you like to sleep on your side, that may be what is causing it and switching to your back or the other side every so often to gove ot a rest could help.

SJSFarm · #9 08/07/13, 06:15 AM

I second Squeaky, chiropractor.

I have pain in my right hand, typical CT is tingling in the first three fingers. I also have pain in my left elbow. I know its from milking. But... I'm also over weight, and that makes a little problem HUGE.

April · #10 08/07/13, 09:21 AM

Also make sure you do your stretching. I get the tingles every now and then, but only when I stop regular hand stretching.

Alice In TX/MO · #11 08/07/13, 09:29 AM

Try changing to milking from the other side of the goat or from the back.

Backfourty,MI. · #12 08/07/13, 09:33 AM

Also try setting on a different height stool may help.

**mygoat** · #13 08/07/13, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Try changing to milking from the other side of the goat or from the back.

I just had to laugh - I can only imagine the goats' horror at switching up their routine. But its probably good advice for the hand issues.

Alice In TX/MO · #14 08/07/13, 11:29 AM

Oh, yes. They are totally freaked.

I've got one tiny teated goat that I have to milk one teat at a time, and she gets stompy if I get them in the wrong order, or if the vacuum tube touches her leg. Sigh. We call it doing the Cassie Dance.

Doug Hodges · #15 08/07/13, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Oh, yes. They are totally freaked.

I've got one tiny teated goat that I have to milk one teat at a time, and she gets stompy if I get them in the wrong order, or if the vacuum tube touches her leg. Sigh. We call it doing the Cassie Dance.

Ive got a one teated yearling that likes to raise her leg and stomp. We expect it. Its the ones that usually stand still that get you when they get a wild hair.

Phil V. · #16 08/07/13, 12:39 PM

I had the same problem with my right arm and turned out to be a pinched nerve causing my problem. I've been going to a chiropractor to work on it and it is doing a lot better.

Dusky Beauty · #17 08/07/13, 01:24 PM

I don't think milking once or even twice a day is sufficient repeated motion to get carpal tunnel. Plaque buildup is caused by a LOT of repeated same motion activity---hours upon hours as far as I know (so rest easy there). I think the gals gave you a lot of more likely places to look for your problem.

Clovers_Clan · #18 08/07/13, 06:53 PM

I developed CT from using keyboard and mouse 8-10 hours a day doing graphic design for several years. The tingling is caused by inflammation in the narrow channel in the wrist, through which the nerves run. Repetitive motion is most often the cause for the inflammation.

You may have inflammation caused by something else, arthritis, etc. IMO milking for less than 1 hour a day could only be good exercise for your hands. I'd look for another culprit.

If your shoulder is hurting, adjusting your stool height might help.