So anyone else starting to get carpel tunnel in the hands and joint pains from fleshing and skinning.
Any suggestions on how to keep it from getting worse or keeping the symptoms at bay.

Quit being such a good trapper

Wear the supports at night when you sleep and take Aleve. I work for 1 hour on fur and take a 30 minute brake and start up again.

I had a friend build me a skinning machine based on cooncreeksYouTube video.I also regulate the amount of scrapping by freezing fur during the season.

My partner built an electric skinning machine. It works very well. I built a hand crank (boat winch) skinning machine 25-years ago and it’s been a great cheap investment.

Being older though, I’ve decided to save my wrists and bought a well used scraping machine. I’ll pick it up after the first of the year. At 69, I’m not getting any younger and my wrists aren’t getting any stronger. This machine should allow me to scrape to my heart’s content until I’m too old or mentally confused to know how to use it.

Cortisone about a month before each trapping season, has been a savior up until now. I’ve also discovered not holding the handles so tightly; sort of slicing vs pushing coon, beaver and canine fat is easier on the wrists. Getting a super sharp fleshing knife, like a Caribou knife, or a Necker 600 and keeping it extremely sharp is a good way to go also.

Or, get your partner’s teen aged son to scrape for you and don’t be afraid to pay him.

I worked construction for 30 years and know what you are dealing with. My chiropractor suggested periodically shake my hands like your drying them off. Doing this relaxes the muscles and promotes blood flow. It won't cure carpletunnel but will help relieve some of the cramps and pain. Alieve also helps but in moderation.

With me I found if I get the fleshing beam up higher to more natural level it doesn't bother my back and my hands don't fall asleep as fast. Move your fleshing beam levels see if that works for you.

Dirt bike rubber handle grips on your fleshing knife. And like said above slicing rather then pushing helps. I take ibuprofen helps with inflamation and not hard on the kidneys and liver.

Have it really bad this year.....wake up numerous times during the night with numb hands/lower arms. Working on what Teacher says....easing up on the fleshing knife.

All good info I wish the people that wear fur and buy if could experience the art, hard work and other effort and cost that goes into producing our product especially in quantity. 20 pelts a season is no big deal but when you start doing a lot it starts hurting a lot.

A wrist brace at night helps me a bunch. Got real bad in my left hand and I had surgery on it. Doc wanted to do both but I didnt go back for the right hand. Wearing that brace again. Still not as bad as my left was.

V.A. did the surgery at Leavenworth. When I got there I found out the surgeon I had talked to wasn't going to do the cutting. A student was. Made me nervous but I'm right handed. Student did a great job. No problems got a lot of relief. Just nervous a new student will work on my right hand. Did i mention I am right handed?

pm, ADC on here and get set up with a electric skinning winch, Best money other than whiskey and divorce that youll ever spend

Blue English fleshing beam. Only like it for coons but that’s are bread and butter.

biofreeze helps

X2

wrist braces at night , if that don't help surgery will

And I thought I was the only one with pain in my hands and fingers. Last year I cannot remember hurting as bad. Maybe just another year older.

I had it bad in both wrists. Had the surgery and I wish I had done it sooner.

Break down and get the surgery. I got it at 30 years old, work related so workers comp payed. It's worth it.

The years my forearms went numb, I took some type of cherry concentrate pill. Whatever it was, that pill was the equivalent of eating some impossible amount of cherries.

A farmer suggested them to me and he was right. Cherries, in that high of a dose, have some sort of beneficial impact on joint inflammation and other similar conditions. I don't think that eating just a couple a day will really do much. These pills were much more potent.