Shuffling related injury

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

lawguy51	18 Dec 2002
Don't laugh. My left wrist and forearm have been feeling really tender and sore lately and I couldn't figure out why. Then I picked up my deck last night and started hand shuffling and as I grasped the deck with my left hand, thumb on the bottom, fingers holding the top end of the deck, I got this shooting pain through my arm. Tarot tunnel syndrome? Tarotnitis? I never thought this passion I have for Tarot would take such a physical toll. Am I the only wussie or have others found that too much shuffling can be dangerous to your health! :) Lawguy51

SherryZoned	18 Dec 2002
LOL Lawguy! I know what you mean! Maybe you will have to try spreading them out..or swirling them..I know if you go to the doctor..you can get arm braces..without insurence..they are about 55 bucks a piece..Just a thought!

allibee	18 Dec 2002
Hi Lawguy :) RSI...repetative strain injury allibee

aeonx	18 Dec 2002
*lol* You have to slow down on the shuffling! :D Hm. This is the first tarot-injury I've ever heard of. *l* I hope your arm will be well soon, so you can continue reading! ~aeonx~

Major Tom	18 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by allibee RSI...repetative strain injury :laugh: RSI Indeed! :laugh: Are you sure it's just from shuffling? })

Macavity	18 Dec 2002
Having suffered occasionally from "guitarist's wrist" over the years, I can empathise ;) It occurs to me (since I'm not the greatest shuffler) Hasn't anyone. in the field of card games generally, come up with some sort of automatic shuffling device - e.g. gaming establishments? BTW I've never frequented such places to know about such things :D <-- Innocent Macavity

wavebreaker	18 Dec 2002
Repetitive Shuffling Injury, more likely... :D You should avoid making the same movement all the time. So you should alternate shuffling with sitting behind the computer to visit Aeclectic... }) :D ;)

Pollux	18 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Major Tom Are you sure it's just from shuffling? *ROFLMAO* Quote: Originally posted by tarotlady with sitting behind the computer BEHIND??? :rolleyes: *LOL* I never had that kind of injury, but I do get my fingers strained - mostly because I shuffle big cards and keep them in the same position with a lot of effort for ages. A good idea, as Redwood says, to pass to fanning or swirling a flat surface... :)

Sara	19 Dec 2002
Ouch. Worst injury I've ever recieved from my decks was a papercut, that wasn't pleasant. For the past few months now my right wrist has been sore and has even swollen up a bit at times from writing too much, and from spending too much time on the computer...have become very good at using the computer mouse left handed lately...tried writing left handed, but that just doesn't work as well. Maybe you could try reversing hands while shuffling, though I know if i tried that, I'd probably drop them :) Hope your wrist gets to feeling better. Sara

Trish	19 Dec 2002
well shoot! *shrugs* I dunno ... Carpal Tarot Syndrome? :P hehe. LOL! Great story. Thanks for the crack-up!

pozt	20 Dec 2002
Oh HOHOHOHOHO LOOK WHO'S A WUSSIE!!! no, jus kidding. :P Actually, I got sores on my fingers from shuffling the decks too much...one of my fingers started to bleed. :P

Aerin	20 Dec 2002
You can get automatic card shufflers of the sort used in casinos, they sometimes sell them in novelty shops and card shops. Like this one http://www.epinions.com/kifm-Toys-All-Cardinal_Premier_Edition_Automatic_Card_Shuffler/display_~full_specs or this one http://www.giftideasforseniors.com/autcarshuf.html or this one http://www.comforthouse.com/elcarshuf.html Aerin

Umbrae	20 Dec 2002
Get a lawyer

cjtarot	20 Dec 2002
hi all.. ok so its the wrist and forearm...give them a break for a little while. But if your like me (big deck shuffled all the time) it's my fingers that ache. I went and got a set of those chinese exercise balls. You roll them around in your hand and it helps keep your fingers nimble. I got mine in china town but I see them from time to time in the mall. OH..what about trying one of those wrist bandages (the stiff ones that keep your hand in 1 position) they use for corpal tunnel while you shuffle..may help..never know till your try. blessings, Cj

Macavity	20 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Aerin You can get automatic card shufflers of the sort used in casinos, they sometimes sell them in novelty shops and card shops. Cool. I did seriously wonder that :) I thought they'd be thousands of dollars. Might be a thought, just to give a deck a good initial shuffling? OTOH, Perhaps there's a vacancy now for a Tarot Reader's "Mate" - To do the shuffling etc. Like the (very) old joke about someone being a professional "wringer-out" for a one-armed window cleaner etc. :D I went over from using a mouse to using tracker ball. Now only my fingers ache... Mac

Sorceress_Jade	20 Dec 2002
I've made my thumbs raw (i mean raw to where it hurt to touch them to anything :( ) by shuffling my oversized Thoth. Horrible isn't it? The one thing you want to do hurts most, and will only cause you to get worse if you even try to deal w/ the pain. Sounds so funny tho. Tarot Injury. :D

zander770	20 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by lawguy51 Don't laugh. Am I the only wussie or have others found that too much shuffling can be dangerous to your health! :)Lawguy51 could be worse...once, i broke BOTH hands! forGET about "shuffling," try "wipping yer ass!" luckily, however, i've a very loving and "nursifull" girlfriend... HA!!!! leat, zander from dander :joke:

lawguy51	20 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Get a lawyer Good idea! Oh, look...I am a lawyer. :D

lawguy51	20 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by zander770 could be worse...once, i broke BOTH hands! forGET about "shuffling," try "wipping yer ass!" luckily, however, i've a very loving and "nursifull" girlfriend... I think I can speak for all Forum members in thanking you, Zander, for sharing that detail with us. Hmmm, file under "WTMI" :D. Thank you all for reponding. A few good laughs, some empathy and advice and voila...a few days off and my arm and wrist feel better. But I better leave that Victoria Regina deck alone for a while. Is there a bigger deck, I wonder? (even though I wasn't using that deck when this ailment struck). Lawguy51

allibee	20 Dec 2002
oh it's terribly huge the VR isn't it... I've had to turn it around so that I shuffle them vertically instead of horizontally and I can tell you my floor has seen more spontanious spreads than my table has, LOL ;) Get well soon And yes Zander, there is such a thing as TOO MUCH INFORMATION (yuck) allibee

lili	20 Dec 2002
Hi lawguy 51 I know what you are talking about, like you i do get a sore wrist sometimes, specially when i do many readings for costumers over the phone and i have to do all the shuffling for them. I hope your wrist get better.

Trogon	22 Dec 2002
Hmmm... Perhaps we'll start seeing this on the Tarot boxes now; "Caution: Excessive shuffling of Tarot decks can lead to repetitive shuffling syndrome, finger and/or thumb abrasions and (if you're lucky) enlightenment."

Ivy Rhiannon	02 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Major Tom :laugh: RSI Indeed! :laugh: Are you sure it's just from shuffling? }) LMAO!!!!

HudsonGray	02 Jul 2004
Hopefully it went away, it's probably De Quervain's Syndrome (a repetitive stress injury), I got it too in my right hand, it took 9 months to go away. Now it's showing up in my left hand. It deals with the thumb tendon.

The 78th Fool	07 Jul 2004
Thank you all for reponding. A few good laughs, some empathy and advice and voila...a few days off and my arm and wrist feel better. But I better leave that Victoria Regina deck alone for a while. Is there a bigger deck, I wonder? (even though I wasn't using that deck when this ailment struck). Heaven forbid!- If you did that sort of damage with Victoria Regina just think of the damage you'd do with a Giant Rider Waite!!!

Sillanza	08 Jul 2004
lawguy, I've had both your "complaint" and the thumb/finger blister. My solution was to switch to a different deck; bigger, smaller, stiffer didn't seem to matter. Just different. I'm still talking about cards here ... ;)

The Shuffling related injury thread was originally posted on 18 Dec 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.