rebeccalr

I have that problem with my neck. I sit on a foot stool so I am looking into the throat of my machine. My Mom has tried on numerous occasions to buy me a chair, but I don't want one. This helps me. I hope you find a solution, because quilting with pain is no good!

helenquilt

I recently purchased a bar stool with back just 4" highter than my normal chair. I has helped me a lot since my machine was to high for the normal chair

ShirlinAZ

Every bend your body makes needs to be a 90º angle. For me that meant lowering my sewing surface. Nothing else would get rid of the same pain you are describing. I am barely over 5' (1.5 m) tall. I lower all my work surfaces in my studio. Wish I could lower kitchen countertops too, but I don't think the landlord would like that. Make sure your shoulders are in a relaxed position and not forced upward, and that your elbows rest easily at your side when you are sewing.

GrannieAnnie

Don't know how to avoid the pain, but when my back starts aching, I lay on the couch, push my back as close as possible to the couch back (laying on my left), being sure to keep the right arm on my side also as close as possible to the couch back. 20 minutes or so?

Helps enough to go back to the machine.

nanbue

Things that help. Stretch often and release your shoulders. Bring your arms straight out from your body, push you chest forward and pull your out stretched arm back with plums facing front then release your hands and point them back from the wrist. You can also do this using a door way. Relax your arms, then hunch over bring your arms to the front of you and stretch the upper part of your back. Roll your shoulders, four times forward then four times back.
Do often, sit very straight and bring your chin straight down to your chest, make sure your shoulders are down and relaxed and hold for five seconds release and do again.
Stand and touch your head towards your toes with your legs shoulder width apart. Slowly roll up one vertebrae at a time. Another great stretch for the back is to put one foot bent on top of a chair and arms between your legs. Then let the weight of your upper body hang and stretch all the from the hip to the neck. Hang for 20 seconds and then switch sides. If you do these before starting it will help and intermittently while sewing.
You need to have the work table at no more then 90 degrees angel to your arms, so You may need to put your machine into a table. (which range greatly in price form a fold away, like sew eze or something similar, less then 200. to a fancy custom made. But it will save your back.
We all, in many tasks that women do have a tendency to hunch up our shoulders. This creates alot of tension in the neck and travels down into the shoulder blades. Remember to push your shoulders down when you find you are doing this and relax them, and take a deep breath through the nose and let out through the mouth. Also a little weight training goes a long way to strengthen the back and make it less stressful to your back.
Ive been working on all of these things myself, as I kept getting injuried and my back was so tight and I was getting weaker and weaker. Now I do weight training three times a week including core musle training, and stretching daily. And I feel like a whole new person. I am 58. So not so young but not so old either.
But the first thing is to make sure the height of your machine, and the positioning is correct.

Nina Baker

I was advised to not use the same foot on the footfeed, to alternate feet. I drive with my right and sew with my left. Won't hurt to try it! All the other posts sound good too.

gramarraine

I found that when I started sewing on a lower table my shoulder pain went away. Try different adjustments on your chain and maybe you will find one that helps the pain.

urgodschild2

Wow I could have written this post. Same age and everything. But I get up when my back, shoulders start to hurt and go do something else. I have a lovely sewing table that my machine should be sitting on. The problem is I have my oldest living with me again. No jobs out there. She has been laid off now for almost 2 years. So she is living in the downstairs area of my townhouse. The three bedrooms upstairs are occupied by others. My room is very large and so I have my work station set up there. I have to set the machine up in a very small space to sew. So no big projects right now. The ironing board is one that is suppose to attach to the door but no one can find the thing to attach it so that is on my table too. I also have my computer, printer and TV on this area. Can you get the idea that i am scrunched here. Well I have had enough of this and my son and I are going to rearrange the downstairs so that I can get to my sewing table. My table is huge.....the size of a oblong dining table (we use it for that too..if we could get to it). So we are going to arrange it so I can get to the table with ease. Then my next problem will me the chair that I will use. Moving back to CA, we got rid of a lot of furniture so I have no chairs except those outdoor ones. Not conducive for my table. I may bring in one of my daughter's dining room chairs. My table can lower and raise up as it has a hydraulic lift in it...so I can adjust it to the height I need. I have had both shoulders operated on and I am disabled to some degree in them so I need to make sure that my table is at the right height to relieve stress....otherwise I wouldn't be able to sew at all.

babyboomerquilter

Thanks so much for all the tips on here. I have upper back pain and it does really slow you down.

pinkberrykay

i have shoulder pain that is exaserbated when I sew. I went to the doc today to see what can be done about getting it fixed and found out I may have a rotator cuff injury and may have to have surgery. I have an MRI next week so we shall see. I do appreciate everyones advice on stretching and exercises to do to help break up the sewing.