Have you ever experienced any of these from balloon making?
- hand cramps
- shoulder pain
- arthritis symptoms
- sore wrists
- stiff muscles
- torn cuticles
- trigger finger
By Patrick Duffek ( not AI ) Jan. 27, 2025
I’ve been making twisted balloons and large balloon sculptures for over 30 years. In the last couple of years, I’ve heard most of my fellow balloon artists complain how their hands, wrists, arms and shoulders have on-going pain. It’s amazing how the years take their toll on our hands. Besides balloons, I also do a tremendous amount of typing every day, which is also part of the equation of pain. Posture is important in everything! I’m not a physician or in the healthcare industry, but I have conquered a lot of my own physical aches and pains with regular care.
Disclaimer: I’m in good health otherwise, and I didn’t seek out doctors for the presenting problems. This is more DIY-style approach stemming from many years in the balloon world. I am often doing gigs of 4-6 hours of long-line balloon twisting or a 5-hour build, but that’s about as long as I can do in one day.
I’m going to tell you how I overcame the pain problem. Everyone’s body and physical situation is different, and I recommend trying to test out different options for the best hand care. What works for some might not work for others. Dealing with pain is not as easy as ignoring the pain, right? For some, a great place to start is simply by noticing where it hurts, and trying something different.
Overuse and repetitive stress is the common cause of hand and wrist pain when making balloon art. Let’s face it, repetitive strain can happen with musicians, painters, artists, and many other manual laborers. The consistent actions of pulling, stretching, twisting and tying balloons can produce tired hands very quickly. With overuse, the muscles will get irritated with inflammation and become sore.
When persistent hand cramps and residual pain did not go away after several weeks after a busy holiday season a couple of years ago, I was frustrated by not seeing the pain decrease after time. The palms of my hands continually flared in pain. The muscles over my shoulders were painful and sore, as well as my wrists. It’s all connected, right? I began a daily dose of magnesium powder and did several sessions of stretching muscles each day. All of the pain left after several days!!
Magnesium does come in several different forms, and can be ingested in different ways. It’s not possible to take too much, so that is not a worry. Magnesium helps some to sleep better as well. It will be beneficial use if taken for several days before large events to ensure enough is in your system. It’s easy to take with tea or juice before bed nightly.
Easy To Do Reminders:
- Stretch moderately before and after the event
- Stay hydrated with water
- Keep your hands hydrated with lotion to prevent skin irritation
- Cover a couple fingers on each hand with cloth tape to prevent irritation and speed up your tying balloons
- Avoid excessive caffeine during long jobs
- Take regular breaks
- Afterwards, apply ice to areas that have been stressed in order to prevent additional soreness
Proactive and Preventative:
- Try to tie and twist balloons in a more ergonomic way will reduce stress in your hands
- Regular physical exercise and cardio
- Body work and massage
Easy Helpful Tools:
- wrist braces for support
- good shoes
- floor mats
- 660-size balloons tied into bands for stretching
- magnesium
- electrolytes
Other Helps:
- Electronic hand-fitted device for massage
- Hand glove molds with ice pack material for icing
Remember that if anything hurts from overuse and repetitive stress, don’t continue down that road. Take a break, stretch, hydrate and switch to using different activities and motions. You can always ask other artists what they do to help the sore hands!
Photo: Ache
- Other lOther large tools:arge tools:wrist braces for support
- good shoes
- floor mats
- 660-size balloons tied into bands for stretching
- electrolytes
