>My bloke is one of a vast number of men who have bent little fingers, and
>he's not going near a surgeon., This condition is so prevalent among men,
>I have never understood why no glove design accommodated this fault.

The bent little fingers is common in commercial beekeepers. Mine little 
fingers are bent or cupped
(however the trigger finger is normal. Those in Missouri with problem 
trigger fingers are considered cripples  and are preyed upon by the outlaws! 
Kidding!)

For many beekeepers I was the first to point this out and explain why.

Bee boxes are heavy and with the oval hand holds (or even the slats) one has
to put undue weight on the three small fingers. The body responds by
increasing muscle in those fingers (like the arms of a person in a wheel
chair) and as the muscles develop they pull the fingers in resulting in a
oval look at rest.

I earned my first belts in martial arts in Japan when I studied under a
Japanese teacher for three years as a child. He taught me to do stretching
exercises as martial arts exercises causes the muscles to develop but
tighten up so you are constantly trying to stretch the muscles back out for
mobility.

I have taught martial arts privately to a few over the years and one to the
hardest pupils to train was a weight lifter. took him forever to stretch out
enough he could stand flat footed and kick a dummy at face level.

Sooo you can do exercises to stretch those fingers back out but a slow
process as once the muscles have been enlarged in those little fingers they
are always there and the constant everyday use is not stretching so unless a
strict exercise stretching is performed the condition returns.

Surgery would solve the problem after a person would leave commercial
beekeeping but my guess is the condition would return with resuming bee box
lifting.

Some on the list ( Allen & Aaron for sure) will remember Sharon Gibbons (was 
in charge of the honey judging for years at the ABF conventions)
now retired Missouri commercial beekeeper. Her small fingers cup on both
hands because of the reasons I gave above. She had been to a doctor who was
at a loss as to what was causing the problem. I was the first she said to
solve the issue when we were at a bee meeting *when I showed her my hands
with the same problem*.

I used to stretch the little fingers but rarely do now. I do have two 
fingers which
I sting regularly because they hurt and one which the  muscle moves on the
finger causing pain but I suspect its because of an old injury to my finger.

Others?

bob

My computer goes to the shop later today. Return unknown.

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