To all my quilting friends:
As a Licensed Massage Therapist, I can tell you that ANY joint can develop "carpal tunnel" type symptoms. And, as we all know, this really hurts. As many of you noted, repetitive moment is the biggest culprit, but joints do swell, and as we age and the sonovial(sp?)fluid in our joints diminishes, so we feel that pain even more ....
So many good suggestions here and many of them are so very true....use good ergonomics when sewing (meaning position your chair, foot pedal, light and sewing machine to be the most comfortable as possible), get up and move often, and switch feet from time to time so all of one leg doesn't get all that "abuse"....
But let me make one more very important suggestion....
GO GET A MASSAGE!!!!
When you find yourself hurting, take just a smidge of that fabric/quilting money and go relax with a massage. Don't be afraid to talk to your therapist about where exactly you are hurting...and request that she spend some time massaging and stretching the joints that are all "quilted out"!! Don't be afraid to express where you hurt and what you want worked on.
Remember..it may take more than one session to correct whatever has gone wrong...so don't just get one, go away hurting and not try again. I have many clients that don't start to see positive results until after the third session.
And, if the unthinkable should happen, and you don't get with a therapist that does a good job...don't give up. Just look for someone else....ask around. My profession has some not so good therapists....and many outstanding ones.
The $60-100 that you will spend for a good, one hour massage will be so very well worth it.
Happy and relaxed quilting, my friends
k