I hem my bindings by hand using the blind hem stitch, and have done so since I started quilting. I don't have a problem with soreness of any finger. If you are having to push hard on the needle then you are probably not doing the stitch correctly. Look for a video of the blind hem stitch...it is really quite easy and quite fast. It gives your binding a really nice clean finish without seeing any stitches on front or back. I have gotten to 3 hours of hemming for a queen size quilt.