Hit 1,000 sourdough loaves baked yesterday and nobody warns you about the elbow pain

I keep a running tally in a notebook (nerdy, I know) and passed 1,000 loaves yesterday. My right elbow has been aching for months and I figured out it's from all that folding and shaping, not just the kneading. Has anyone else dealt with this repetitive strain stuff after a certain milestone?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilymurphy14d ago

You ever try the climber exercises? A buddy of mine was laid up for a week with baker's elbow and that rehab stuff on YouTube got her back to folding in days.

charles_kim14d ago

Have you tried switching up your stretching technique? I hit 600 loaves and my wrist started screaming at me. Folding and shaping is brutal on the joints, way more than kneading ever was. I switched to a gentler stretch-and-fold method and started doing those hand exercises for climbers or guitar players. It made a huge difference for me, honestly. Maybe look up some elbow rehab stuff on YouTube, that saved my baking arm.