bread kneading 'injury"
need some advice.....i love to knead bread by hand and i have good upper body strength.....i really enjoy the process of feeling the dough and being in tune with the gluten development. it's not my back, or my neck or my spine that is 'giving out' but one of my index fingers......and the funny thing is, it's not my dominant hand (i'm left handed) but my right index finger. i don't do much with that hand except use the dough scraper to scrape the dough up off the board once in a while. my index finger is swollen and stiff.....i don't know if it's arthritis or bursitis.....has it stopped my baking bread? of course not, but what finnally is getting me to the doctor is that i have to type most of the day w/ my job and it is getting very painful to do this, as well as what i do in the ktchen for fun.
any tips or suggestions to help my fingers would be appreciated. yes, i have a big kitchen aid 12 cup food processor. but i really would rather knead by hand.....i started out using the food processor, but it is a pain to clean....and not as much of a zen experience as kneading by hand...at least for me.