The Advantage of Knitting: Therapeutic Knitting
Knitters across the world say it's simply the best therapy, but why? Is there any substance to these claims?
Over the last three years Betsan Corkhill as ex senior physiotherapist has been investigating hundreds of stories from knitters all over the world to explore whether they could have a medical or scientific explanation. Having justified them medically, she was intrigued to know whether the experiences you feel as you knit can be enhanced, learned and then transferred to other areas of life. From here she have developed the process of therapeutic knitting.
Betsan Corkhill
This article bellow tells the result of Betsan Corkhill's investigation of hundreds of stories from knitters all over the world:
So, why knitting? It's already known and accepted within the medical profession that occupied people feel less pain and depression, so that's a good start. However, the large amount of anecdotal evidence suggests that knitting has much more to offer. It isn't simply about keeping people occupied with an activity they enjoy. It's not just 'old fashioned' occupational therapy either. There's a lot more to knitting than initially meets the eye!
The rhythmic repetitive movements of knitting are important - quite how, we're not absolutely certain of yet, but we have our theories. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that they induce a form of meditation very similar to Mindfulness. Recent research has shown that Mindfulness can be very effective in treating depression and chronic pain. It can also help those who are fit and healthy to combat stress and to manage life's downs. It helps you to put into perspective any traumatic issues that would normally dominate your waking thoughts helping you to find a stable balance between problematic events and feelings and more positive, pleasant sensations within the current moment. It's a state of mind where you're not mulling over the past or fretting about the future.
The rhythm of these movements has a calming effect which is already being used successfully to manage disruptive behaviour and ADHD in children. Many who have written to me say they use their knitting to manage anxiety, panic attacks, phobias and conditions such as asthma, where calmness is important. Of course the portability of knitting means you can carry your calming remedy around and use it when and wherever you need. This portability makes knitting, along with some needlework projects, unique in the craft world.
One of the example: Knitting Community in Harvard University
The automaticity of knitting is important, too. It occupies some areas of your brain, whilst freeing up others. Many find that this enables them to 'zone out' to become 'mindless'. This gives your mind a mini break from any problems, enabling you to escape into the sanctuary of a quiet mind. This brings down stress levels and breaks into negative or ruminating downward thought cycles.
This occupying of the brain at one level has interesting results if you're knitting in groups. Conversations can become more intimate more quickly and, as a result, communication improves. It's as if the brain is unable to think too critically or prejudicially about what it's saying because it's occupied elsewhere - it enables barriers to come down.
The action of knitting slows down thought processes, which is important in our modern, stressful world. Thoughts can often whiz around in our heads preventing sleep and keeping stress levels high. Slowing them down enables us to view, sort and process them. This could have important implications for those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Indeed knitters tell me their knitting significantly improves their PTS and in some cases cures it completely. This links in with research done at University College London by psychologist Dr Emily Holmes in 2002. She found that if a person performed a repetitive visuo spatial task during a traumatic event they experienced significantly fewer flashbacks. The report recommends looking at knitting and worry beads further.
Let's stay on the subject of PTS for a while and look at a treatment called Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a somewhat controversial technique used by some therapists to treat PTS and Schizophrenia. At a basic level clients are asked to follow the sideways movements of the therapist's finger whilst talking about stressful events. This somehow enables PTS sufferers to process their recurring thoughts - to file them away. Eye movements have been found to lower arousal levels and a lot takes place when knitting so there could be links to this therapy as well. Recent research by Dr Andrew Parker at Manchester Metropolitan University have showed that moving your eyes from side to side for 30 seconds every day can boost memory by 10%.
Now, you already know the advantages of knitting for us and even for other people with special need or case. So, for knitters keep knitting and for beginner don't give up! for the one who haven't try knitting, you can come to Seasons City and join Shavella Creative Community. See you there!
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| Betsan Corkhill |
This article bellow tells the result of Betsan Corkhill's investigation of hundreds of stories from knitters all over the world:
So, why knitting? It's already known and accepted within the medical profession that occupied people feel less pain and depression, so that's a good start. However, the large amount of anecdotal evidence suggests that knitting has much more to offer. It isn't simply about keeping people occupied with an activity they enjoy. It's not just 'old fashioned' occupational therapy either. There's a lot more to knitting than initially meets the eye!
The rhythmic repetitive movements of knitting are important - quite how, we're not absolutely certain of yet, but we have our theories. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that they induce a form of meditation very similar to Mindfulness. Recent research has shown that Mindfulness can be very effective in treating depression and chronic pain. It can also help those who are fit and healthy to combat stress and to manage life's downs. It helps you to put into perspective any traumatic issues that would normally dominate your waking thoughts helping you to find a stable balance between problematic events and feelings and more positive, pleasant sensations within the current moment. It's a state of mind where you're not mulling over the past or fretting about the future.
The rhythm of these movements has a calming effect which is already being used successfully to manage disruptive behaviour and ADHD in children. Many who have written to me say they use their knitting to manage anxiety, panic attacks, phobias and conditions such as asthma, where calmness is important. Of course the portability of knitting means you can carry your calming remedy around and use it when and wherever you need. This portability makes knitting, along with some needlework projects, unique in the craft world.
 |
| One of the example: Knitting Community in Harvard University
The automaticity of knitting is important, too. It occupies some areas of your brain, whilst freeing up others. Many find that this enables them to 'zone out' to become 'mindless'. This gives your mind a mini break from any problems, enabling you to escape into the sanctuary of a quiet mind. This brings down stress levels and breaks into negative or ruminating downward thought cycles.
|
This occupying of the brain at one level has interesting results if you're knitting in groups. Conversations can become more intimate more quickly and, as a result, communication improves. It's as if the brain is unable to think too critically or prejudicially about what it's saying because it's occupied elsewhere - it enables barriers to come down.
The action of knitting slows down thought processes, which is important in our modern, stressful world. Thoughts can often whiz around in our heads preventing sleep and keeping stress levels high. Slowing them down enables us to view, sort and process them. This could have important implications for those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Indeed knitters tell me their knitting significantly improves their PTS and in some cases cures it completely. This links in with research done at University College London by psychologist Dr Emily Holmes in 2002. She found that if a person performed a repetitive visuo spatial task during a traumatic event they experienced significantly fewer flashbacks. The report recommends looking at knitting and worry beads further.
Let's stay on the subject of PTS for a while and look at a treatment called Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a somewhat controversial technique used by some therapists to treat PTS and Schizophrenia. At a basic level clients are asked to follow the sideways movements of the therapist's finger whilst talking about stressful events. This somehow enables PTS sufferers to process their recurring thoughts - to file them away. Eye movements have been found to lower arousal levels and a lot takes place when knitting so there could be links to this therapy as well. Recent research by Dr Andrew Parker at Manchester Metropolitan University have showed that moving your eyes from side to side for 30 seconds every day can boost memory by 10%.
Now, you already know the advantages of knitting for us and even for other people with special need or case. So, for knitters keep knitting and for beginner don't give up! for the one who haven't try knitting, you can come to Seasons City and join Shavella Creative Community. See you there!
