A year a go I was in so much pain I could not even turn a door knob with my left hand. Nor could I grip even grocery bags without agony. A year ago I saw a doctor and he told me I have tendonitus of the wrist. I knew something was wrong almost two years earlier. But I kept playing my (mostly) barre chords on my 11-50 strings two hours a night.
Over the past year, I've limited my playing to an hour a week (as opposed to my earlier 10+ hours), and my wrist feels so much better. I still have pain, but it's reasonable now.
Sadly, I lost my spot in my band for my hiatus from playing with them. Yet I've attended band practice over the past few months (without my guitar) and just hung out. I still enjoy seeing my band friends but feel (somewhat) worthless in that I'm listening to them play while I just hang.
But it is fun that I get to jump on bass for some songs while the bass player moves to drums. I enjoy it. Actually, my wrist hurts much, much less when I play bass.
Anyway, this is jus a post. An update. I've been with GN for awhile, so I dropped in to let those who know me what's been up. :D
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
It's good news that it's causing you less trouble. Maybe you could run the mixing desk between bass sessions.
Your post is a loud and clear warning to everyone here about what can go wrong with your body if you keep playing through the pain. Did you get sent for physiotherapy or anything like that? I think it'd be worth writing out every gory detail of the last year and sending it to David to put on the lessons pages.
A :note2:
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I feel your pain. in Dec 07 I pulled the tendons in both forearms. I could not reach my fingers around a CD without searing pain. after six months of PT that was diminished a great deal. today, I wake every morning with stiff hands. it is painful to make a fist and unclench. holding a tiny screw while using a screwdriver works for about two minutes before I cramp up.
I hope I am not this damaged forever, but at my late age, maybe.
what a shame you lost your place in the band. I hope you continue to exercise your guitar and hands.
Man, I'm so sorry to hear about all that. Age sucks. Better than the alternative, but it still sucks. I did the roll-over-on-the-wrist-wrong thing in my sleep a couple months back. Barre-chords hurt, so I only do when absolutely needed. Already on stuff for my head that also helps with this, so we'll see. I hope it doesn't last a year or more like what happened to you. I hope it turns the corner soon for you.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Hey, Dennis, nice to hear from you - and good to hear there's some improvement. I remember your original thread from a while back - I don't remember if anyone ever advocating a change of string gauge? Say, to 9's, to ease the work load on your fretting hand? Might be worth a try....
I've always used 9's; that's just a personal preference. I don't know if you remember, but a couple of years ago, I severed a tendon in my fretting hand. Took me a while to get going again, but I persevered. I'd just about got back to normal when I was round at a friend's house, and while jamming, got passed his Strat....11's. The difference was incredible from my own guitar...I could hardly hold the strings down. OK, I'd lost a fair bit of strength in that hand, but the difference in tension was very noticeable. One song, with a couple of barre chords, I'd had it.
Another thing I've adopted to ease the pressure on my hand is playing part-barres - bringing my thumb over to fret bass notes. Like you, I use a lot of barre chords - and if I overdo it, my hand soon tells me when it's time to quit. So those part-barres seem to ease the strain on the fretting hand too.
Anyway, I hope you make a full recovery eventually. Thanks for keeping us updated!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Dennis,
Good to see you're feelin better but I'm sure it still suxs especially watching the band you were playing ain and not being able to do it.
If you want to move to CT and you can join our band..we'll make you a singer too!
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Basses are also cool and the tension is much lower than the guitars. Do you perform specific exercises for warming up or something like that?
Take care! :D
Man, corbind, thanks for the update.
Hope things get better with time.
Bish
"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"
Sorry to hear about the tendonitus.
Take it easy.
KR2
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
Alan, you may be right, that would be a good piece to put on GN. Why? Because most of us are guitar fanatics and put our playing out front and (at least in my case) played with pain too long.
Dogbite, I think you are in even more pain than me. Man, that sounds horrible. +1 for you understanding my loss of my place in my band. But I understand. The guys wanted to move on and, with me being "crippled," they had and have all the right.
Rparker, don't roll on your wrist! Tie 'em down before bed, LOL. Just messin' with you. I've always enjoyed your posts. But it may take almost another year for me to heal. It's better, but, uh, not. Too much too often is not cool.
Vic, I was SO sad reading your post long ago about the really bad things you went through when you "severed a tendon in my fretting hand." And I followed all your post from that point. My GOD, I can't believe you are still rockin' out! In comparison, I wonder why the heck I even posted "I was a fanatiac player, but got side-lined." Vic, you truly get an award for sticking it out through injury. The Green Beret of guitar playing!
Chris (cnev), been awhile, for sure. Glad you show up for my wake, LOL. You and I are quite similar in our ups and downs in guitar and I love seeing your out here posting on GN.
Bish, been awhile! I used to post lots about gigs in the Summer. You were doing your thing and having a blast. I hope you are still thriving on the multiple instuments. Bless those who can do drums. I played some (2 songs) at band practice last week and I could only hit the bass drum and high hat! NO ARMS!
Alright guys, good to get back with you. I feel bad I have not been posting much, but I feel I'm less than a REAL guitar player in the past year from my tendonits.
Ah
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Wow Dogbite, I don't remember hearing about your wrist issues. I'm so sorry to hear about that...or those.
Corbind, keep hanging in there the best you can, eh? And thanks for the advice. I'll have to have my wife tie me down to the bed. (wonders how many people will go there.....)
And I hope Vic still maintains safe distances from sharp objects.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
And I hope Vic still maintains safe distances from sharp objects.
I've even filed the edges of my plecs so they're smooth.....not taking any chances these days. Mind you, not much chance of me hitting anything sharp - I'm usually flat, if anything!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
A year a go I was in so much pain I could not even turn a door knob with my left hand. :D
In 2000 I tried opening a small 250 mil bottle of maple syrup. My big thumb joint popped right outta the socket. BLAZING pain...so much so that I didn't even eat my pancakes!
Microsurgery fixed it...although it's visible that the joint stil bulges out more than god intended. Osteo, tendonitis and minor bursitis in my left thumb still plague me...and CERTAINLY fish oil caps DO seem to help! But seeing I've been squeezing a guitar since 1962 I guess it's to be expected. So, hey, I'll be dead sooner than later so maybe I shouldn't complain!
I came up with some things that might help ya, Corbind. Take a song...and stay on each segment of chordings for a while before moving on. As you play them over and over...adjust your fret hand with different "angles of attack". Some will feel better than others. In time, it'll be second nature. This is all you can do, I'm afraid!
For you folks that need some sort of reference as to the actual pain...imagine going at your knuckles with those claw-crackers used to get into lobster and crab!!!
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
Hey, Dennis, any improvement lately? I noticed you've not been posting much, but you're still keeping track of the "first gig - tell us!" thread and encouraging the first-timers.
How about an update? Hope there's some improvement!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Hey all! Not much has changed since this March '09. I'm still just playing my songs at home (no band) and I'm not nearly as crazy as I used to be in March '08 or before. By playing much less my wrist has healed. I don't think it will ever be more than 90% of what it was, but I'm happy just to be able to still play!
I come here to GN and read posts yet I just seldom post. I've rekindled my love of reading so that takes up quite a bit of my time I used to allocate to playing guitar. I'm perusing books at my local libraries often! :D
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
