Dealing with Arthritis,Carpal Tunnel,and other Hand Aliments

Try the V-Picks,they are great for all around playing and also injured hands.

I have had a bad case of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome since 2008,I use a range of their picks.
There are some specifically made for injured hands,which I haven't tried but using them has made my
life easier. My hand is much better now but I've had many sessions with a Chiropractor but yes those
picks make life easier.

Good luck man.

I agree with Immortal_Soloist. The V-Picks are great for the picking hand. I am currently using Gravity Picks and prefer them, but Vinni Smith (of V picks) makes great picks in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. If you are having pick hand challenges, upgrade your picks and I think you will see an immediate difference. For those who have not tried gravity picks, I can only suggest you give them a try. Absolutely amazing picks and great customer service.

This does not help with fingering issues. Lots of great advice here, and as was said, I am sure that a lot of us here (especially us geezers) have some hand and wrist stuff going on. Years ago, I had tendonitis so bad I could not hold a cup with one hand. I had to back off my practice a bit to give my arms a rest. I also did get a cortisone shot in my right elbow, and started wearing splints to sleep with and had good success. I also started taking a joint supplement (Triple-Flex available at Costco) and that helped immensely.

For those with carpal tunnel, wearing the wrist splints at night may help a lot. Most of us sleep with our wrists curled and that puts a lot of pressure on the carpal tunnel sheath. The wrist splints are available at most pharmacies, and really do help.

If all else fails, move to Colorado, fire up a Bong. It will not fix your hands, but at least the mountains will look taller.
 
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So, I went to the Orthopedic guy today (fixed my shoulder several years ago and really helped me). For "Trigger Finger" he explained how he could now fix it and it would be like new. He said up until recently, they would trim the growth on the tendon only for it to grow back and be even more painful. Now they cut the band, allowing it to expand and not cause the pain/symptom. So, I'm scheduled to have microsurgery on it in two weeks (out-patient w/local). He said i should be as good as new within a few weeks...he guaranteed I would be back playing w/o pain.

So, wish me luck. I'll report back.
 
So, I went to the Orthopedic guy today (fixed my shoulder several years ago and really helped me). For "Trigger Finger" he explained how he could now fix it and it would be like new. He said up until recently, they would trim the growth on the tendon only for it to grow back and be even more painful. Now they cut the band, allowing it to expand and not cause the pain/symptom. So, I'm scheduled to have microsurgery on it in two weeks (out-patient w/local). He said i should be as good as new within a few weeks...he guaranteed I would be back playing w/o pain.

So, wish me luck. I'll report back.

Here's hoping all goes well for you.
 
I developed tendinitis last year that came out of carrying my rack bag and straining my right arm. It hurt to play, but I was playing in a band at the time and felt compelled to work through the pain. That was a bad idea. Eventually the pain became so bad that I had to go to physical therapy three times a week. This, and learning to wear a brace properly (this was hugely important) helped me heal.

I'll always have a trick elbow, but what helped me was laying off guitar for a while (this was hard to do). Laying off guitar, the physical therapy, doing the exercises, using the green gel (forgot what it was called) and using the brace properly (the brace, once I learned I was using it wrong, REALLY helped) all put me on the road to recovery.

Since then I bought a nice JAMSTANDS cart for my amp: JAMSTANDS JamStand JS-KC80 Karma Series Transport Cart - Light Duty | GuitarCenter

And I also got better, lighter rack case.

And I've told myself no more improper lifting of heavy stuff. I'll let the cart do the hard work for me.
 
So, I went to the Orthopedic guy today (fixed my shoulder several years ago and really helped me). For "Trigger Finger" he explained how he could now fix it and it would be like new. He said up until recently, they would trim the growth on the tendon only for it to grow back and be even more painful. Now they cut the band, allowing it to expand and not cause the pain/symptom. So, I'm scheduled to have microsurgery on it in two weeks (out-patient w/local). He said i should be as good as new within a few weeks...he guaranteed I would be back playing w/o pain.

So, wish me luck. I'll report back.


Thought I would report back. It's been over a week since I had surgery for trigger finger. My finger no longer freezes up in the closed position and I have little or no pain (the pain will go away as the surgery cut heals). If you have this condition, please see an good Orthopedic Surgeon. This condition can be fixed permanently and beats the hell out of frequent Quartizone shots. Thanks for everyone that wished me well!
 
Thanks for this favance.

I've had my shoulder done, and four weeks later it's still painful - but have full range of movement and can play so that's fine. The cotesone injection just put off doing the op, which turned out to have been very necessary...
 
Watching this thread as my left hand suffers from Focal Dystonia.

I was diagnosed with FD about 3-4 years ago. (Left hand). I sympathize with you. It is a demon. Obsessive playing 2-5 hours a day for 25 years is probably what did it for me. Luckily I still can play but my hand cramps especially with certain fingerings and arpeggios. I am getting better since I read a book called Mind sculpture by Ian Robinson. I realized a lot of rewiring of your neurological system comes from thought and not actually performing the task. Good Luck!!!
 
Thanks for this favance.

I've had my shoulder done, and four weeks later it's still painful - but have full range of movement and can play so that's fine. The cotesone injection just put off doing the op, which turned out to have been very necessary...

Same doctor did shoulder surgery on me several years ago. It took some time to heal and was painful for awhile. But, now my shoulder is totally pain free and I have a full range of motion in it. Make sure you take the pain medication and keep up w/the follow up physical therapy.
 
I am glad I started this thread.Ive learned so many things I didn't even know exist.Thanks to all who continue to participate.Wishing you all the best.
 
I thought it might benefit many of us to try to revive this thread, and perhaps widening the scope of it, cuz none of us are getting any younger, and as the technology we are so lucky to share makes playing so much more pleasant and inspiring and easy to overdo, finding new ways to battle the pain of arthritis, carpal,et.al. seems more urgent than ever, and much of the stuff earlier in this thread is most informative. I would be happy to share some of the things I have tried . My particular arthritis is most severe in my left lower thumb and upper wrist, making holding and properly using a pick problematic. I had my hand doctor create a custom wrist/thumb brace which I have had limited success with. Specially designed thumb picks from a site called www.strum-n-comfort.com have helped a lot. Sometimes padded fingerless gloves help a little...I have to catch a plane now, but I hope those of you who are concerned about this issue will volunteer your advices and suggestions, whether medical, holistic, or technological. Lets help each other keep on playing!
 
I use V pick small lights. The fatter bigger ones did seem more relaxing; however I just gravitate to the size of a jazz III (no, haven't tried gravity picks yet!) Also, in the smalls not much chirpiness at all.

The thing is, by being sticky, V picks do stay in the hand without concentration, sticking there, which is super relaxing by itself just knowing it. Try a gator pick afterwords, and realize how hard it is to hold and keep a firm grasp. (Thanks Vinny).
BTW, although pricey, I got a super fine baby file, and i resharpen the V pick to my own custom point, so it lasts a long time.

On the matter of carpal issues, ice and heat 4 or so times, for twenty seconds each. Use two packs (buy the cold packs that are soft and have loose material in them like https://happyandsimple.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/microwavable-hotcold-packs-made-from-corn-tutorial/ )right out of the freezer. Your hand will warm them, so after using one for two cycles u can switch to the second. It works because its COLD, not just cool. For the heat part I like to use the water tap, with very hot but not burning water, and submerge the hand under the tap, twenty seconds or less. I keep the cold packs on the counter so I just switch back & forth. (I learned this trick on a fluke, defrosting the freezer right before playing, and I had to melt the ice rather than leave it in the sink in the shared bathroom. I played my best ever right after this and then realized what I had stumbled on. ) Typically, in preventive & very mild cases, where you wish to still play normally, you end on the hot water before playing. (In recovery cases you keep in mind that heat can equal inflammation, so you may want to end on cool.) But the key seems to be that this procedure helps create a significant inra-tissue stretch-compress-stretch (almost like yoga), in addition to the heat aiding general circulation. This great de-stressing of tissue feels awesome. A stressed mind & body is thankful, and the improvement in skill is obvious to me , as my fingers were relaxed and flowing like never before.
 
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I had surgery on both hands for carpel tunnel with good result about 10 years ago.
the nerve going to most of your fingers goes through a bony tunnel. inflammation of the nerve results in swelling and the nerve gets compressed.They make the tunnel wider by removing a bit of bone. Been fine since.
Just check that your surgeon is skilled in hand and wrist surgery.
 
I had surgery on both hands for carpel tunnel with good result about 10 years ago.
the nerve going to most of your fingers goes through a bony tunnel. inflammation of the nerve results in swelling and the nerve gets compressed.They make the tunnel wider by removing a bit of bone. Been fine since.
Just check that your surgeon is skilled in hand and wrist surgery.

Do you mean they remove a bit of bone, or ligament? I am thinking the approach is often to remove ligament, which always sounded scary; actually removing bone doesn't sound as bad, since bone regenerates.
 
I was diagnosed with FD about 3-4 years ago. (Left hand). I sympathize with you. It is a demon. Obsessive playing 2-5 hours a day for 25 years is probably what did it for me. Luckily I still can play but my hand cramps especially with certain fingerings and arpeggios. I am getting better since I read a book called Mind sculpture by Ian Robinson. I realized a lot of rewiring of your neurological system comes from thought and not actually performing the task. Good Luck!!!

That sounds like an excellent book, and concept. A similar concept helped me when I developed sciatiaca after a fall, and a month later had not improved. A chiro doing mind nerve study pointed this out, and gave me an exercise of lying on my back and engaging in deliberate walking motions. This was, in effect, having my mind/brain produce the motion of walking and instructing nerves to instruct muscles. The inflammation & nerve malfunction ceases practically the next day! I never needed to go back & I thought this was a miracle since a few days before I literally could not properly walk without numbness and some dragging of that right leg.
 
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