Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - Tom C. - 12:12 28-10-08
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Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently wearing a
splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as they say.
Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either positively or
negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play again? Any info
from folks with this experience appreciated.
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - jimmy - 12:24 28-10-08
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On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:12:17 -0400, "Tom C." <nospam@nospam.nul>
wrote:
>Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
>guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently wearing a
>splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as they say.
>Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either positively or
>negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play again? Any info
>from folks with this experience appreciated.
>
I thought I had CTS or some type of tendonitis for years. My arm is
in pain probably 1/2 the time. I've done physio & acupuncture and
various arm / wrist excercise programs over the years. Recently I
went to a sports med. chiropractor. He feared I may have
ostio-arthtitis. X-rays revealed, much to our relief, a bone spur on
my elbow. He's fairly confident that a series of treatments I will be
undergoing shortly will work for me. The point is always get a 2nd or
even 3rd opinion. Those physio guys could have heated, iced, massaged
& otherwise probed my arm for the rest of my life & not helped at all.
good luck,
tony
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - olddog - 13:18 28-10-08
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"Tom C." <nospam@nospam.nul> wrote in message
news:mMGNk.54997$Ep1.3911@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
> guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently wearing
> a splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as they say.
> Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either positively or
> negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play again? Any
> info from folks with this experience appreciated.
>
I've had it for about 14 years now. Yes it effects my playing and no I
didn't recover. I can play through the pain but my left hand has lost
strength and it gets clumsy.
Wearing the splints at night can help. Stretching helps too. There were some
stretching exercises for drummers that I learned that helped.
As far as taking time off; I took over 1 year off and it did no good. I
learned to live with it. I play a lot of lap-steel now. My hand still goes
numb but not as bad. I can play regular guitar but I try to keep it a
minimum.
Sorry to be so glum but that's how it went for me.
You should see a specialist.
olddog
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - WeReo_ScoTTy - 14:08 28-10-08
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"olddog" <email@address.com> wrote in message
news:APHNk.7996$_Y1.2402@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> "Tom C." <nospam@nospam.nul> wrote in message
> news:mMGNk.54997$Ep1.3911@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
>> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
>> guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently
>> wearing a splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as
>> they say. Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either
>> positively or negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play
>> again? Any info from folks with this experience appreciated.
>>
> I've had it for about 14 years now. Yes it effects my playing and no I
> didn't recover. I can play through the pain but my left hand has lost
> strength and it gets clumsy.
>
> Wearing the splints at night can help. Stretching helps too. There were
> some stretching exercises for drummers that I learned that helped.
>
> As far as taking time off; I took over 1 year off and it did no good. I
> learned to live with it. I play a lot of lap-steel now. My hand still goes
> numb but not as bad. I can play regular guitar but I try to keep it a
> minimum.
>
> Sorry to be so glum but that's how it went for me.
>
> You should see a specialist.
>
> olddog
Nuclear Warrior gives us "the only music that matters" with no
fretboard-hand fingers so you guys sort of have it easy. I am the great and
the glorious One.
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - David - 14:32 28-10-08
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"> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
> guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently wearing
> a splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as they say.
> Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either positively or
> negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play again? Any
> info from folks with this experience appreciated.
I had bi-lat carpal surgery about 4 months ago and I am still playing guitar
and bass. I have a little weakness but no more numbness. You have to be
determined not to let it affect you and lighter strings don't hurt either.
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - David - 14:38 28-10-08
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">
> "> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for
> a
>> guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently
>> wearing a splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as
>> they say. Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either
>> positively or negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play
>> again? Any info from folks with this experience appreciated.
>
> I had bi-lat carpal surgery about 4 months ago and I am still playing
> guitar and bass. I have a little weakness but no more numbness. You have
> to be determined not to let it affect you and lighter strings don't hurt
> either.
one other thing, I picked the guitar up right when I got home from the
hospital and my doctor encouraged me to play.
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - Nick Delonas - 15:24 28-10-08
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In article <mMGNk.54997$Ep1.3911@bignews2.bellsouth.net>,
nospam@nospam.nul says...
> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
> guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently wearing a
> splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as they say.
> Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either positively or
> negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play again? Any info
> from folks with this experience appreciated.
>
>
>
I had cubital tunnel, which is more common for guitarists I believe.
Same kind of thing, just a different nerve.
My advice is:
1) Do not see a neurologist unless excruciating pain for no good reason
appeals to you.
2) Try everything possible before considering surgery.
3) Get a doctor to refer you to physical therapy and try that for three
months.
I created the following web page after my ordeal for *preventing* such
injuries.
--Nick
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - Don Evans - 15:33 28-10-08
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WeReo_ScoTTy wrote:
> "olddog" <email@address.com> wrote in message
> news:APHNk.7996$_Y1.2402@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>>
>> "Tom C." <nospam@nospam.nul> wrote in message
>> news:mMGNk.54997$Ep1.3911@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
>>> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate
>>> for a guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm
>>> currently wearing a splint at night to keep my fingers from
>>> "falling asleep" as they say. Anybody had the surgery? Did it
>>> affect your playing either positively or negatively? How long was
>>> the recovery before you could play again? Any info from folks with
>>> this experience appreciated.
>> I've had it for about 14 years now. Yes it effects my playing and no
>> I didn't recover. I can play through the pain but my left hand has
>> lost strength and it gets clumsy.
>>
>> Wearing the splints at night can help. Stretching helps too. There
>> were some stretching exercises for drummers that I learned that
>> helped. As far as taking time off; I took over 1 year off and it did no
>> good. I learned to live with it. I play a lot of lap-steel now. My
>> hand still goes numb but not as bad. I can play regular guitar but I
>> try to keep it a minimum.
>>
>> Sorry to be so glum but that's how it went for me.
>>
>> You should see a specialist.
>>
>> olddog
> Nuclear Warrior gives us "the only music that matters" with no
> fretboard-hand fingers so you guys sort of have it easy. I am the
> great and the glorious One.
I really try to not give you crap, but sometimes you stick your dick in
other peoples drink and it really pisses me off. You don't play and we do..
so please keep your negative "only music that sucks" comments out of serious
conversation concerning stuff that, while it doesn't matter to you, is
important to players.
BTW, the NW has fingers, he just plays as if he hasn't. ;-)
Don
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - Tom C. - 15:36 28-10-08
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Hey, Nick. Thanks. Please post the web link; I think you overlooked that
part :-)
"Nick Delonas" <delonas@cultv.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.237130f912a7ebc59896cd@news.optonline.net...
> In article <mMGNk.54997$Ep1.3911@bignews2.bellsouth.net>,
> nospam@nospam.nul says...
>> Other than losing an arm or a finger, I can't imagine a worse fate for a
>> guitar player! (OK, some hyperbole there certainly.) I'm currently
>> wearing a
>> splint at night to keep my fingers from "falling asleep" as they say.
>> Anybody had the surgery? Did it affect your playing either positively or
>> negatively? How long was the recovery before you could play again? Any
>> info
>> from folks with this experience appreciated.
>>
>>
>>
>
> I had cubital tunnel, which is more common for guitarists I believe.
> Same kind of thing, just a different nerve.
>
> My advice is:
>
> 1) Do not see a neurologist unless excruciating pain for no good reason
> appeals to you.
> 2) Try everything possible before considering surgery.
> 3) Get a doctor to refer you to physical therapy and try that for three
> months.
>
> I created the following web page after my ordeal for *preventing* such
> injuries.
>
> --Nick
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Re: Anybody dealing w/carpel tunnel? - Tom C. - 15:36 28-10-08
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Whew, that's a relief. Thanks for mentioning that...
"David" <d_cochran@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:JYINk.3460$Ei5.431@flpi143.ffdc.sbc.com...
> one other thing, I picked the guitar up right when I got home from the
> hospital and my doctor encouraged me to play.
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