Arthritis
- Thread starter Chili
- Start date
Anyone else? What can be done about it?
Chili
Site Moderator
yeah, "feels like it's broken" is how it feels to me. If I take Motrin and rub in Aspercreme then it's okay, but I can't do that all the time.
I remember when it came on, too. Weird. Sitting on the front porch with my wife and playing the guitar. After a while, my finger started to feel uncomfortable so I stopped playing. It just got worse as the night went on. Painful as I went to bed. Hasn't changed any since then and that was last summer. Now I have these knarly bulges on that finger and it's difficult to bend or put pressure on it.
And yeah Jimmy, it is difficult to play bass. I usually do octaves with index and pinky but I have no strength in that finger anymore. It's so weird to feel that. Changing around takes some compromise, it slows me down on bass too.
I thought about seeing a orthopedic doc, but I'm thinking he's going to say there's nothing he can do about it. Besides, it's one joint on one finger. He'd probably have a good laugh at my vanity or something.
I remember when it came on, too. Weird. Sitting on the front porch with my wife and playing the guitar. After a while, my finger started to feel uncomfortable so I stopped playing. It just got worse as the night went on. Painful as I went to bed. Hasn't changed any since then and that was last summer. Now I have these knarly bulges on that finger and it's difficult to bend or put pressure on it.
And yeah Jimmy, it is difficult to play bass. I usually do octaves with index and pinky but I have no strength in that finger anymore. It's so weird to feel that. Changing around takes some compromise, it slows me down on bass too.
I thought about seeing a orthopedic doc, but I'm thinking he's going to say there's nothing he can do about it. Besides, it's one joint on one finger. He'd probably have a good laugh at my vanity or something.
Think you should see a doctor instead of trying to diagnose here. I had joint problem on my 3rd finger of my left hand when I was playing before. I just had carpal tunnel surgery two weeks ago on my left hand. Don't scare yourself, have it check out. If nothing wrong, you need to do hand exercise. Learn gripping exercise, using weights to strengthen your hand. Common sense exercise is the best way to improve your hand.
From exercise, I have been able to play guitar, up to 30lbs of bicep curl and 20 push ups only two weeks after surgery. Doctor was amazed how fast I recovered in the follow up checkup.
From exercise, I have been able to play guitar, up to 30lbs of bicep curl and 20 push ups only two weeks after surgery. Doctor was amazed how fast I recovered in the follow up checkup.
BroKen_H
Re-member
I had a "trigger thumb" about two years ago. Couldn't make my thumb bend past a certain point. Went to the doctor and he said it has to do with the tendon going through the little loops that keep it in place. If you get a lump on the tendon it won't go through the loop and hurts like all get out. He said there's nothing you can do about it, but I went home and did the "compartmentalization" techniques I learned in the military and just forced the thing over and over. Now it's fine. Meds are fine, but a good breathing technique and ability to compartmentalize pain in your brain can go a long way...
acidrock
GO PACKERS!
Go see the doctor, if you had tax problems would you go to the tax man or post a thread in the guitar forum?
It's 2014, those doctors are pretty good, the worst that can happen is that you'll pay to find out you were right.
My hands are pretty beat up from decades of construction work, but I keep moving along.
Of course you could always take up slide.....
Chili
Site Moderator
Thanks guys. I'm pretty sure the doc is going to say I am SOL. Maybe give a shot of cortisone. WebMD doesn't really give much hope for making it go away. I'm not afraid of seeing the doc or anything, just wanted to know if others out there were dealing with the same thing and trying to play guitar and what they did about it.
dervish riff
New member
And don't accept as gospel what the first doctor tells you. I have a good bit of trouble with my left hand. After being laid up after two surgeries, the arthritis took over from lack of use. My surgeon told me he couldn't do anything about it, went to my rheumatologist who set me up with hand therapy. The therapist knows her stuff, my hand is much better, still not 100%, but I can play now.
If it's osteoarthritis, there may not be much that can be done, but then again there may. It sounds much more like rheumatoid arthritis (osteo generally doesn't swell), which is much more serious, yet there's a lot that can be done for it. However, you should see someone asap, as the longer you go untreated, the worse it might get, as well as starting in other places, and it will be doing permanent damage.
rayc
retroreprobate
I've arthritis in both hands. It sometimes limits my guitar playing as, on occasion, I can't easily stretch for a power chord as that particular arrangement of fingers means my 4th finger ends up on top of my little finger.
I can't play barre chords at all, at any time which is why my songs have slightly odd chord voicings in my songs as I search for alternative ways of playing stuff.
Dr diagnosed - osteo-arthritis. The popular meds don't do anything for it: green lipped mussles, shark cartlidge etc. are useless on non load bearing joints. (knees & hips seem to respond = not fair). Rosehip helps a little bit, voltarin helps a little bit, staying mobile and using the joints has some minor advantage but it's not a case of use it or lose it according to my quack. More a case of reducing any excess usage that requires extra effort/pressure. IF it gets really bad, (as in virtually unusable, gnarled, twisted) surgery can assist but won't be done until it gets that bad, (not worth the pain and damage until there's no other option he says).
Oh, soaking in rather warm water can't hurt JUST before playing.
I can't play barre chords at all, at any time which is why my songs have slightly odd chord voicings in my songs as I search for alternative ways of playing stuff.
Dr diagnosed - osteo-arthritis. The popular meds don't do anything for it: green lipped mussles, shark cartlidge etc. are useless on non load bearing joints. (knees & hips seem to respond = not fair). Rosehip helps a little bit, voltarin helps a little bit, staying mobile and using the joints has some minor advantage but it's not a case of use it or lose it according to my quack. More a case of reducing any excess usage that requires extra effort/pressure. IF it gets really bad, (as in virtually unusable, gnarled, twisted) surgery can assist but won't be done until it gets that bad, (not worth the pain and damage until there's no other option he says).
Oh, soaking in rather warm water can't hurt JUST before playing.
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BroKen_H
Re-member
Well, if it can't help, why did you mention it?
I hope you meant it can help...have you tried adding epsom salts? lanolin? eucalyptus? or some combination thereof?
They're still working on the bee sting and jalapeno extract things, so it might be soon.
Chili
Site Moderator
You would think.
Reminds me of a joke in the Big Bang Theory where Bernadette said the pharmaceutical company she works for both created and cured a new disease.
Mick Doobie
Resist We Much
You may want to take a look at DMSO(dimethyl sulfoxide). Proceed with caution, I am not suggesting or recommending DMSO, only throwing it out there for your own consideration.
DMSO is/can be categorized as a solvent.
Your skin does a damn good job of keeping things your skin comes into contact with out. DMSO has the unique ability to penetrate. It can be utilized as a delivery agent for other substances/remedies, or on it's own has been said to reduce inflammation, provide pain relief, soften excess collagen/fibrotic growth, etc....a treatment for many conditions. Proceed with caution, wash hands, don't allow contact until dry with dyed clothing, etc.
Vets use it on expensive race horses. I doubt they would do so and take a significant risk if it was not reasonably safe and did not provide benefit. Use on humans for various conditions is not uncommon, including arthritis, just not endorsed by big pharma driven healthcare industry. One concoction is a mixture/formula combining DMSO with vinegar, and also caster oil, i think. It is said the active ingredient in the formula is the vinegar, acidic enzyme to soften the collagen/fibrotic tissue, with the DMSO as the delivery agent, penetrating the skin.
You never know, might be worth a look/try. I've purchased some myself, and am considering its use. It sounds a little scary and thus far I am being a reluctant chicken shit. They say within seconds you can actually taste it in your mouth. I will at some point give it a shot, just not today.
Good luck.
DMSO is/can be categorized as a solvent.
Your skin does a damn good job of keeping things your skin comes into contact with out. DMSO has the unique ability to penetrate. It can be utilized as a delivery agent for other substances/remedies, or on it's own has been said to reduce inflammation, provide pain relief, soften excess collagen/fibrotic growth, etc....a treatment for many conditions. Proceed with caution, wash hands, don't allow contact until dry with dyed clothing, etc.
Vets use it on expensive race horses. I doubt they would do so and take a significant risk if it was not reasonably safe and did not provide benefit. Use on humans for various conditions is not uncommon, including arthritis, just not endorsed by big pharma driven healthcare industry. One concoction is a mixture/formula combining DMSO with vinegar, and also caster oil, i think. It is said the active ingredient in the formula is the vinegar, acidic enzyme to soften the collagen/fibrotic tissue, with the DMSO as the delivery agent, penetrating the skin.
You never know, might be worth a look/try. I've purchased some myself, and am considering its use. It sounds a little scary and thus far I am being a reluctant chicken shit. They say within seconds you can actually taste it in your mouth. I will at some point give it a shot, just not today.
Good luck.