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Yes. Practicing so many different instruments can lead to pains in several different areas. It's like running a mile, then doing curls, then benching, then doing pull-ups, then doing squats, etc. all in one day. You'd be sore everywhere, and consecutive exercises only agitate your fatigue. Make sure you see a medical professional if you have the means. The only other advice would be to stop for a while (a couple of weeks at most), but if that seems too inconvenient, the former is your other option. Although you can try to figure out a different practice regimen to make sure you don't hurt yourself too much over a day, you still need to get yourself checked out.
Originally Posted by Jake Hanlon
Last edited by zonedout245; 08-26-2011 at 08:56 PM.
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08-26-2011 08:51 PM
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Update - this will have to be short cause I dont wanna be typing and irritating arms. Still dealing with this. Nerve doc says I don't have carpal or cubital. I can only think it's forearm tendonitis. Hurts in quite a few diff places in both arms. Been taking time off. Since Aug 28 I've not played out or practiced drums or guitar. Some days I'd very lightly play guit or keyboard, for a very short period of time, because I felt like I had to do something or I'd go nuts. Now, since the nerve doc, I have committed to two weeks, zero playing, doing as little as I can in terms of moving arms. Follow up orthopedic appt to the nerve test (EMG) appt tomorrow. Hopefully he tells me something that actually results in a path to total recovery. This has been as challenging as anything I can remember, right up there with being dumped. ANY advice that can help is appreciated. Just want this thing to go away. Been dealing with it since late July.
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Hold your pick as loosly as you can without having it slipping out from between you fingers. That will help the forearm pain believe it or not. Originally Posted by FattMusiek
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Anytime that you experience continuous pain that does not abate in a reasonable amount of time you should seek out professional care.
I was sidetracked five years ago with chronic tendonitis in my left elbow. No gigs, no practice for 18 months. It took 2 MDs, a sports massage therapist and a chiropractor to put me right.
One point that may be of interest. I dosed myself with Aleve for two months until the condition worsened to the point I could no longer lift a coffee cup. The first Md prescribed Celebrex and gave me a cortisone shot. After six months on Celebrex, I was still in pain and my condition hadn't improved. I began to improve slowly after starting massage and chiropractic treatment.
The second MD explained to me that inflammation is not the enemy but is actually what activates the body's healing mechanisms. He explained to me that self medicating with over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs had interfered with my own body's healing mechanisms and had actually worsened my condition. Happily, he got me completely recovered. Since then I only use acetaminophen if I have to take a pain reliever.
Good luck and quick healing,
monk
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The only advice you should be taking from a non-medical professional is...REST!!! Which I am glad you are doing based on your newer post above.
Now for the hard part...you will have to rest for a LONG TIME. If you start playing too soon, then YOU WILL SUFFER LONG TERM EFFECTS. I feel qualified to say these things because I HAD LEFT WRIST TENDINOSIS FOR OVER ONE YEAR. (sorry...this caps lock key seems to have a mind of its own...). Don't be a stupid coolvinny. Learn from my stupid mistakes.
Now perhaps as guitar players we can give him some advice we are qualified to give. Allow me to begin (to be applied after you REST FOR ALONG TIME):
- use lighter strings;
- maintain a straight wrist;
- play with a light touch;
- use thinner-body guitars (to address the pain in your right arm);
- take breaks every 30 minutes.
I feel your pain in that you are unable to play the instruments you enjoy. Assuming the right arm heals relatively quickly, then I suggest renting a trumpet, cornet or flugelhorn from a local store and learning jazz on that. It will help your sight-reading and rythym immensely, and you will have fun (after your lips gain some strength...at first you will sound worse than horrible). These instruments (especially the flugelhorn, with its 3rd valve trigger instead of 3rd valve slide) let your left arm rest while you are still advancing musically. You should be able to rent something for about $20/month.
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My 2 cents:
As coolvinny says, you must rest, eventually for a long time, until that pain disappears. A friend of mine had the same kind of pain but continued to play nonetheless, ignoring the pain. Well, he kept it for YEARS and no doctor was able to assist him. He finally stopped and after some time it pain began to disappear, until it was completely gone. Now he's able to play normally but went through some very hard times - God knows it's hard to let the guitar aside.
Good luck with your recovery, may it be quick!
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If it makes you feel better, after my debilitating pain started in mid February 2010, and after eventually locking my guitars away and taking up brass for a while, I am now back to playing about 2 - 3 hours a day of guitar without any pain. I still must ensure I get enough sleep though, and I try to type as little as possible (but still do a fair bit at work). So there is light at the end of the tunnel. The key changes I have made are to: lighten all my string gauges; stop running through endless scales (I spend more time playing/studying tunes now); play with as straight a wrist as possible; and take breaks every 40 minutes.
Give it enough time and you'll be fine. Find a musical distraction in the meanwhile.
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Another suggestion: Try a D.O. who specializes in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Not all areas have D.O.s, so pardon me if you already know this-- D.O.s are Doctors of Osteopathy. They are real doctors with all the same training and licensing as M.D.s. The main difference is that they are trained in a more holistic/systems perspective and are trained in manipulative medicine. Manipulative medicine is the practice of proper alignment of all systems in the body: bones, nerves, ligaments, tendons, muscles, etc. I have also gone to orthopods, neurologists, and chiropractors. Each has their own strength (though I no longer believe in chiropractors). OMMs, orthopods and neurologists have saved me from great pain in different and appropriate ways.
If you haven't seen one, a DO that specializes in OMM can do amazing things that other doctors cannot. And, importantly, they know the limits of their abilities and when it is time to turn it over to another specialist.
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I'll be using voice dictation software to type this. Nothing's really changed with my arms. I've been going back and forth between different doctors for months. I've been seeing an a.r.t. chiropractor with some success, but the pain relief is brief. I've gotten injections to calm my forearm muscles but in one way or another the area becomes inflamed and tight. I've mostly banned music from my life, but since it's the most important thing to me, it feels impossible not to play sometimes. Every time this happens, I know I'm prolonging my pain. My life is empty without music. It was more or less my sole ambition.
I constantly think about my predicament. I can't escape the fear that comes with the idea that I may never be able to play music normally again.
The a.r.t chiropractor seems to think that I have nerve entrapment, and that my nerves are glued down in certain spots. I stretch constantly... Stretches that I learned from physical therapy.
I can explain this whole thing using voice dictation, try as I might. Basically, I'm stuck in the biggest rut of my life and feel like there's no hope it'll ever get out, or be able to play music. Thank God a girl just called me and we're going out... To go see live music.
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don't give up. have you been given what you believe is an accurate diagnosis from another doctor yet? what about the Mayo clinic? you have to keep at this i think.
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Have you tried medical marijuana? A lot of people are using it for pain.
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The compassion and empathy exhibited on this "thread" is extraordinary and makes this site unique.
Nevertheless, I find it distressing that so many are playing in pain. Medicine, too, is frequently referred to as an art that doesn't always provide a remedy .
Sometimes, home-remedies and nutrition are efficacious as an alternative or utilized in conjunction with "modern medicine."
Have you tried vitamin B-6? Your problem appears systemic and it may be a vitamin deficiency. (This is recommended for CTS in the Merck Manual .)
Observing Duke Ellington,the multiple bracelets are not bling,but, COPPER,.
Posture might also be a problem. Get a step stool, a full bodied guitar and place it between your legs angling the neck to minimize stress on your shoulders and arms. Too classical? Definitely. But, it beats chasing a slithering solid-body over your anatomy; here, a strap would be in order.
Warm up? Chico Marx, a concert-trained pianist never did; instead, he would soak his hands in a sink full of hot water to loosen up prior to performing. Try both... For a "long shot", alternate soaking your arms and hands from hot to cold water and vice-versa.
For what it's worth-or not...
Otillio
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i hope you are doing better FattMusiek - I know your pain. Ive been plagued with arm and hand troubles for over a decade. I was a very serious marching snare drummer in my teen years at school and traveling with Corps. I had no other reason to live really. I had to give it up. My hand just eventually failed. Giving that up depressed me like nothing else had and ever has. I vowed never to put my heart into anything 120% again because it would just get ripped out all over again.
Im now into guitar but having allot of the same issues. So I feel like I should have stuck to my vow. Its hard to not play. Quality time on the instrument is all we can do to get better. Find ways to make practice more efficient though. Less time spent.
This book seems to help some - one thing about stretching is, if you stretch damaged tissue, it just makes it worse. This book explains how very subtle stretching is the way to heal ...
Book on Amazon for stretching
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Try not to think about it much and becouse it generate stress and stress is the worst think to muscles... try relax and change youre guitar habbits
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achase4u,
I'd be curious to know what you have tried to make the arms better. I've done PT, trigger point injections/massage, ART Chiro.
The chiros seem to think the nerve is a prime suspect. And to clarify, the pain is in my forearms and behind my elbows, bilateral.
One year later, not much has changed. Your post kind of makes me a little sad to be honest, cause I feel like I too may never recover.
It's the pits of hell for sure. I will be trying acupuncture soon.
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So sorry to hear about your troubles. I was in the same boat. Tried all the convervative therapies to no avail. In my case the muscles began to atrophy and the docs thought the nerve damage might be permanent.
Look into it fully, get a second opinion but if you have an entrapment surgery can be a viable option. In my case it was very succesful and made the difference between continuing my job as a designer and a serious hobby muscian and becoming something else and a non-musician.
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Jazzrat-
Where was your entrapment? I suspect that mine, if actually trapped, would be behind my elbows (the ulnar nerve).
Did you have any issues with scar tissue?
This is a bilateral thing, so I don't know if surgery would be viable. Ty.
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Mine were both Carpal related but I think they do have a release surgery for
Ulnar entrapment as well. Again...last resort but if all else fails.
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