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No more guitar playing for a while. Since Christmas I have been suffering from a wrist affliction of the left hand called "Quervain syndrome" or "De Quervain's Tenosynovitis." It’s a painful inflammation of tendons in the wrist and lower thumb. When the swollen tendons rub against the narrow tunnel they pass through, it causes pain at the base of your thumb and into the lower arm. Playing chords has been difficult and the only possible vids of my new guitar are single note stuff because I don't have to turn the thumb that much then.
Physical therapy and rest has not helped much so far so this week I asked my doctor for a steroid injection, which is the usual procedure when the pain does not go away after such a long time. If the injection won't do the trick, only an operation will work. I pray it won't have to go that far.
Right now I cannot even open a jar ... Let alone play. I need to rest the wrist for 6 weeks. I will have to get a wrist brace next week.
Anyone else have any experience with Quervain? I'd like to hear your stories.
Before I got the injection yesterday I did a take on "Round Midnight" with the ES 300. It's not as good as the "Body and Soul" take I posted earlier but it's the best I could do. Game over for now.
Regards,
DB
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03-09-2019 10:48 AM
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Your playing is exquisite! I'm praying you get it all back.
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I hope the immobilization and therapy work for the inflammation. I've never had this or even heard of it but have had other soft tissue injuries. They take some time to heal and one has to come back gradually and carefully. I also hope that you have the very best hand doctor you can find.
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Also, you might want to read up on MSM and Glucosamine Sulfate. I started breaking down physically playing sports at around age 33. I started taking the stuff and got a new lease on life for the next 15 years but eventually, had to back off basketball, soccer, and other sports.
The reason I brought it up was that I recommended the stuff to many over the years and all but two saw some sort of joint improvement - and those two needed surgery.
My 76-year old dad had wrist problems and it helped him. Maybe it can help, you...?
I am sure I can speak for many on this forum in expressing our concerns and support for you to get this thing beaten, once and for all!
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Your playing has delighted and inspired me ever since I joined this forum. I have some tendon issues in my right arm so in a much lesser way than your pain, I can empathize with you. I wish you the very best, a complete recovery, and a reunion with your instruments and music. You are in my prayers.
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What a great sounding ES300! Exquisite playing and tone. Good luck with your Tenosynovitis treatment and 100% recovery.
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Thanks a lot. I did some reading and taking those right now!
Originally Posted by AlsoRan
DB
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Thanks Lawson. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
DB
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Yes, the 300 is gorgeous. Both in the looks and sound department. Such a a classic tone. Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
It was the guitar Django played in 1946 during his US tour with Duke and it was the guitar on which the famous solo on "Rock Around the Clock" was played ...
DB
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Hope you get well soon! I've had similar issues a couple of times, and in retrospect I think they helped me fix issues in my technique and playing habits. But it's always a tough thing to go through. Come back gradually and stick with it though the pain that will be there.
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I had it on and off for a while, and it always eventually went away. However, it has not really returned during the last several years, and that may be because I've been doing regular stretching exercises using a resistance band (something like this):
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Only a doc's experience with the De Quervain syndrome (DQS) here ...
The good thing is: most tendinoses are self-limiting, though 70 to 80 percent of the patients may need a delicate local corticosteroid injection (never into the two affected tendons, just into the first dorsal tendon-sheath).
As Wikipedia (De Quervain syndrome - Wikipedia ) correctly states, an additional splint immobilization of the thumb (something like this: https://www.msdmanuals.com/de-de/pro...o/v23370753_de ) can be, but must not be helpful: Systematic review and meta-analysis [whatever this means in the evaluation context of DQS] do not support the use of splinting over steroid injections.
The word 'hand surgery' alone seems to put most, if not all musicians into the limbo. Certainly there is a fundamental risk in operations (actually very small with De Quervain surgery), but humans don't like to realize that also conservative treatments or our ordinary everyday lifes are never entirely risk-free.
If the surgery was performed by an experienced doc, the results should be very good, and, after three to four weeks, the patients can return to their usual daily routine (playing).
In earlier days, most DQS affected persons were washwomen - the wringing out movements by hand.
Today, DQS is a communication and gaming disease, also called 'smartphone' or 'gaming' thumb …
Get well soon, and keep on doing your great jobs of playing and blogging!
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all the best to you. you're playing is some of my very favorite on this site. That chord at :37 is so cool!
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I have enjoyed your blog and playing since I ran across it a couple of years ago. Good luck to you. I can empathize as I am going through a similar test of patience. I had neck surgery 3 1/2 months ago and a week after surgery lost fine motor control in my right hand and cannot grip a pick or use my fingers to pick. It may be months before it resolves itself. Keep the faith and this too will pass.
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Thanks for the info Fret! Last fraiday my doctor gave me an injection indeed and the swelling is considerably less already. Also, I am wearing a brace now. My doctor told me to give the wrist a rest for 6 weeks. Originally Posted by Ol' Fret
So no playing at all? Or can I play a little?
DB
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DB, this is difficult to assess without knowing the exact clinical findings!
A brace serves to immobilize, so the direction should be clear: no stressing / playing for the next weeks!
The duration of immobilization depends primarily on the clinical findings and reponse to the cortisone injection. Cortisone is usually injected in crystalline form and thus can act over a longer period of time - up to three weeks. The drawback: the micro cristallines and the drug itself are not too friendly to the tendon tissue. During this time, any strain on the tendons is not recommended.
Another reason why it is not advisable to start playing too soon: cortisone effectively eliminates inflammation and movement pain, but not the underlying cause and trigger, which unfortunately only in some cases can be determined.
OTOH, no doc will completely immobilize (non-ruptured) tendons for six weeks. A limited and dosed movement of the affected tendons is certainly appropriate after an initial period of immobilization. Depending on the findings, this will be initiated by the doc.
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Do what you gotta do, DB. Your hand needs mending but your spirit will sing on. And when they get back together, it will all have been worth it. Godspeed.
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This is from afar obviously but I would be conservative and rest. What is the root cause in the first place? Playing? If so, I would rest.
One can only have so many cortizone shots. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory catabolic steroid, and in excess actually kills tissue.
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