Hand Arthritis and other stuff -- the end of playing?

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Long Neck Banjo

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From Sean ONeel on 7/19/2013 10:13:30 AM

The abuses of football during my youth and the general wear and tear of 55+ years on this mortal coil have made it nigh impossible for me to play any of my instruments. Arthritis in my left hand and recurring trigger finger and carpal tunnel in the right...PLUS some muscle damage in my upper right arm and shoulder are playing additional havoc and plenty of pain...especially when I perform certain motions.

I am a wee tad discouraged because I do enjoy playing banjo and guitar so much.

What I don't know is if I am going to hang on to my instruments or sell them. My children have indicated that they have no interest whatsoever.

Unless there is a miracle these fine toys will sit in their cases -- needless to say my heart is more than a bit heavy. It is, however, a shame to let them go to waste.

So while I ponder, watch this space...

10 Comments
	kwfolk1 says: 7/19/2013 10:24:48 AM Tragic news, Sean. You have my sympathy. My suggestion is: don't do anyhing hasty. You never know what the future might hold. Two years ago my left hand was giving me a fit. While it still gives me a bit a problem every once in awhile, it's nowhere as bad as it was. Chris
	Dan Pennington says: 7/19/2013 10:25:10 AM I've got the same arthritus issue with the lowest joint in both thumbs from a motorcycle accident from 40 years ago. MD says ibuprofen, then cortisone shots, then surgery. Fun stuff! People warned me about getting old, but I ignored them and all other advice I've been given.
	Sean ONeel says: 7/19/2013 10:49:54 AM Oh, I am not gonna do anything hasty. Hence the "pondering"...
	Mulligan says: 7/19/2013 1:37:53 PM Strongly suggest you see a good orthopaedic doctor. Many things can be done. I had a lot of pain playing guitar a while back and found a had a rotator cuff injury. Switching from a dreadnaught to a smaller body guitar relieved the pressure caused by reaching over the larger guitar and with time the pain went away. Many doctors are musicians and can help from experience.
	TonyS says: 7/19/2013 1:38:16 PM ...and kids do change, someday they may want to play their old pop's instruments! :)
	Helix says: 7/19/2013 3:26:41 PM For the trigger finger, you get 3 shots before the surgery, I made my wife watch the first shot, next I'm doing the surgery. She passed out. Carpal can be fixed, bone loss due to arthritis can be emeliorated by just keep swimming, just keep swimming. You sound justifiably discouraged, but as you know, there is tremendous support amongst us misfits. This music kills death itself.
	timmib says: 7/20/2013 12:57:44 PM I have a lot of empathy. Having just gotten my 'dream' banjo I find that joints are not as limber, some are down right painful. It being summer here in Connecticut I've found working outside in the hot humid atmosphere has helped the recalcitrant joints and playing is getting easier and smoother. Still, growing old ain't fun. I hope you just hang on for a time. Chase some of the thoughts suggested here. I have been more willing to talk with doctors of late and find it has been well worth while. See how the weather/seasons effect things.
	BrittDLD1 says: 7/20/2013 2:32:37 PM I had a bout with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and some stressed joints in both thumbs, back in 2009. Luckily... One of the members of the Yahoo ODE Group is head of Orthopedic Surgery at a Missouri University Teaching hospital. I sent him a "Banjo Emergency" email about the joint pain -- and he responded by phone, within an hour or so. (HE plays banjo too -- so he knew it was important. We also try to get together -- whenever he's in Boston, for medical conferences, etc.) He basically said "Get thee to a Rheumatologist, ASAP" and "USE it -- or LOSE it!" Best advice I ever got. I saw a Rheumatologist, who put me on some simple medication, and gave me wrist-and-thumb splits for BOTH hands. (Had to wear them for about 2 months.) He said once the tenderness and pain subsided, to start to carefully use, and exercise, both hands. When he found-out out how important playing music was to me, he ALSO said, "USE it -- or LOSE it!" After playing for a few hours, my fingers still tend to get stiff the next day. Warm-up exercises, and carefully stretching and working the joints, will loosen them somewhat. IF I'm going to be busking, going to a jam, or practicing with Don Borchelt -- I'll take an ibuprofen in advance. It keeps the inflammation in check. That way I DON'T stiffen-up the next day. For me... it works fine. Eventually, the R.A. might get worse. But for now, what I do works for me. Take things slowly, see an arthritis specialist, to find out how to exercise those muscles and joints, to keep them flexible. Hope things work out for you. (And for ALL of us, who suffer joint pain.)
	wizofos says: 7/24/2013 6:01:32 AM You can get a small crock pot and they sell some wax that physical therapists use to warm up hands. Dr. Scholls is the only brand that I am aware of and you can get it at most drug stores. You dip your hands in it over and over to build up a thick layer of wax and then let it warm your hands up. You put on some plastic gloves that come with the wax and let it warm your hands up. After it cools and gets hard you flex your hand and peel it off. Learned about it from a physical therapist after I broke my wrist and then had to have carpal tunnel surgery. Or you can run the kitchen sink full of warm/hot water and soak your hands for a while.
	Sean ONeel says: 7/25/2013 12:14:38 PM Thanks for all the input -- the instruments aren't going anywhere...my job places me on the computer at a digital audio workstation all day every day so I have ample opportunity for RMDs. Alleve helps - a lot! And one has to take much less than other meds...
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