Grateful Dead Music Forum

My index finger kills me when I do a three string bar, as I do all the time. It gets worse as the night goes on, and when its cold. In the mornings it is stiff. I am 39, and played a lot of sports when younger, jamming my fingers here and there. So, I ordered lighter strings hoping that helps. I will have to switch to my Phiga, as the Phred Wolph wont let me set the action low enough without string buzz. I have been taking Glucosomine/Chondroitin with Black Cherry Extract as well. It helps a bit......I think? Very frustrated. Any thoughts???? Thanks!

Chris

I'm in the same boat. Years of using them, and if I overuse them I get into trouble.

My recommendation is to get multiple sessions of deep-tissue massage. Especially in your forearms & hands. Then warm ups & stretching. As the muscles age scar tissue takes a toll on elasticity in muscle & tendons. This can get to a point where your grinding the cartilage out of your joints.

This type of body work is not pleasant, but it is effective. When I was 29 (now 50) years of rock climbing & mountaineering had me in the position of pondering back surgery. One pal got surgery & ended up on sterioids. He gained more than 100 lbs and at 48 can hardly walk. I found a wonderful Hawaiian woman with a beastly elbow. I have to say, it wasn't a quick fix. Initial session provide great relief, but you'll need 3-4 sessions a year to maintain that flexibility.

I'm glad I took that route. Getting an elbow in your butt cheek or forearm is not for the meek. But it is way better than pain stealing some percentage of your mind for years.

Just my opinion for what it's worth.
Peace
M

I'm 63...and get a fair amount of creakiness/stiffness in may hands and finger...If I have a long gig coming up Ill take 800mg of ibuprofen 2x day for a couple of days before hand...seems to help alot...this was at the suggestion of my doctor, who is my age and a guitar player...800mg is the prescription strength but you can get it by taking 4 generic 200mg pills.... you have to do it ahead as it takes time for the anti inflamatory effect to kick in....I tried naproxen and asprin but ibprofen seems to work the best...

Ive also made a few adjustments in my playing and playing style..if theres a tune where Im playing acoustic 12 string...it happens early...same with aggressive flatpicking on an acoustic...the last few songs of the night are the ones where I can get away with with chording/faking off if I have to...no fretboard gymnastics after midnight..barre chords can be a problem..Ive revised the grips I use...the "thumb on 6" grip seems to work better than the full F shape barre....partial chords instead of full 6 stringers....sometimes a capo is your friend in managing the grips...

Its a pain..literally and figurativly...and to a degree its father time extracting the price for bad habits, too much fun, and simply getting older...I understand Dylan doesnt play much guitar these days because his hands are shot...Leo Kottke hyad to take a long break, have surgery, and revise some of his style (altho his may have been carpel tunnel)...happens to us all...


Don

First, are you sure it's arthritis? Without x-rays it's hard to make a definitive diagnosis. If it just started recently it could be a transient synovitis which should get better with time. Second, if it's arthritis which type is it? Osteoarthritis is the most common but others include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and enteropathic arthritis, to name a few. Assuming it's osteoarthritis NSAIDS are the first line of treatment. These include ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, diclofenac, etc. There's actually a reasonably good prescription product called Pennsaid that's a topical version of diclofenac. You have to apply it 4 times daily but it works well on small joints. If you prefer a more natural approach Boswellia serrate has traditionally been used to treat OA. Recently a chemical, 5-Loxin, was isolated from Boswellia and was found to be effective for the treatment of knee OA at 250 mg/day. You can also purchase a paraffin bath for about $50 from most drug stores and use it once daily for about 20 minutes. This might work well before you start playing or first thing in the morning.

All bran helps too.

I actually started having issues with one finger back in college. It seems to have gotten a bit better since then though actually, but I do get general stiffness and seem to be losing some flexibility etc. Arthritis runs in my family pretty bad. My grandmother lived to like 98 and her hands were like tumbleweeds; she took prescription dose Ibuprofen.

Trigger Point Therapy saved me! I thought mine was arthritis also, but luckily I was totally wrong. I do have some (I'm almost 60) from a live of working with my hands and playing, but the Trigger Point work put me back the way I was 30 years ago

Get this book: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, by Clair Davies... it tells you how to do it yourself. After a couple of weeks I was a totally changed person... in the hands and fingers that is
I used a Lacross ball, worked great.

Good luck!

milobender wrote:Trigger Point Therapy saved me! I thought mine was arthritis also, but luckily I was totally wrong. I do have some (I'm almost 60) from a live of working with my hands and playing, but the Trigger Point work put me back the way I was 30 years ago

Get this book: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, by Clair Davies... it tells you how to do it yourself. After a couple of weeks I was a totally changed person... in the hands and fingers that is
I used a Lacross ball, worked great.

Good luck!

Sounds very interesting. Does it do anything for arthritis?
Somehow, I happen to become 60 a few months ago. For the last several years I've developed what I think is arthritis in the back of my neck. A burning pain especially after playing standing up with the strap for 2 or 3 hours or doing anything physical etc. I've kind of learned to live with it and take tylenol or something when it's bad.
But like Utah Joe said, it's hard to diagnose. In my case though, my dad had it in his neck and it was diagnosed and my symptoms are the same as his were.
I'm very thankful my hands and fingers are still just fine....knock knock knock!

I'd try it for any chronic pain... neck, back, lower back, legs... the book is about $20 I think, and it tells you how to diagnose yourself, and do the treatments. It's pretty cheap to try, and can't hurt.

Yea, for $20, it seems worth a try. Thanks!

It absolutely does help. I've gotten Rolfed & had Trigger Point work from professionals for 20 years.

I am not a doctor, but a good friend runs a clinic with 7 massage therapist, a Naturopath, An MD, and him (a chiropractor). So...I get a Bro-rate on this stuff. But I'm not selling anything here. What we commonly think of as arthritis is degradation of the joint for whatever reason. Muscular compression exacerbates the issues. It will not reverse arthritis, but it will lessen the effects, and can likely slow the progression & debilitation.

And it will help with your neck. I have a big old bucket head, and I spend a ton of time over a computer keyboard and a guitar. If I get work it's a non-issue. If I don't I eat ibuprophen. It's that cut & dry.

Hope this helps.

I've given myself neck and shoulder massages when the tylenol or whatever doesn't cut it and even though it's a lot of work and slightly contorted to do neck and shoulder yourself, it did have excellent results.
I'm sure it's much more effective if someone else who is trained does it for me. I will look into that. I've always thought it would great to get a good shoulder/neck massage anyway.

Go see your primary care Dr. and get a referral to see a rheumatologist - preferably at a large University teaching hospital if there is one near you. Better to get a solid diagnosis and identify exactly what is going on so you can treat it with the right therapy and maintain your ability to play for years to come.

Cmnaround wrote:Go see your primary care Dr. and get a referral to see a rheumatologist - preferably at a large University teaching hospital if there is one near you. Better to get a solid diagnosis and identify exactly what is going on so you can treat it with the right therapy and maintain your ability to play for years to come.

Thanks and I agree with you, however, I have to smile as I haven't had any medical insurance much less a primary care physician for about 8 years now. I registered with the ACA, but the rates are still almost unaffordable so I've been lazy about signing up for anything except catastrophic so far.
It hasn't affected my playing thank goodness, just flares up the next day mostly in the morning. The research I've done shows it's very consistent with disk degeneration in that area better known as rheumatoid arthritis. Traction devices and steroids are used mostly in the "medical community". Results also show that stress exasperates it in the neck and upper shoulders.
I think for now I will seek out a homeopathic thinking massage therapist and see what sort of results that brings.

The only thing I have to contribute is this.
What works for one person doesn't necessarily (and usually doesn't at all) work for the next guy/gal.
I have had chronic neck and back issues for decades. Everyone has an opinion....this worked for me....this fixed my brother in law....this is what modern medicine suggests....this is a "natural" way to heal you....try this suppliment....try this type of massage/traction/therapy etc.

My advice? Go slow....explore several options....be objective...find what works for you.

I know I've been ranting about alternative care, but I agree totally with RiseandFall.

I dislocated my right shoulder 3 times in 2 years trying to climb stuff that was out of my league. Hard headed. In addition to a ton of body work I also have a prescription for Flexeril (which I just remembered).

"My advice? Go slow....explore several options....be objective...find what works for you." Absolutely! And..."Be patient."

I am personally opposed to surgery unless there is no other recourse. I also don't like dumping organic compounds down my neck that didn't grow on a plant, or feebuzzle up from good old Ma. So my advice has that taint.

My experience is that compounds that provide immediate results typically have side effects. I am healthy as a horse though...so that too is tainted.