bluespresence Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 OK, most of you are younger on here and I am really not that old (41 next month) but I am having a SERIOUS problem with my hands lately. The arthritis in my hands and knuckles has been so bad I have cut my playing time from 1-2 hours a day to only 1-2 hours a WEEK for the last 2 months or so Does anyone else have these issues? How do you get around them? Are there any excercises or stretches I can do to help? I should mention I do stretch my hands regularly during the day at least 2-3 times an hour. Even that is getting to be unbearable lately....my hands really hurt too much to even stretch....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 I'd be curious, too. I'm only 31 and my hands are killing me lately. I've only admitted it to my girlfriend because I'm a scaredy-cat that way. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stageleft Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 Wow I thought I was the only one. I'm 38 and when I wake up in the morning I can't even move my fingers on my left hand. My arthritis is caused by 3 things, age, carrying 80lb cinder blocks by my fingers when I was younger and a wicked case of lyme disease a few years back. I find the more I use my hands (whitin reason) the better they feel. Tylenol arthritis also works wonders on those really bad days. The worse thing for me is trying to hold something (like the dogs leash) and having my knuckle lock. THAT is very painful. barre chords can do that too me sometimes as well. Anything that causes my hands to be below my chest (walking for instance) causes my knuckles to swell and become more painful. I can still play an hour or so at a time, but any more than that calls for the tylenol. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 My hands have taken a beating over the years. At 46 I only have one spot that hinders guitar playing, first knuckle on left hand index finger. It just doesn't seem to bend like it used to, especially when playing open C and F shaped chords. The main knuckle (index finger) on my right hand is giving me a bit of pain too. Thankfully, it doesn't affect my finger picking. If you have stiff joints you can try using liniments like Rub A-535, Ben-Gay etc. Aspirin really DOES help with pain relief and you will likely see ads on TV for various other arthritis related pain relief like Aleve, etc. For a quick limber up before playing I will wash the dishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 i have a serious issue with my index finger of my fretting hand...it makes it very difficult for me to play the "evil riff" from "angel of death",a riff which i have played perfectly for years. any trills involving that finger are horrid now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feylya Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 I'm only 21 and I get fairly bad pains in my left knuckles after playing, especially when it's cold as it often is in this house for about 6 months of the year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 I'm concerned with getting arthritis in my hands and I'm only 19. I habitually pop my knuckles and my dad tells me every time he catches me that it will cause arthritis. Did any of you pop your knuckles excessively? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feylya Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 I used to :s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted July 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Did any of you pop your knuckles excessively? Ummmmm, no, really, not at all!! Kidding! I did pop mine but I wouldn't say it was excessive. I'm finding as I age things don't pop like they used to (be nice ). I have arthritis pretty bad in my knees, my right especially (3 surgeries so far), but that has been with me since I was about 13 and grew 8-1/2" in one summer. My hands were always OK but suddenly this spring they are swollen, stiff and too sore to even hold on to things. I can't even make a fist with my right hand and my left barely gets there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooten2 Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Getting old sucks. I'm 41, and I've had bad knees all my life, which in turn affects my back because I use it to compensate when walking. I live on Advil. Because of that, I don't play heavy guitars any more. And I really don't miss them because I'm into the chambered/hollow thing anyway. Luckily, my hands are doing fine. I notice some fatigue in my left fretting hand after playing really fast or doing alot of pull-offs, etc., but it's not that bad. I pop my knuckles all the time, it seems to loosen them up a bit so I can play easier. No arthritis yet. For pain pills, Advil works the best for me. But recently I tried using Theragesic, it's a rub that comes in a tube. It's like Ben Gay or whatever. It works really well on my back and knees, but you have to deal with the thick, minty atmosphere that goes along with it. Supposedly it keeps working after you wash it off, so maybe it would help on your hands if you put it on for a few minutes, and wash it off before you play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 As a knuckle-popper, I've asked every doctor, nurse, or other kind of health expert if I'm upping my chances for arthritis, and they all say that it's a myth. All you're doing is moving fluids and causing then relieving pressure. Arthritis isn't really 'caused' by that sort of thing. A quick Google comes up with a guy's comments who has done much more concentrated research than your dad (or my mother) has done. After exploring all the possibilities, the conclusion was "there's vague and inconclusive evidence that it can cause SOME sort of joint damage" (worn-out ligaments being the most likely, but even then it's an outside chance and a guess without evidence) but that there is "NO correlation between knuckle-popping and arthritis." The conclusion: So what can we conclude? There's weak evidence for some damage to the joints; there's a reasonable, but speculative, model for the mechanism. There is hard evidence that the effect is not inevitable; not all members of the KC groups showed damage. I would conclude, personally, that it's quite likely that cracking your knuckles could lead to some unpleasantness down the road; and since there's little reason to continue an annoying and asocial habit, I'd suggest quitting. But since your loved ones have probably already suggested this many a time, it's unlikely you'll take my word for it. Basically, the conclusion seems to be: it doesn't seem to really be harmful, but since it's an ugly habit with no positive benefits, why bother continuing? I dunno about this guy, but sometimes I need to pop my knuckles just to play properly. That seems to be a positive end result. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Try taking Ibuprofen (Advil). Ibuprofen is and anti-inflamatory and should help with the swelling as well as the pain. You may need to take way more than what the bottle says though. When my dad had a herniated(sp?) disk in his neck he was taking like 2000 mg a day and he actually reduced the swelling of the disk. He had to go off the ibuprofen before his surgery and the surgeon was amazed at how much bigger the disk had gotten from what they had seen previously in an MRI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 As always, consult your physician before deviating from the recommended dosage or duration of any OTC medication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneMonkey Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 Ibuprofen - ALWAYS take with food and I do mean ALWAYS. Same as with most pain killers. I've got a real bad stomach from taking Ibuprofen for about 10 years. It sits on your stomach lining just eating away at it and causing stomach ulsers. I used to crack my knuckles and now my left index finger hurts constantly. I also had it trap in some rock when I was climbing - well, I also had it trap in some rock when I fell off is more accurate. It appears that I have fluid in the joint. Sometimes it hurts just pushing the button down on some deodorant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 As always, consult your physician before deviating from the recommended dosage or duration of any OTC medication. ← Doh! I forgot the legal disclaimer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 8, 2005 Report Share Posted July 8, 2005 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodBlessTexas Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Try taking Ibuprofen (Advil). Ibuprofen is and anti-inflamatory and should help with the swelling as well as the pain. You may need to take way more than what the bottle says though. When my dad had a herniated(sp?) disk in his neck he was taking like 2000 mg a day and he actually reduced the swelling of the disk. He had to go off the ibuprofen before his surgery and the surgeon was amazed at how much bigger the disk had gotten from what they had seen previously in an MRI. ← The only thing bad about ibuprofin is it's tendency to cause the stomach to bleed if it's not taken with food. Do not take it on an empty stomach. I had a friend who nearly died from it and spent a few days in the ICU because of it. Scared the crap out of all of us. Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodBlessTexas Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Wow you guys are making me feel young.... Haven't had much problem with recurring pain, even when I'm playing 3-4 hours a day...I find that doing warm up exercies for a good half hour helps... Yes, you have to warm up. It's just like stretching before exercising. Probably the thing that gets me most is typing all day and clicking that damn mouse...I sometimes wake up with a sore elbow... I try to be very careful with my hands when typing. It's too easy to get carpal tunnel or tendonitis. Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted July 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Sitting at the computer all day is the main reason I stretch my hands so much. I do take Aleve most every day for my knees although I have been taking it less and less since I started on a strict vitamin and supplement regimen that seems to be helping my knee pain but strangely, not my hands. They do feel better this week and maybe it has to do with the excessive heat or working outside more now. I don't really know Maybe I should just get the bow out for my upright and start using that instead of my fingers on my electrics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 My fingers and other arm joints have been in much better shape ever since switching to a Microsoft "natural" keyboard. I thought it would take getting used to, but it didn't really, and now I like it so so so much better than normal keyboards. Funny how they never fully "caught on" in the mainstream, though. Really, they're far better than any normal keyboard. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Drink lots and lots of water. The recommended daily dose of H2O is 8 cups a day, but I try to drink more. It feels like a lot, but less if you just carry a bottle around with you and sip all day. It helps with a lot of things actually. BP, maybe now is the time to make a custom-built with wider string spacing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted July 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 BP, maybe now is the time to make a custom-built with wider string spacing. You know.....my neck lam has plenty of room for a wide nut and I don't have a fretboard yet IIRC the LightWave bridge is individual saddles so i could make it as wide as I need to. BTW I drink at least 8 cups of water a day and usually closer to 1 gallon. With the vitamins and supplements I take I need the water to get them in my system properly. I also drink a half gallon of milk a day......I'm from Wisconsin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 i will tell you one thing...i don't heal from work injuries nearly so quickly any more...i smacked my thumb(just a little,not even a bruise) about a month ago,right at the base of it,and it still gives me enough pain that i can hardly play for long...and things like "hallowed point" or "master of puppets"(heavy picking songs) really give me problems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Just wondering, what's the average age around here? I mean, I'm pushing 46 and all I really have trouble with is the knees. And the Dunlap disease, but it comes and goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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