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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 24
Location: Austin, Tx | Any insight would be greatly appreciated on this problem.
I have a serious problem with thumb pain. This is not the typical thumb cramp new players get. It's in the joints, both tip and middle. I've read of something called trigger thumb, but my joints don't generally pop when bending them. They just hurt, all the time. I've tried to adjust my playing style to ease the pressure on them, but it's not really helping.
Does anybody have this problem, or have any experience with it? I'd like to try any alternatives before I visit a orthopedic surgeon. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | indocine |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 121
Location: Powder Springs, Ga. | I have arthritis in two fingers, one being the thumb. I do two things. 1. I exersize it with a gripmaster for hours every day. Helps a lot to keep it strong and from getting stiff. 2. I take Glucosamine Chondroitin every day and 3 tablespoons of Flaxseed Oil (cold pressed and fresh, no pills) mixed with yogurt as a snack when I get home from work. (It's not as bad as it sounds.)
I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV so I am in no way saying you're problem is the same as mine but for me these things have helped greatly. Be agressive in finding a cure. There's really good websites to help in your quest. An O.S. will almost always use a knife to fix your problem so I'd use them as a last resort. Good luck |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | I second Bentman's sugestions. I do the same for my knee and hip except that I just take the oil by the spoonful every morning before I eat. My doctor told me to try the glucosamine just to see if it works. He said it does for some people but not for others. I never really thought it was soing much untill I ran out for a while and stopped taking it. BIG difference. The oil idea came from the Atkins diet. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | I'll throw in my opinion.... all legal disclamers apply (YMMV, I'm not your doctor, this is my suggestion, etc).
If this is a new pain, it doesn't sound like simple arthritis. If this has been going on for years, ignore the rest of this message and follow the above suggestions.
If you have tendonitis (swelling of the tendons), using the gripmaster could make it worse! The popping comes when the swelling gets so severe that the tendon swelling/nodule "pops" in and out of the tendon sheath.
Think rope in a garden hose. If the rope is a little swollen, it will still slide. If it gets very swollen in one point (tying a knot), it will pop as the rope slides in and out of the end of the hose. If it gets VERY swollen, it will either lock in the open or closed position (rope wont go into the hose at all).
I would suggest the Gluco/Chond combo, but also add some anti-inflammatories. Taking a regular dose of Aleve or Motrin for a few days/weeks should help. But you also have to decrease the amount of swelling, ie, stop playing for a while. Using the gripmaster will put more stress on the tendon and cause it to get worse.
If it doesn't get better in a week, see your doctor. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 1673
Location: SoCal | that's why they call him "Big Money Franklin"...
TTENN is giving you good advise.
It is either "acute" or “chronic”.
If not tended to correctly, an injury can develop into a chronic problem.
Due to limitations on my right side, I tend to rely on and over use my left hand which results in bouts of tendonitis. My “coach” told me that even if your muscles are strong enough to lift something, the connective tissue might not be able to handle it.
I use a paraffin bath which increases the blood flow to my hands.
IMHO, find an Osteopath for your Primary Care Physician. Mine also has a Board Cert. in Sports Med. Her approach to my rehab has been more like athletic training. Under her care and guidance, I have come a long way. I’m not back to finger picking, but I can hold onto a pick.
Dan... SEE A PROFESSIONAL. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 24
Location: Austin, Tx | Thanks for all your advice.
This problem has been ongoing and getting worse for 2 years. In December, I stopped playing for a month, but I felt no improvement. I've heard you have to stop playing for much longer, but that's very difficult. I guess I'll just go see a PROFESSIONAL. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 146
Location: Germantown, MD | Seeing an orthopedist is a good idea. I found out through a very painful summer and fall that there are a lot of things that can go wrong around thumb joints, and it sometimes takes a specialist to sort them out. My GP was treating me for tendinitis, and my ortho wiggled the thumbs around and said "Close, but it's arthritis." She shot me up with cortisone and it relieved the pain and may have given me a bit more motion. She tells me that there are surgical options when the cortisone no longer works. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I've noticed a stiffness in the finger knuckles and some swelling of the fingers in the AM. I've used the Gluco/Condoit and it seems to be OK. I take plenty of Advil (antiinflam) for golfing elbows and back so there is usually enough in the system.
For other medical stuff, talk to a professional.
Other guitar related stuff, I have found that big fat, wide necks are more comfortable. I've also started playing more bar chords with the full index bar rather than with the thumb (except the 9th chords!) Also since I like acoustic blooze I'm playing more slide which is easier on the finger joints (the dog still leaves the room so I've got a long way to go). And there's always lap steel or a Weissenborn, not to replace regular guitar but to add another dimension to your playing that's easy on the medical problem |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | FYI cortisone shots wear off after 3 to 12 months, so be prepared to get another shot. |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Denton, Texas | I have found that numbness or tingling in the fret hand fingertips (including the thumb) can be caused by sitting hunched over the guitar. I thought I was getting carpel tunnel syndrome but was told by the owner of SKY Guitars here in Denton, TX that he had the same indications while being in a bad posture while playing his bass. The cure was to either sit up straight or stand and always use a guitar strap. The nerves going to the fingertips get pinched where they exit the spinal chord in the upper back. Works for me. :) |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I've heard that cortisone only works for the first 2 or 3 times, after that it just doesn't take. That's what they told me when I had shots in my elbows, only one each needed. Use grafite shafts, it lessens the shock to the elbows plus the clubs don't break as easily when coming in contact with a tree after flight. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | W2,
Are those graphite shafts available in textured, SMT and CVT?
Cadillac Green?
Seriously, has Kaman ventured into Golf accesories? |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | Originally posted by George:
I have found that numbness or tingling in the fret hand fingertips (including the thumb) can be caused by sitting hunched over the guitar. Yeah, this works for me too. Especially when I quit trying to see my fingers on the fretboard to figure out which chord I'm supposed to be playing!! I think everyone should try playing "Left knee" once in a while, especially on long sets or on certain songs. Sometimes just changing position can really help with fatigue.
Fred |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 55
Location: England | i found the easiest way to limit thumb pain is to occaasionally use ur thumb to fret root notes on the low e string. this makes u relax into a position when ur thumb is no longer bracing the back on the neck, also opens up whole new a funky playing style! the thumb problem i experience comes from a condition called Hypermobile joint syndrome , which i have suffered all my life, basically my thumb will happily bend back 90 degrees!
i'm new to this forum so hello everyone!
matt |
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pain in the... hand
