Freaking Tendonitis!

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>General >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

Freaking Tendonitis!

I've got an inflamed tendon. The main one on the thumb side of my left hand wrist, palm facing upwards. This thing is beginning to make me depressed, and also alarmed because in January I'll begin touring on a very tight schedual. I know a lot of you guys have been through this at some point.. your help is very much needed now. I'm at my wits end with this thing. There's a lot of information on the net but it's often contradictory or vague. What has worked for you guys?

I've been doing the following things:

I sleep with a splint, so I don't flex the wrist.
I play very little guitar, almost none.
I've used anti-inflammatory gel (diklofenak), especially in the beginning phase
I have been on NSAIDs (naproxen)
Quit NSAIDS after 3 weeks because I read in several places that it slows down regeneration.
I take one supplement, Magnesium
I use a natural product called FIX, which i massage onto the wrist
I've done cold / hot baths after playing, or straining the left hand
I'm going to eat pineapple and papaya today because I read something about
their enzymes being good for keeping down inflammation.. besically I'm becoming desperate.

Tuesday I have a gig.. my left hand is weak, I hope I can play..
Friday I'm meeting a fysiotherapist

I've had this for a month now. It doesn't hurt much, but it's there and causes a lot of discomfort when flexing the wrist and my grip feels weak.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2011 9:54:30

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

Drop everything that has to do with playing guitar
and go to a specialist.

This is scary stuff and depressing i had some problems around 1999-2001
what helpt me was to strengthen my wrist and NOT playing guitar as much.

basicly lay off the guitar completly. If it becomes a cronical problem you might have to stopp playing forever,

_____________________________

This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2011 10:05:53

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

What did you do to strenghen the wrist?
How long did it take for you to get better?

Did you really manage to stay off the guitar?
Laying off the guitar completely is so difficult... it leaves an empty void. I try to fill it with other stuff but I can't even listen to music.. it just makes it feel even worse.

People are saying that increasing the bloodflow aids recovery.. would squeezing one of those squishy balls be a good idea?

Jag är helt nere över det här... allt går just nu som bäst med föreställningen vi kör.. massa bokningar. :-|

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2011 12:03:58

gbv1158

Posts: 410
Joined: May 29 2009
From: Italy

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to duende)

quote:

Drop everything that has to do with playing guitar
and go to a specialist.

absolutely! ! !

ciao,
Giambattista

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2011 13:42:08

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

Doing rasgueados actually helped my recovery cause it strenghten the muscles.
I also had a lite ball to squeeze. For the left hand i dont know. STOP playing til the infection goes away.

And i also starting to think more about my overall health witch also helped a lot.

I think i got better after a year or so but it always were coming back if i did more playing than usuall.

But no it is gone.

_____________________________

This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 20 2011 14:26:18

machopicasso

Posts: 973
Joined: Nov. 27 2010

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

quote:

Laying off the guitar completely is so difficult... it leaves an empty void. I try to fill it with other stuff but I can't even listen to music.. it just makes it feel even worse.

You're in a tough spot, but here's a suggestion: try listening to more non-guitar music, especially music that will challenge you to grow compositionally. When I'm not listening to flamenco, I typically listen to jazz (esp. Miles Davis) and classical (esp. Schoenberg and Shostakovich). Playing guitar is great, but there's great non-guitar music, as well. And it may be that listening to non-guitar music will help you improve your musical imagination for creating more interesting falsetas later on. Just a thought. Good luck with the rehabilitation of your wrist.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 10:26:41

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to machopicasso)

Thank you picasso

That's what I will do. I'll put this guitar-free time into some kind of musical use.. perhaps learn some new music software as well.. people always go on about logic. perhaps I'll check that out, if I get my hands on a mac.

Tomorrow I have my last gig, then it is two months off.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 15:38:01

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

you can always work on Right hand stuff- Piacado arpeggio rasgueados etc without the left hand

_____________________________

This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 16:49:00

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

quote:

I've got an inflamed tendon.

mrMagenta,
I spoke with my acupuncturist about it, and it seems that are very good results with acupuncture and herbs.

I am not medical trained, but it had something to do with "re-humidifing" the tendons.
In acupuncture it means bringing balance in the liver-chi, which is a standard treatment for bringing balance back into the body.
It also makes you more relaxed, which is a good thing for playing anyway.

Get healthy soon, and good luck with your "last" gig!

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 17:21:41

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to duende)

Hmm. I tried it for a while but I caved in and started taking chords. I'll have to set up a very disciplined programme for right hand technique so that I'll stay focused. I'll need to tie my left arm to my leg.. Now that I think about it, I'll need to keep practicing the right hand, or my technique will become worse..

Can anyone tell me if massage is good or bad for this problem?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 17:31:29

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to kozz)

Many Thanks Kozz!

I've never had acupuncture, but if it can help then I'll surely try it. Sounds like it could increase bloodflow. In a good way.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 17:39:55

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Freaking Tendonitis! (in reply to mrMagenta)

quote:

Many Thanks Kozz!
I've never had acupuncture, but if it can help then I'll surely try it. Sounds like it could increase bloodflow. In a good way.

No probs!
It surely increases bloodflow.
Only they approach it differently; blood needs qi to flow, so when there's an interruption in qi, there's also an interruption in bloodflow.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 21 2011 18:57:58