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Stenosis and neck injury advice?


Guit-mangler

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A few years ago, I was rear ended while on my motorcycle, sitting at a red light. Since the accident, I have started having issues with stenosis (narrowing of the passage in the vertibrae that the spinal cord goes through) and some neck ligament issues. The stenosis is on the left side of C4, C5, and C6. 

Two issues are caused by this. The bundle of nerves for your left arm comes from these vertibrae and most of the time my left hand is somewhat numb, and sometimes has that wonderful pins and needles tingle. I can still play with the numbness, it actually hasn't effected my muscle memory thank god. 

The other issue is my person PITA. I've had to put away the SBG1300TS, the LP's, and anything that could be heavy, as the weight on my shoulder gets to be hell after a set. My strat, SG, and Artcore are managable for me to do a full night of gigging, though I pay for it for a day or two later..

Has anyone else had to deal with these issues? What did you do that helped?

Just chasing a curiosity, and thanks in advance..

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hmm I can't say we have the same issue (yours might be worse) but I got rear ended in a car a while back and also have Stenosis and some significant arthritis of the neck which causes that same numbness and pins and needles you describe in my left hand (primarily ring and baby fingers).  Complicating matters is a big ganglion cyst I now have on the palm side of the left hand (that's actually worse cause it can be more painful but I digress).  The best advice I can give is that I had a lot more trouble with my neck when I didn't exercise, particularly doing shoulders.  Now mind you ever once in a while working out messes it up but for the most part since I started doing that about 10 years ago I stopped have the real significant neck pain (previously I actually missed work because I couldn't drive as I couldnt look over my shoulder at all).  If you arent doing any exercise I would suggest that but get professional advice first

Good luck

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I have the same condition but the effect on me is numbness from my knee to my toes on the left side and a weak knee which gives out and makes me go up and down stairs like an 80 year old man. My knee has given out a number of times and caused me to fall down like a ton of bricks. I never know when the knee is going, it just folds and down I go. I wear a knee brace to keep me on my feet these days.

Lower back pain is a constant and there are other times when I get the tingling down my left arm and that "I just smacked my funny bone" feeling in the same arm that lasts for a day or so and is pretty uncomfortable. On occasion, the lower back pain subsides only to be replaced by a stiff neck which I can barely turn side to side. I actually look forward to the stiff neck because the other symptoms tend to lighten up or maybe I just don't notice them when my neck is stiff.  I buy 500 ct Ibuprofen at Sam's Club amd take about 6 daily.

I had an MRI and was going to have back surgery (lumbar laminectomy) but decided against it on the advice of others. I go to a chiropractor and get somehort term relief from the adjustments and bought an inversion table (Teeter Hangups) and hang updisde down to relieve the pressure on the degenerative discs. The inversion table works very well and gives me some short term relief also.

I looked into the Laser Spine Institute and may go the route of laser surgery rather than the "knife".

 

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kayd_mon wrote:

They make special straps that distribute the weight across both shoulders, making it easier to play those heavy guitars. I've never tried it, but they might work for you.

 


 

Think I might try that and one of the Planet Waves "Dare" straps.. Thanks for the heads up in that direction

 

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No real suggestions about treatment other than getting a good exercise program going, but have you considered sitting on a stool when you play?  Rest the guitar on your leg and keep the weight off your shoulder.  Yeah, I know it doesn't look so cool, but if BB King can do it I figure you could too.

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PurpleTrails wrote:

 

No real suggestions about treatment other than getting a good exercise program going, but have you considered sitting on a stool when you play?  Rest the guitar on your leg and keep the weight off your shoulder.  Yeah, I know it doesn't look so cool, but if BB King can do it I figure you could too.

 

Actually yes.. I keep a stool handy in case I need and for songs that I don't have to be at my pedal board. I also picked up some square stock steel so I can weld up a pedal board sort of like the pedal train in design, but on an arc.. If I am forced to sit and play, the arc'ed board will make things easier to access..

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