Electric Guitars

[V-Type]

I have arthritis but it is mild and only the bitter cold really messes with it. However I have an injury I suffered in mid Oct that still isnt quite right yet. I tore the rotator in my shoulder and I also severely hyper extended my finger muscles in my fretting hand at the same time. My shoulder hurts when more than a hour of standing with the guitar and my index finger on my fretting hand has hyper sensitivity ala "pins an needles" from time too time. No insurance = Long slow recovery(hopefully). I still am thankful though I probably played a minimum of 3 hours a day avg. for the better part of 25 years and played a lot of gigs as well.

[HanSolo]

I've got arthritus in my right knee. I blew my knee out in a snowmobiling accident and limped on it for two years before I had it surgically repaired. The surgery was a cakewalk but the doctor warned me that it would be arthritic as I caused extensive damage from bone to bone contact waking on it all that time. The first time it got cold and rainy and my knee went off like an alarm clock. When it's bad I walk like a gimp and take motrin like it's candy.

[McHale]

I broke my hip twice in high school from excessive running (20 miles+ a day) and I have the same "gift" when bad weather comes along. The pain is so bad sometimes I move at a snail's pace with my left leg stiff as a board. When I first broke my hip they gave me a bottle of Demerol. After finding out how quickly they became addictive, I now take nothing for the pain and just live with it. Luckily, my hands are good...

[mc5nrg]

I am not claiming this will help folks with serious arthritis related problems...

However, joint related pain I get in my hands- index knuckle left hand especially- washes away when I drink a lot of lemonade...

[K2BT]

i broke my neck in a car accident in '89 and it took 6 years of surgeries and therapy to get back playing. Nowadays if I do something stupid like carry amps I lose feeling in my left hand. And when it gets cold the arthritis acts up but I can usually play through it. Slide guitar is an option because I've been playing since '69 and don't intend to stop. I usually play better if I feel like shit especially the blues. All my anger is taken out on the strings.

[Jersey Jack]

Yep, in my left thumb--sometimes so much pain that I cannot fret barre chords on an acoustic. I had an idea recently to try playing the mandolin, but this turned out to be impossible, as the string tension on a mando--together with the stretched out barre patterns--makes me HOWL with pain. :mad:

Hmm..., maybe lap steel??? :rolleyes:

Someone should write an Arthritis Blues--which would nicely connect this thread with the recent old white guys play the blues thread. :wave:

[ashasha]

I don't know what's wrong with my hands, but both thumbs are pretty much numb to touch except when something brushes against them I get electric type shocks shooting through them. My right hand looks a bit jacked up with swollen looking joints and stuff.

Good news is that I had a Rheumatoid test come back negative which is great because that is some nasty stuff.

But my hands are the least of my worries, I've had something going on with my lower back/left leg where it felt like I hit the funny bone constantly for about 3 years straight. It's been pretty intolerable, lots of pills, therapy, epiderals, etc. I've been using a cane for about 2 years now.

I finally had them do RF denervation or denervization (where they burn the nerves on the facet joints) and it's the best I've felt in 3 years. A lot of the localized pain is gone and some of the radiating pain has let up.

But the one thing that my blood tests showed was that my Vitamin D level was at 16...should be around the 80 mark. My HDL has always been dangerously low (but the overall choleserol has been sub-100 so the ratio wasn't horrible). But what I learned was that Vit D is a hormone that your body creates and it's fat soluable meaning that you have to take supplements with a meal.

So between the nerve burning, the Vit D supplements and a CPAP (found out I have ostructive sleep apnea as well) I feel pretty human again. The bad news is that the military is trying to force me out since I haven't been able to run for the last few years.

I've got 18 years so I won't end up with nothing in all likelihood, but I don't have a definitive diagnosis on what is causing all this and since I am feeling a bit better I doubt that I would get much in terms of disability. I'm trying as hard as I can so that they let me finish up the last two years, but it's an uphill battle. Luckily my commander appreciates me and has requested that I be allowed to finish up my 20 here working for him.

What's really scary is that I could go from making about $5600/month to $1800 at the drop of a hat depending on what the VA says.

[Brewski]

yeah - hurts to play bot right and left hand.

someday I'll stop playing but not too soon.

[Sisyphus2]

was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis last year - its a miserable condition thats just so painfuland has put limits on what I can do. My guitar playing has definately been compromised but I realised that i could still cope with a strat neck - so ive shifted from mainly acoustic playing to electric but Im happy with that.

[Sisyphus2]

didnt Les Paul have RA?

[Dances w/carp]

I've been having problems with my left wrist for almost a month and a half since I fell. I'm pretty sure I didn't break anything. It didn't hardly hurt that day or the next, but a few days later it began to be sore at the extent of my range of motion, and gradually that range of motion became less, and more painful. During that time, I overworked it, so I know I was just making it worse. It maybe got a little better this last week.... but I babied it and even stayed entirely away from my guitars too.

My whole wrist would swell if I played guitar for a half hour, and if I ice it down and/or take ibuprophen, it goes back to normal, mostly, and feels great.

I researched it, and it sounds like maybe I have Tenosynovitis(inflamation of tendon or their sheathes). It should be immobilized with heat and cold applications and allowed to heal. Otherwise more serious damage could result.... At's what da BOOK say...

Oh yeah, my left shoulder is doing this disgusting popping thing, like it's partial popping out, or like one tendon is popping by another one or something. It doesn't hurt like real pain, but it's pretty gross. Anyone know what does THAT?

I should probably go see a doctor.

[goosefartfan]

didnt Les Paul have RA?

what a beautiful dog in your avatar!!

[goosefartfan]

I've been having problems with my left wrist for almost a month and a half since I fell. I'm pretty sure I didn't break anything. It didn't hardly hurt that day or the next, but a few days later it began to be sore at the extent of my range of motion, and gradually that range of motion became less, and more painful. During that time, I overworked it, so I know I was just making it worse. It maybe got a little better this last week.... but I babied it and even stayed entirely away from my guitars too.

My whole wrist would swell if I played guitar for a half hour, and if I ice it down and/or take ibuprophen, it goes back to normal, mostly, and feels great.

I researched it, and it sounds like maybe I have Tenosynovitis(inflamation of tendon or their sheathes). It should be immobilized with heat and cold applications and allowed to heal. Otherwise more serious damage could result.... At's what da BOOK say...

Oh yeah, my left shoulder is doing this disgusting popping thing, like it's partial popping out, or like one tendon is popping by another one or something. It doesn't hurt like real pain, but it's pretty gross. Anyone know what does THAT?

I should probably go see a doctor.

GO TO A DOCTOR. NOW!

[rhat]

I am pretty sure I have gouty arthritis. My hands are screwed up big time. I have had gout attacks in my knee and my ankle . I havent been able to play guitar since this summer. I cant get into the rhumy for a final dignosis till feb. I went on a strict gout diet and things seem to be improving. My main deal is playing keyboards. I can play one gig a week if I ice the hell out of my hands prior, and use a couple tylenol. Its a bitch ,, hopfully this wont end my playing days. All this started after going on a blood pressure med that I only stayed on two months. Prior I had what you could call normal geezer hands...... now its way more than that. Thank god I can sing, so there is somthing if i have to lay down the instruments. I am keeping a positive attitude and stickin with the diet and hopfully I can turn this shit around.

[RJpilot]

I don't think I have arthritis but I fell on my left wrist a couple months ago and it still hurts to bend. I make a conscious effort to stretch it out before playing otherwise my wrist bends in slow-painful-motion.

[Hoddy]

Back in 2000 I fell backwards off a stepladder onto concrete...I stuck my (fretting) arm out behind me to break my fall and completely pulverized that last inch or so of the ulna and radius where they meet my wrist...plus I destroyed most of the cartilage in my wrist. It was too severe to put in a cast so the bolted an external fixater to my are and hand with two 3" screws through the bones in my arm and two more in the bones in the palm of my hand. After wearing it four four months than 16 months of physical therapy three times a week I've regained about 60% range of motion in my wrist. When my doc released me he said it was as good as it was going to get and that it would progressively get worse as time goes by. When I started playing again it took three months to before I could bend my wrist enough to make one chord, but I kept trying and learned to compensate. I take daily supplements to lubricate the joint and through lots of hard work I was finally able to get to where I could play maybe 90% of how I played before the break. I know that due to my injury my playing time is limited, even now I have to quit after an hour or so due to the pain, so I treasure each moment that I can still play.

[rhat]

I don't think I have arthritis but I fell on my left wrist a couple months ago and it still hurts to bend. I make a conscious effort to stretch it out before playing otherwise my wrist bends in slow-painful-motion.

Be glad you are a pilot and dont have a real job you have to go to lol. oke:

If you are in the left seat ,, just tell the kid to fly another leg.

[ACLONERANGER]

ive had RA in both hands for several years,tried the mobic,celebrex,lorcets,motrin and such. its not keith richards bad yet,but is VERY uncomfortable. i love looking up info on natural remedies,and came accross this herb called turmeric..turns out its been considered very effective in the anti inflammatory dept.along with just about being good for just about everything else too,so i figured what the heck..its like $6 at wal mart,so i started it. much to my surprise,after about 5 days on it,my hands have felt alot better last few days..im gonna keep takin it and let you guys know...better than painkillers and cortisone shots !!

[Sisyphus2]

what a beautiful dog in your avatar!!

Bernese Mountain dog - when she was a puppy! Now shes huge....but still beautiful!

[rhat]

ive had RA in both hands for several years,tried the mobic,celebrex,lorcets,motrin and such. its not keith richards bad yet,but is VERY uncomfortable. i love looking up info on natural remedies,and came accross this herb called turmeric..turns out its been considered very effective in the anti inflammatory dept.along with just about being good for just about everything else too,so i figured what the heck..its like $6 at wal mart,so i started it. much to my surprise,after about 5 days on it,my hands have felt alot better last few days..im gonna keep takin it and let you guys know...better than painkillers and cortisone shots !!

I dont think richards has RA ,,, osteo would be more like it from what I have read.