Anyone play with an arthritic wrist?

[nuke_diver]

On your fretting hand? Any tips for limbering up etc...mine's getting worse and I'm not yet prepared to quit playing but if I can reduce the discomfort (which actually isn't too bad when I'm playing but more so when I stop...yeah I know don't stop )

[Annoying Twit]

I read an interesting letter in a guitar magazine. It was by someone who had arthritis in their fretting hand. They switched to playing the slide guitar. The point they made in the letter is that they found that with a slide it was possible to play a much wider range of music than the writer originally expected. He said that people play mostly one style with a slide because that's what people mostly do with a slide. But when he found that all he could do was play slide, he managed to do a lot more things with it.

[ST-III]

I like these Cor products comfort packs. They seem to work better than anything else. I think using them the day before playing is better than using them right before playing. I heat them in a microwave and put them on my wrist. You can also chill them and use them that way. Heat seems to work better for me.

 

Here's the link: http://www.coreproducts.com/evolve/asp_catalog/catalog.asp?pca=347

[Flintc]

I have arthritis in the index finger of my fretting hand. I've found that keeping it warm helps, and not bending it certain ways helps (different chord voicings required in many cases), and eating a low-acid diet helps. And lighter gauge strings help also.

 

There may be effective treatments for larger joints like wrists. But I'm told there's nothing that will work well on knuckles.

[b-n-b smash]

I have tendinitis on my fretting hand's index finger. When it gives me problems I just wash my hands in warm water and that usually helps enough.

[Roy]

glucosamine.

 

every day.

 

for the rest of your life.

[nuke_diver]

glucosamine. every day. for the rest of your life.

 

 

Been there for 10+ years already....arthritic knee to go with the wrist...same side too

 

Eventually I'll just fall apart...that's what you get for being a little guy and playing football with the big guys :poke:

[Lump]

Eventually I'll just fall apart...

 

I'd offer to race you, but you have no chance. Had it since I was 17(I'm 43 now), took up guitar playing because the doctor said to start using my fingers or get really used to never using my fingers. Had my left hip replaced at 21, and the right one done at 31. I'm a robo-Lump.

 

To the original poster, don't torture yourself needlessly. Go in, see a Rheumatologist to get on something that will help you, and then keep on playing my friend.

[Brewski]

warm ups are a good idea. but in reality the best way is to play a different style.

 

I've noticed that full chords really hurt but two/three note chords with my wrist strasigh versus bent are fine.

 

Also - play good leads with basic fingerings that sound good but have lots of hamnmer ons and try to limit the bending by sliding your hand in and out of notes.

[nuke_diver]

I do find lead playing generally easier than rhythm...but I'm a better rhythm player

 

Yeah you got me Lump...I had a bunch of surgeries before I was 30 but no hip replacements...though I am older so I did get a head start

[hahavishnu]

nah, i use a PICK

[Belva]

I have arthritis in my pick hand. OK, not the same. But warming up and warming down does make a difference. Also, try keeping it limber by fapping with that hand. No joke. SRS!

[jds22]

Anyone play with an arthritic wrist?

 

Not yet.

[Woodstock 1969]

Glucosamine sulfate has been shown in clinical studies to support the cartilage matrix. A diet rich in Omega 3's has anti-inflamatory effects which may also be beneficial in reducing joint pain. A self-massage using a menthol based cream around the wrist will also help. Switching to lighter guage strings and using a larger profile neck will provide finger and wrist relief. I would also wear a wrist band for support.

[guitarman3001]

yeah, I'm a walking disaster over here. I have arthritis that flares up once in a while, and also tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. It's getting progressively worse. After almost every song I have to sit there and stretch out my left arm which tightens up and hurts from my wrist to the outside of my elbow. A 4 hour gig is like torture.

[k tone]

I shattered my fretboarding wrist (8 pieces) in 08. The Doc said I would either have full function or a claw. I was prepared to take up slide guitar as a worst case scenario. After 6 months of casts and rehab I have found that a thicker neck helps me. I have a Warmoth Boatneck on my 79 Strat. Just waiting for the arthritus to set in.

[headless]

Not arthritis, but I do have tendonitis in my fretting hand.

 

I now play with a fabric/splint brace and it helps. It also interfers with playing, but with practice that has been less of a problem.

 

Also, I'm gravitating toward guitars with have a bass-bout strap button that is located as far as possible from the bridge.

 

For example, a Teles' strap button is located around the 16th fret, but with a Strat it's around the 12th fret. I believe that playing guitars with less, "reach" is less stressful on the hand (playing bass is just impossible for me).

 

I've even gone so far as to build a FrankenCaster with a Epiphone EM-2 body, which, once the straplocks are installed places the strap take-off point at around the 11th fret.

 

I guess my dream-guitar would be this Gary Kramer instrument, with the strap button around the 9th fret:

 

http://www.guitarsite.com/news/images/guitar/simTmrfront.jpg

[cBc]

Have had rheumatoid arthritis since my early 30s (57 now), in my left wrist hands, etc. . Back then the Doc took xrays of my left wrist & wondered aloud how I was able to do anything with it, since all the little wrist bones were all smushed together, no synovium separating them. Went thru all the usual regimen of SAIDs, methotrexate, etc. About 8 years ago, he put me on Remicade, which helps tremendously, basically stopped further joint erosion & allows me to play guitar to this day. It's insanely expensive (thank the goddess for Blue Cross)

There is a topical cream form of voltaren (named, oddly enough , Voltaren Gel)

that works to de-swell joints & lessen pain.

There are several different varieties of arthritis, some things work on one type but not another.

Get thee to a rheumatologist for a workup of what you have if you can.

[Muddslide]

Sorry to hear about your pain and discomfort. I've been through the same sort of thing. I haven't been diagnosed with anything specific (because I haven't been to see anyone about it) but I do get pain in both my wrist and fingers. Both hands from time to time.

 

It got so bad a few years back that I had to stop playing guitar altogether. I suspect there was some carpal tunnel business happening.

 

I ended up taking up the ukulele (seriously)--I played uke almost exclusively for about three years. Picked up guitar again, but almost completely electric. I can't get around on an acoustic (even my parlor-size) for very long at all without some twinging.

 

It sucks and I hope I don't degenerate any further. I hope the same for all of us.

 

But you know? I am not going to let it stop me from making music. Always making music.

 

I figure if I ever get so bad that I can't play guitar much, I'll stick to three easy open chords.

 

If I get so bad I can't do that, I'm quite serious when I say I will go back to tinkering with analog synths or I will take up harmonica as my main instrument.