What has been your most painful injury and how much has it affected your playing? This would mainly be finger injuries, buy I cannot limit that type of injury, after all, this is chiffy…
Nearly sliced off the end pad of my left ring finger. Flushed thoroughly with water, then alchohol (OMG that hurt like nothin’ ever) then wraped it and taped it tight. Took a long time to heal, but I put one of those soft rubber finger bandages on it. Took me a few days to adapt, and never could really play completely as well with it like that, but it worked ok until it finally healed! 
oooo. Man, makes me cringe just thinkin’ about it again. Thanks! 
Take care,
John
I was cooking supper one night right before heading off to play whistle at a dance and managed to grab a hot saute pan I was oven searing a salmon filet in. You know, sear on very hot pan then toss entire pan into the oven for 20 minutes… Got a decent 2nd degree burn on my left index finger. After wrapping it up with an ice cube for 30 minutes I managed to get it to a playable condition. Hurt like h#)) but did it.
Other than that a mountain bike accident that resulted in a colles fracture of both radius and ulna heads and a couple metacarpals screwed me up for a few months.
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Years ago I hit my left index finger with a hammer.
That’s when I first tried playing whistle like the pipes,
with the next finger pad up–the middle joint.
Yesterday I developed a huge blister between
the right thumb and index finger-chopping weeds.
The skin peeled 1/2 way off. I pressed the skin back
on and Super-Glued the edge. Looks and feels normal today.
Nice trick!
Hey, I know another piper who uses superglue for all his cuts, etc! This must be one of those lore things. 
Not exactly carpal tunnel syndrome in my case, but close: left wrist discomfort after hours of major flutation. I’m still kinda skeptical, but I tried a magnet (held in place by a cut-off sock top) and it seems, unless it’s sheer coincidence, that I have had a lot of improvement. If anyone tries this, magnet-users’ lore suggests the North pole of the magnet against the affected area. This is where the theory rather falls apart: which is North? The side that repells the compass needle, or the one that attracts it? I used the side that attracts it; call me credulous, but it seemed to work for me. It’s probably coincidence, but if I get a flareup again, I’ll be trying it again just to see.
Best,
N
Cranberry,
Carpal tunnel syndrome sometimes responds to B complex multivitamins, taken at doses of 50 units per day. (The various B vitamins are recommended in different units, some are micrograms, some are milligrams; however, they are often formulated in “B-25,” “B-50,” “B-75” or “B-100” combinations where most of the B vitamins in the formulation are that number of milli- or micro- grams.) I would recommend getting a B-50 B complex multivitamin from a health food store (or B-25 and take two).
You may need to take them for six months or longer before the results are significant. But it does work for many.
Best wishes,
Jerry
I was circumcised some time ago and it does not affect my playing much. 
uh, twelve years of repeated impact on my hands by japanese bamboo swords.
Yeah, I know.
I’ve had the surgery for Carpal Tunnel on both hands (not at the same time, thank goodness! 
), and while it’s not the best option for everyone, it did work for me.
I’ve just been going through physical therapy for pain in my left shoulder and arm - turns out it’s an issue with my neck, from being slouched over for so many years, and looking down at keyboards, music racks, etc. Fortunately, exercises and re-thinking my posture in how I play my bass and how I use the equipment at work is making a huge difference!
Before I started on the whistle I dislocated my shoulder, necessitating a sling for 3 weeks. If I had played whistle then I wouldn’t have been able to lift it high enough, and my arm was in pain.
However, after the first few days I got sick of waiting, so I started frailing the banjo again. It was in a more natural position and didn’t require lifting shoulder, so I don’t think it hurt my recuperation.
So, Dazed, do you bonk the nearest musician if you think you hear “hajime!”?
I have dislocated my shoulder twice now. The last time was the result of a particularly violent sneeze, and the first time was in a fencing tournament. The pain involved in a dislocation is quite unbelievable until you experience it; a broken ankle was nothing in comparison. I had surgery to correct the instability in the shoulder and am in physical therapy at the moment. It does not affect the whistle at all, but I am having a little trouble playing the flute for longer periods. I hope this goes away after I build some more strength.
Matt
I mentioned a few times on the board that I sustained a head injury back in 1991 . . . I took up the whistle with a determination to not only learn how to play, but overcome some of the limitations it brought to my hands.
Playing helped . . . and time helped, but it still affects small muscle coordination. It actually feels like having Carpal tunnel syndrome many times, since the effort to make small movements takes a great deal of focus and causes cramping to keep from having “tremors”.
Some of the discomfort comes off my neck, as my mom would say, since I also suffered whip lash, and some of the pain in my hands is also affected by neck/shoulders.
But . . . I’ve lived with this for 12 years and I’ve gotten used to limitations, and it’s really not as bad as it used to be. Playing the whistle doesn’t seem to cause me any more discomfort . . . but I find the guitar a little hard. Not with pain in my hands, but in my neck . . .guess it’s the strap and the weight around my neck.
Funny that we’re having this conversation . . . I’m having bad migraines again and have decided I have to get back into the routine of meditation. It’s the only thing that keeps me from having migraines. So, yes, I’d like to be busy learning the guitar, but I’m going to have to spend these evenings meditating. Actually, meditation is really enjoyable and I look forward to it once I set the pattern, and it usually gives me extra energy for the following day. And maybe that can go into playing.
Worst injury: bilateral fx of tib/fib
How it affected my playing: I got a little more practice in, but it was hard to get a decent lungful of air while I was in the chair with the leg up.
Other than that, rheumatoid arthritis of the hands affects me regularly. Ibuprofen for bad days, Celebrex for REALLY bad days. Hot water in between.
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Oesteoarthritis , carpal tunnel syndrome detached ulnar nerves in elbows and forzen shoulder and now Reynauds syndrome. Oh and I can only play sitting down due to spondylitis and arthritis in hips and all the rest. Orh ME of course but I will not listen to those who think they know best for me and tell me to stop playing all my instruments. Music is my antidepressant. As my sig says.
Actually, I had two methods… the first, on my right hand, was the conventional technique. There’s a 2" scar at the bottom of the palm where they opened the hand, released the tendon (I think it’s a tendon… 
), and stitched me up. Went home with my hand in a splint and ace wrap. Recovery wasn’t too bad, took about 4 weeks if I remember right, and the hand came back to strength fairly quickly.
My left hand, which is my dominant one, was done endoscopically (forgive me, medical persons, if that isn’t the right term…) - there’s a 1" scar on my left wrist, where they made an opening, inserted an instrument, and released the tendon. Same drill after, but the hand recovered about twice as fast as my right did. Way cool…
Like I said, surgery isn’t for everyone. But, I decided I was comfortable with it, and it’s worked out well for me. I get a little numbness if I forget to watch my posture and wrist position, but other than that it was worth it.
For what it’s worth…
Cal
When I was a gratuate at the School of Health, at a univeristy in Southern California, there was a saying which was popular among both students and teachers: Don’t get your nutritional advice from your MD unless he/she also has a degree in nutrition. Lots of conflicting advice in the medical community. Many of our teachers had their PHD in nutrition, plus a medical degree. I remember taking a class in “Vitamin Poisoning.” Many vitamins work in balance with one another..if you increase one, you may need to increase another.
This offered by the University of Maryland Medicine:
http://www.umm.edu/childsafety/first_aid/ency/vitamin/vitaminoverdose.htm
Vitamin Overdose. What is it? (Overview)
Food is the best source from which to derive necessary vitamins and minerals, but there are times when it is wise to supplement your diet with vitamin and mineral pills. And while it may be tempting to take more than one a day, too many vitamins can be as dangerous as not getting enough. Too much vitamin A, for example, can cause liver damage. In rare cases, people can even die from vitamin and mineral poisoning.
How do I know I have it? (Symptoms and Diagnosis)
Some general signs of a vitamin overdose include diarrhea, stomach pain, and headache. You may also notice:
Dry, cracked lips. Irritated eyes (including sensitivity to light). Dry, cracked skin. Loss of appetite. Convulsions. Cloudy urine. More frequent urination. Irritability. Mood changes. Muscle pain. Muscle weakness. Increased skin itchiness.