Trigger Finger

LarryM · Post by **LarryM** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 8:40 am

[ This Message was edited by: LarryM on 2002-12-13 18:11 ]

janice · Post by **janice** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 1:14 pm

I don't know if it's trigger finger, or the same thing you are talking about, Larry, but all of the fingers on both of my hands tighten up(i've been told it's tendonitis) and must uncurl and stretch my fingers in between playing and the morning after a session. Any recommendations, y'all(besides warming up with whistle)?

LarryM · Post by **LarryM** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 4:36 pm

Hi Janice,

Trigger finger is a form of syno-tendonitis whereupon if severe enough the affected finger can lock in a flexed position.

Also there is pain at the junction of the finger and palm of the hand.

I have had a chat with a work colleague who is a hand surgeon, and also another hand surgeon who is a piper, hence I may opt to have the minor surgery performed.

I think that I may also have a chanter holding technique problem, and am looking for any Pipers in the Lancashire area who might be able to advise me about this.

However Janice the annoying thing about it is that it in no way affects my playing efforts, in fact it seems to help temporarily, however next morning I pay with a stiff painful finger!!

Should have bought a Saxophone!!!!

However I am still interested to hear from any other pipers who have suffered from this problem, if nothing else for the Medical Research point of view.

Cheers for now.

Larry

janice · Post by **janice** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 5:18 pm

One word-Ouch.

And saxophone is way more annoying than pipes.........

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 10:19 am

Funny how it always seems to be the left-hand ring finger that causes problems, isn't it?

Someone who shall remain nameless once had problems with this finger, but which were not down to tendonitis, and his doctor seriously wondered about psychosomatic factors. Sounds as if the doctor was familiar with the music and realised that tunes like "I buried my wife..." are pipers' favourites!

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 3:47 pm

For those not completely matured as mischievous leprechauns, perhaps what Roger is trying to say is that, like him, perhaps Larry should try removing his ring to cure the problem.

Lorenzo

LarryM · Post by **LarryM** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 4:45 am

Lorenzo and Roger, I have already done this much to my wifes bemusement. She has suggested I get a piece of gold inset into the ring. Sounds expensive to me.

Sounds like I will have to convince her that if I upgraded my pipes to a half set, the drones would better balance the pipes and cure my finger problem. The money would be much better spent.

I am sure that practice sets put a lot of strain on fingers due to the lack of a counter balance.

Any other suggestions to help along these lines would be very welcome. In fact sounds like a good title for a new posting!!

How did you convince your wife an upgrade was imperative?

Janice I bet you never imagined how devious we guys can get eh? he he he!!(mischeivous laughter and much ringing of the hands)

LarryM · Post by **LarryM** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 5:01 am

For those wanting a better explanation of the 'Piper's Curse' here it is.

I would like to point out that although over forty and a diabetic, and despite coming from Belfast I have never been a Gun Slinger!!

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_repo ... egory=Hand

[ This Message was edited by: LarryM on 2002-07-12 07:52 ]

[ This Message was edited by: LarryM on 2002-07-12 07:54 ]

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 6:28 am

Larry...there's an story about a piper whose hand developed symptoms like you are describing and he was advised to go stick his hand in the bog, it containing seveal healing properties, and whilst he was soaking it in the bog one day, his wedding ring accidently slipped off, and this gave him a great headache causing him much anguish and consternation. And when his headache had subsided, it left him with a ring in his head, and whilst practicing the chanter one day, this ringing gave him an idea and thus the drones were born! And so the expression... "a ring in the bog is worth three on the bag."

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 3:44 pm

...or, at a deeper level of deconstruction, that I use decades of marriage to the same wife as an excuse for being a very mediocre piper...

janice · Post by **janice** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 8:30 am

Hey Larry-sounds like the next tune you should learn is The Gold Ring(ha ha)........
I want to know if that line works on your wife(to get the new set), as I gotta find a way to convince hubby that I NEED(really NEED) a new set to replace my bastardized combination of pipes(Daye chanter, Rowsome drones, Britton bellows and bag).........All devious suggestions welcome.................

LarryM · Post by **LarryM** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 9:35 am

Roger I hope my wife never reads these posts I think if anything happens my wife at my hands now your comments might be read as some kind of incitement to murder!!!

Lorenzo 'a ring in the bog is worth three in the bag' umhhhh.... seems a bite far fetched. I do not beleive a word of it. I think you at some time have eaten a chunk of the Blarney Stone. However I like the story anyhow.

Janice if I can find the magic formula I will contact you off-list. I think if my method works it will make me a millionaire.

Obviously Janice with your set with different components you took the 'stealth or incidious' approach to buying a set. Buy a little part at a time and hope he doesn't notice!!! Looks like that has worked!!

Maybe I should get the drone stock fitted this year, and one drone for each of the three years after. That has given me food for thought. If she asks about the drones I could say sure that has been there for ages, just you never noticed.

It took me 15 years to convince my wife I needed my pipes, I just do not think she is going to fall for any quick trick easily.umhhh...Roger what method do you propose me to use? Are you prepared to appear as a defence witness?

[ This Message was edited by: LarryM on 2002-07-13 12:58 ]

[ This Message was edited by: LarryM on 2002-07-13 13:08 ]

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 2:05 pm

Larry, Larry...not so serious now. That alone can cause inflamtion in the relationship, whoops, I mean the joint. And it's not my story, I'm just the innocent tattler. And, it's three rings "ON" the bag (the drones), not "in," at least I'm hoping no one is on their 3rd marriage and stashing "The Gold Ring" IN the bag every time. And I should probably stop trying to cheer you up with such blarnesque stories, after all, your leg may start hurting next.

power · Post by **power** » Mon Jul 15, 2002 4:58 am

A couple of thoughts on the trigger finger debate. Firstly, having switched recently from concert pitch to B I am amazed at how much easier the whole experience of piping has become. I agree with all the posts suggesting that in an ideal world, new pipers would be directed towards flat sets. My hands, shoulders and other parts used to ache for some time after playing my concert set, and as far as the ring finger is concerned, things were looking decidedly ropey. I wonder if the risk of traumatic damage to a tendon, or repetitive strain injury might be more significant in concert pitch.
in my experience, the most significant risk to my health associated with piping are the following.
1) the pain I develop in my backside if Im sitting too long playing.
2) the wrath of my beloved, which is less now with the flat set, but none the less present. Fortunately it appears that the aforementioned pain develops at around the same time as the wrath, and so nature has equipped me with an early warning sign, for which I am grateful.

[ This Message was edited by: power on 2002-07-15 07:05 ]

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Mon Jul 15, 2002 10:24 am

This thread seems to be turning into a department of physical and psychological piping traumatology. So here's another syndrome for someone to work up into an MD thesis.

After finally getting my full set (no subterfuge, just let it be known that after several decades of supporting a family of locusts, I was entitled to a special treat for my 50th birthday), I set about trying to learn to use the regulators. A shoulder strap seemed like a good idea, but after a few weeks I was getting pains in the left shoulder, then one day while lifting a suitcase onto an overhead rack I got a jolt like a bad electric shock. It turns out that the awkward movements which I was making with the pipes had brought to the surface a condition known as "retractile capsulitis" or "frozen shoulder". So I've had to abandon the regs for the moment and do some rehab exercises. My conclusion is that anyone thinking of using a shoulder strap should start while they're still young.