help appreciated--tendonitus

[kevin m.]

I find this a rather interesting thread,as I've suffered all sorts of aches and pains in my left arm ,elbow and lately (more so) shoulder,over the last six months or so-it's kind of crept up on me.
I'm 46,left handed,work with computers all day,and then of course come home and play Whistle,Flute,and occasionally,my Uilleann Pipe Practice set-the U.P.'s haven't had so much practice-because my left shoulder hurts!
Of course being a typical bloke,I hate going to the doctors-I think "what's the point-he'll only prescribe Anti-inflamatories-which I'm already taking!
Is this just a symptom of 'wear and tear' (I didn't want to say 'getting old' ) ?

[Cynth]

I don't think it is "getting old" when the problems are localized (left arm and shoulder more than right arm and shoulder) and you can come up with some idea of what could be causing it----computer keyboard all day, musical instruments. Maybe getting older makes one more prone to injury--I don't know, but I think the aches have a specific cause. If you keep playing when things hurt I believe you could cause serious damage. If it hurts when you practice, you really have to stop. Otherwise it might get so you just can't play.

I don't know if the website about injuries and musicians I posted earlier on this thread might give you some idea about how to pursue this. I think there is information about how to practice---length of time, special exercises, pacing yourself, and the like that might be helpful. There might be a musician's group you could contact about medical treatment from someone who specializes in this type of problem.

I don't think 46 is old enough to be considered "getting old". Of course, that could be because I'm 55.

[kevin m.]

Thanks Cynth-And of course We're not old (55-You're just a Bairn!! )
I think that my work is the major contributor to my problems-I do quite hard(ish) manual work at my veg patch (which strangely enough,seems to IMPROVE things).
Maybe I should have a smallholding in County Clare,instead of being a Civil Servant!

[Lambchop]

-I do quite hard(ish) manual work at my veg patch (which strangely enough,seems to IMPROVE things).:

Not surprising. You're using larger muscles and thereby effecting an improvement in blood flow. The better the blood flow, the less buildup of injury-related junk in the tissue. Everything heals better.

Jim, ice works well for injuries like that. I prefer to go for broke rather than mess around with peas and cubes.

This method is extremely effective. It's not used much, though, because it is so unpleasant. It's kind of this old-fashioned nightmare hydrotherapy thing.

Get a dishpan and fill about half full with ice cubes. Add water so that you have a slushy mix. Stuff a washcloth between your teeth (you'll see why soon enough), shove the hand and forearm in the slush, and leave it there. Do not take it out.

You'll feel a really unpleasant cold for a few minutes, then it will get numb, and eventually your hand and arm will begin to feel toasty warm. Very pleasant, in fact. When it feels nicely warm, you can take it out.

I'll warn you that if you dip your hand in and out, in a namby-pamby fashion, this won't work. You have to leave it in there.

This often works so effectively that a little injury simply doesn't bother you again. A little rest and you're all set.

[kevin m.]

Thanks for the explanation Lambchop.
I have a major 'therapeutic' gardening session coming on today-my muscles might be o.k,but I'll probably end up with heatstroke!

[jim stone]

I'm through with 2400 milligrams of Ibuprofen a day,
not a moment too soon, given my digestive system.
I don't seem to be in pain anymore,
but I'll see.

Yes, take these things seriously and address them,
if only too stop doing what's hurting for awhile.

must go, the Boss wants the computer.

I'm iceing, thanks again for this suggestion. Jim

[jim stone]

OK, update--I seem to be on the mend, touch wood.
Ibuprofen, rest, ice; It's my left index and I'm
taping it to my middle finger, so I can't use it
to type, etc. I've shifted to soprano whistle (from
flute) for awhile.

AlsoI've seriously reviewed my flute grip.
Doing everything in my power to make the
flute more grippable. Pieces of adhesive tape
where the thumbs go. Part of what got
me into trouble was the flute was unstable
and my index was gripping. Also lots of
ornamenting using that finger.

Shifted back from piper's to classical,
because the left index moves less.
Ersatz clear plastic pipe bopep.

Pinky down now. Probably when something
goes wrong there's an underlying functional
cause, I suspect.

Thanks to all for the encouragement and advice,
which I've put into practice. Jim

[GaryKelly]

I've found significant improvement in my left elbow by dropping the left thumb off the flute while playing... theory being that it's impossible for me to apply a 'death grip' pressure with the left fingers if there's no thumb in contact with the flute to oppose the unconscious force I was applying.

What triggered *that* discovery was noticing that my left hand fingertips had 'dimples' from the tone-holes after playing, while the right hand fingers didn't.

Glad to hear you're on the mend, Jim. It's no fun not being able to play.

[MarkB]

Happy to hear that you are on the mend and a good thread with good information. I sit in front of a computer all day at work and I have noticed lately that my right index finger and ajoining muscles etc are getting sore by the end of the day. Fortunately for me there is a physio therapist that lives in my building and I was talking to her and she gave me some helpful advice.

If I feel the soreness coming on, run my hand under some cold water when on a break, do some hand/finger exercises that move the hand/finger the other way and reduce my flute practice to short time periods, rather than long hourly stretches. It seems to have worked.

Thank you for posting your concerns Jim, I suspect they have helped others besides myself.

In your word "Best"

MarkB

[soprani]

Just keep up the meds even when it doesn't hurt. (I've had the best results with industrial strength ibuprofen.)

The meds knock back the infamation so that the area can stop irritating itself. The healing begins only after it's not hurting. But heck, you're a doctor so you already know this.

I've had it in my arms a couple of times (computers dontcha know), and it eventually does heal. Sometimes a couple of courses of meds are required. And oh yeah, don't forget to take 'em with food so your stomach isn't wrecked as well.

Good luck! This WILL heal.

[jim stone]

Thanks to all for this encouragement.
I'm a doctor of philosophy, I'm afriad.
Don't know nothing, just talk.
jim

[jack2]

it's a instument related injury.i heared once form my friend his uncle was a musician and suffered from this type of disease. it takes a lot of times to cure.

[brianholton]

while I've never suffered from this myself, I've seen friends who have had problems treated very effectively with traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

TCM practitioners just seem to know more about bones & muscles than western doctors. My advice is don't go to an acupuncturist, but rather to a fully trained TCM practitoner.

You can find links to geographical lists of TCm practitioners here http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/doctor/index.html

stay well

b

[gododdin]

Many of us work with computers these days - it's a simple thing, but try shifting your mouse over to the left hand - feels a bit odd at first, but you soon get used to it. It certainly helped me (my (minor) flute aches were in my right hand).

The only down side is people keep coming up to my desk saying "Oh, I didn't know you were left-handed." Reminds me of an old joke - "I'd give my right arm to be ambidexterous..."

[Steampacket]

Deirdre were you at a session in Lund, Sweden some weeks ago? It wasn't such a good session, too many playing at the same time, and some young clueless guitar players. There was a lady who resembled you playing flute at point, we never spoke, but I heard afterwards that there was an exchange student from Cork/Limerick at the session in place of Marcus Tullberg who is/was in Cork