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Any suggestions to help my hands

Started by clearseawater, January 20, 2002, 12:57 PM

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clearseawater

Hi everyone(im the newbie)

Bad news: Ive been diagnosed with Arthritis for 18yrs..
Badder News : for the last 7yrs it has effected my technique(playing 25yrs)

I have to have many steroid injections into my hands and I have had to change my playing styles more than once.
I dont want to think that I will have to give the drums up as its really the main focus in my life (apart from my family)

Can anybody give me some advice as I am living the nightmare that we have all drempt

felix

Try that Viox drug...my mom and dad swear by it and they are pushing 70.

It runs in my family also.  I already feel it my finger joints now and then and I'm only in my mid 30's.

I run my hands under warm water sometimes and that helps...once I get playing I don't notice it.

Bart Elliott

I would think stretching out and warming up the hands before you play would be a big plus. Loosening up and getting the blood flowing is really going to reduce the discomfort.

clearseawater

Thanks for the advise everyone but my hands are quite damaged from my condition. I have lost range in my left thumb(as well as a number of my fingers are now bent) and I find it hard to grip and so I have had to change my styles on more than one occasion.

Stretching only agrovates my condition and Im on Salphasalazine to help with my Carpal Tunnel and tendonitis that I get with my form of Arthritis.

It scares the hell outa me as my specialist doesnt realise what drumming means too me..

Any organisations for drummers like me so I could share my thoughts would be appreciated .....thanks

felix

Well, here's another option than MS sufferers consider and many use finding great relief.

Bee venom therapy.  I saw this thing on TV last night where these people who couldn't walk or see would sting themselves with honey bees.  After a few weeks they start getting feeling back, sight back, man they were walking around.

People also use it with arthritis they said to, but the focus was on MS.

They don't understand how it works yet, but if you aren't allergic to bee stings you ought to give it a try if nothing else works.

Good luck
Felix

rlhubley

Trust me on this one.  For arthritus or carpel tunnel syndrome, go see a good chiropractor.

clearseawater

Thanx Felix....ill probably have to wait till spring but I will look into it.......though British springs can be rather cold and DAMP.

I tend to fast as much as possible to control the pain
(IM NOT A DOCTOR SO DONT ANYBODY COPY ME. IT JUST SEEMS TO HELP MY CONDITION)

James Walker

QuoteTrust me on this one.  For arthritus or carpel tunnel syndrome, go see a good chiropractor.

Another option, especially if your problems are linked directly to (and especially if they are caused by) your playing:  find a therapist in your area who specializes in musician-related injuries.  Many years ago, I read a magazine article by Steve Rodby (Chicago bassist, with the Pat Metheny Group), and he related how when he was having problems with the fingers of his left hand, he went to someone who was not a specialist in music-related injuries, and this individual did not even think that Steve had a problem ("...You're fine - those are the fastest fingers I've ever seen," or something like that, was his reply when examining Steve's hand).  Find someone who knows what to look for when dealing with musicians' injuries.


felix

Yeah, my guitar player had to go to a specialist in California for his carpel T...the dude fixed him right up.


clearseawater

Thanks for the advice every one.....Ive hooked up with a physio at my local Hospital and ive been told I have lost range again(very agressive, my type of Arthritis is) and that I may never get that movement back.....I do work my hands and I dont sit back and let my disease take hold if I can help it BUT stretching is apparently NOT good for my hands (I have been told off buy the specialist). James, I think your advice is something I will have to look into as (to be fair) the physio doesnt understand the mechanics of drumming(very nice person though) (suggesting that wrist splints would not affect technique). I am going to show her how and why by taking sticks in and my trusted limpet pad but i may end up banging my head agaist a brick wall on this one. They deal with guitarists but Im the first drummer (I suppose the understanding is, why would someone continue if they were in pain and drumming is just a bash, bash exercise...you dont use wrists and fingers).
I have been told that maybe my workouts with heavy sticks may have to be modified (i do this because it keeps my chops up, speed and endurance as well even though the last 7years of this has seen a major performance drop in me because of its destructive nature on my joints and tendons) but I used to play trad grip and then I had to change that, so i had to work to get the matched grip happening and NOW I have to change that. Steroid injections are no longer working and I am prone to drop the sticks more often now so its looking kind of bleak at the moment.
Word of advice guys.....if you get a pain in your big toes dont egnore it like I did, go to a doctor and get it checked out.....this is how it started for me (of coarse it could be nothing-as i dont mean to panick anyone- but many types of Arthritis start this way, and please DO IT if you have a history of it in your family)
ME....I keep fighting

clearseawater

Looks like I may be facing a cross roads now.......

Trad grip dont work anymore and now matched grip :(
The physio can do no more for me and they believe drumming is making it worse for my hand condition :(

My treatement now consists of cold hand baths then warm followed by cold again. My hands are then places in warm petrolium wax and covered with a towel :(

Steroids are no longer working and they dont want to open my left hand up because they feel its risky as heavy scar tissue can form and make the condition even worse..........

If any of you guys know of drummers that have adapted around this please let me know as well.....Im kinda tearing my hear out.......

felix

I told you to look up the honey bee sting therapy...I know it sounds crazy but you should check it out.  It is used for multiple schlerosis and advanced arthritis.

How are you going to shred the advanced ostinatos being in pain like that?

http://www2.shore.net/~spectrum/apitherapy.html

clearseawater

Felix......ive a lot to learn about you my man.....one minute you are cleaving peoples heads and  the next you sound slightly compasionate ;)

To be honest, I forgot about the bee theraphy that you said I should look into so i'll do that this week.

I have been looking for extream therapys for years......Fasting for days seems to be the most effective but im open to any new angles.

This thread does seem to be all about ME so anybody that has ANY problems with their hands pain wise feel free to ask advice from all of us as we use our hands and from time to time we may need some help .

"Lets look after each other"........how about that for a concept.

rlhubley

I'm telling you man, I've talked to many good chiropractors who have cured caprpel tunnel for many patients.  CTS is common in office workers and people who are in front of the computer a lot.  Go to a good chiropractor.  Avoid surgery.  AND/OR try the bee thing!!

clearseawater

rlhubley, thanks for your concern but my Carpal T and Tendonitis is created by my form of Arthritis. My technique has never caused me any troubles it has  always been my condition.

My form of Arthritis come from the Rhemotoid line(Psoriatic Arthritis). As it is a genetic condition and at the moment science believes that a virus enters the body at somepoint and mimics body proteins. The atibodies attack this unatural body but as it mimics my dna my immune system also attacks me. The proteins that it attacks are located around all my joints, muscles and soft body tissues like tendons. So my anti-bodies view my tendons as the enemy and attacks which intern inflames the sheaths around my tendons which creates a signal to my body to send MORE antibodies to help and so the circle continues. So my body as a protective measure restricts movement of the joint/soft tissues and this effects my technique (im approx 40% down speed wise over the last 7 years :(  ).

I have had a great deal of physio and everybody has told me more or less the same that it is something that I must accept. Im on a drug called Sulphasalazine that is designed to slow the Auto-immune responce in the areas of the tendons as well as recieving frequent steroid jabs.

Now, Docs are human and ofcoarse they can be wrong so I do kinda hope theres an answer somewhere that the blinkered "Western World" has missed.

If they open my hands up my immune responce could end my drumming completely and well.....im pretty scared frankly, i really am.

My case isnt the norm as regard Tendonitis and Carpal T.

The reason why I FAST is it actually has an effect on my immune system and suppresses its responce which allows me about 15% less pain..

But I do apreciate people reading this......it is a major problem in my drumming life BUT as ive said, anybody at the forum, Feel free to air your hand problems on this thread..

iluvatars_dog

I Do not know if it nessary relates. But Ihave see folks with joints arthritis. condition Show sign of improvemeant  afther takeing up tai chi exercises.
 And in fact have been showing my mum some of these  she has some problems in her hands.
Of couser you  can beat professional help.
 But I will try and find out more about this subject.
 Of my tai chi teaher who is aslo professional trained . In the medcal field. I talk to him soon and see what finding I can make.

clearseawater

Hi iluvatars_dog, I havnt seen you in ages....how have you been.

Thanks for the advice and yes any info would be welcome.

One of the problems I am trying to fight is the buildup of scar tissue that is created with long term Tendonitis. These scars have a bad side effect as regards chops performance.....the surrounding tissues change their makeup and become less flexable so a slowing happens.

Drumming and Arthritis is a bad mix in the medicals eyes as it can sometimes inflame active joints.

Im not about to lay my sticks down yet but it is really heart breaking when you find your tech is being eaten away by your own body, Its like you are DE-EVOLVING as a player and it hurts.

Apart from the wrist changes the fine control that you get from your fingers can be compromised somewhat.


Simon B

I totally endorse what was said about trying T'ai Chi - in fact Traditional Chinese medicine in general. In particular acupuncture can be very powerful - I know one lady who has a horrific back condition, who swears that her weekly acupunture session keeps her out of a wheelchair. My mother has rheumatoid arthritis and has found acupuncture very effective, too.

In terms of joint maintainence / rebuilding do you take the relevant vitamin/mineral supplements, esp. glucosomine sulphate?

Simon B


Simon B



Misenko

Tai Chi would be pretty good I think. I have a freind who does it and he says it really does wonders for you, OK, so he doesn't have and joint problems, but I expect it would help! If what the docs do doesn't help, try the alternatives! :)

Misenko.

clearseawater

Simon B, thanks for that and yes, I do take suppliments.......Fish Oils with the B8 component protein.

I have also been under the London Homeopathic hospital as well and that alternative theraphy did'nt work. I tried Chinese medicine for about a year but the pluses wer'nt that great for me and the side effects were quite bad.

As regards the gentle exercise of Tai Chi, I do somewhat similar things with my hands to keep what movement I have a tad longer. Sadly most of my practase time is taken up by trying to keep my chop speeds up (or what I have left) and somedays I have very little time left to devote to learning new concepts(and im trying real hard with all the Ostinato stuff I always bang on about)..