Mando Related Injuries

[mandoman15]

I personnaly have experienced numbness/cramping/minor spasm from playing and I have a freind who recently woke up one morning and chad no feeeling in a few fingers on his left hand until lunch... I this common? what are some things to be cautious of?

[Doug Edwards]

Been there had that. It comes and goes with me, ranging from minor to almost severe. I have numbness, stiffness and pain in several fingers and even the left wrist. My right hand also will go numb while fiddling. While I am concerned I have not sought out professional assistance. I guess the thought of surgury or worse (stop playing) has prevented me from checking it out. My son-in-law the med student thinks Capral Tunnal (sp) or simular. At present I'm in remission. Wish I could say the same for my back.

[Pete Braccio]

Hey Mandoman,

Anything that you do can led to injuries. Hand numbness can come from pinched nerves anywhere in your system. Mine most likely come from some funkiness in my cervical spine, but yours most likely come from a swelling in your wrist.

Check out these web sites for some stretches (and other info) to try and conteract the problems that you're seeing.

Musician's Health (http://www.musicianshealth.com/stretches.htm)
Musician's Health Resources (http://www.abbiegardner.com/health.html)

Good luck,
Pete

[Pete Martin]

Look here

Musicians and Injuries (http://eeshop.unl.edu/music.html)

See if you can find a doc in the Performing Arts Medical Assn. If not an upper extremeties specialist.

Make sure you are keeping your wrist straight as you play or do any repetetive motions (computer??). Best of luck.

[Stephanie Reiser]

John,
Chris Thile had a similar injury awhile back. He had to slow down. One of the things he did was to take half the strings off of his instrument so that he had singles instead of pairs of strings. It was during that time that he concentrated on pull-offs, and came up with a tune called Ode TO A Butterfly.
Good Luck!

[Mark Walker]

I can't say I've had any lingering injuries - playing in the closet of course - but if I get too carried away with Jerusalem Ridge, the muscle at the base of my THUMB on my left hand cramps up to the point I can't play. #Vigorous massage helps it a bit, but not much and I'm no good for a couple hours. #(Not that I'm any good BEFORE it cramps up! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif )

I believe Tony Rice has mentioned a similar cramping up on HIS left hand playing that very same tune on his guitar. #I'm sure it's in the liner notes of his CD '58957 - The Bluegrass Guitar Collection.' #
So I guess I shouldn't feel so bad.

[Got8Strings]

This is an interesting issue. I was experiencing some numbness on the upper palm of my hand (where I semi-support the neck and slide my hand) with my Kentucky mandolin. Since Christmas when I got my Weber Aspen and have played that almost exclusively, I recently realized that the numbness is gone. This got me wondering - maybe the shape of the neck is just different enough so it isn't pressing on things the same way maybe? I don't know.

Doug- I had the same fear about getting it checked out - seems like the worst outcome would be to have to stop playing.

[Bob DeVellis]

These types of problems seem pretty common. Different people and different situations involve different mechanisms of injury, so that what worked for me won't necessarily work for you even if our symptoms are similar. Sometimes, stopping playing for a while is the only way to avoid stopping playing forever. Get some professional guidance. Also, get it form someone who understands hand issues. Trust me that not every doctor or every physical therapist knows that much about hands unless they have specifically chosen to concentrate on hand function. Occupational therapists usually find it hard to avoid some hand-specific training but may spend their typical work day doing very different stuff (e.g., if they work primaily in a psychiatric context). So, get a good referral and get it checked out. It may be the best way of making sure that you'll continue to play and enjoy mandolin.

[red7flag]

One problem I had was stiffness and soreness in my knuckles. Being in my 50s, I was pretty sure was related to arthritus. I did a lot of checking including with doctors, and they suggested that I try glucosamine and chondroitine, before getting medical treatment. I was extremely surprised my doctor friend suggested this as he is normally very negative about otc (over the counter) remedies, especially herbal ones. I also read some research articles where it showed evectiveness in double blind studies. I tried a full (3 x a day at meals) regimine for one month. My pain and swelling went down. I keep a maintenance (1 x morning) regimine. That was 2 years ago. Have had one problem last summer when I was playing 8 hrs a day. Went to full regimine for one week and eased up the amount of playing and no problems since. This is advice for those fellow geezers here on the Cafe with the same problem.
Tony

[Mark Walker]

I enjoy bowhunting, and carry a bow in my left hand quite often while stalking or sneaking around the back 40 behind my house. #Working primarily out of my home, I have the ability to hunt morning and evening just about the entire 100+ day season. #

This past fall - late in the season - I noticed my left elbow was getting quite sore - turns out I'd developed 'tennis elbow' - from carrying my bow and the odd angle associated with the grip/riser. #

Since bow season ended (Jan 1, 2006 was the last day) I've noticed the elbow improve. #Howeer, I've discovered if I sit down and play my mandolins, and play up the neck, it starts getting aggravated again and sore. Not such a problem standing up though. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

Jeff - I think the shape of the neck CAN make a difference - I don't have near the problem with that muscle at the base of my thumb cramping up with the more 'v'-shaped neck on my Silver Angel like I do with the more rounded neck of my Lotus. #(Similar to the old Gibson A-3's.)

[Steven Stone]

If you try the glucosamine and chondroitine regime DRINK A TON OF WATER! I mean a TON!

G%C can vastly increase your risk for kidney stones.

I have a close friend who did the G&C thing and after three months got a serious bout of stones...much worse than any hand injury in terms of pain http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[red7flag]

Steve, Was your conclusion from that one case or from research? I was looking up information in journals on G&C and saw no reference to kidney stones. I would enjoy seeing any studies that you are aware of.
Tony

[flairbzzt]

I once sufferred multiple injuries from my wife after my first $3,500 mando purchase..... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Aran]

(QUOTE - Closetmandolinplayer) if I get too carried away with Jerusalem Ridge, the muscle at the base of my THUMB on my left hand cramps up to the point I can't play.

-- I get the same thing with Jerusalem Ridge. After really attacking that tune my hand just freezes up, sometimes halfway through. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

It's bizarre that this tune has that affect, Still want to play though cause it's great http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Mark Walker]

Aran - maybe (since Tony Rice has similar problems) it's some sort of hex Kenny Baker put on anyone doing the tune! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
You're right though - it's an awesome tune.

[DryBones]

I'm thinking that whem your hand starts to ache it means you need to write a check for another mando. Great therapy! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Mark Walker]

No wonder you say you shop better than you play, DryBones! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif # I have two mandolins, and can't play either well!

But yes, I would be exercising my RIGHT hand writing out checks for additional mandolins, and thus resting my LEFT one! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[James P]

When I started last March I'd play five of six hours at a stretch. #Not a good idea. #One Saturday, working on the bridge (or is it the chorus?) to Blackberry Blossom, the tendon on my left index finger made an audible "pop." #Then, in the time-honored traditions of guys everywhere, I went into denial for a week imagining that I could "shake it off" or something, but it was way too painful to ignore and I had to stop playing for almost two months! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif #

Once I started back up there was still some soreness after even just 30m, so I mentioned the problem to my teacher and he showed me two warmup stretches and two strength exercises. #Two days of those and the problem went away entirely (knock on spruce.) #

In addition to playing 'til something snaps, I'd also caution against driving a drill bit thru the web between your thumb and first finger (1 wk off,) gumby stuffing your hands into granite cracks and pulling down (scabs are bad for speed!) and falling off skis and jamming your thumb. #All of these are Bad Things.

[siren_20]

Be exceptionally careful when stuff like this arises. Your body is trying to tell you something. Hand injuries are NOT fun and can be serious. I've battled mild carpal tunnel and tendonitis for over three years now. I'm finally starting to get back into playing... I screwed up by not slowing down and relaxing when my body told me to do so.

My arm and wrist used to hurt after playing for a few hours... but nothing serious. Then it hurt while I was playing, most of the time. Then, it started hurting without playing--spontaneously. One day at work, my arm went into a spasm that lasted for two months. The last five or six months have been a barrage of vicodin, codeine, darvocet, lidocaine patches, multpile cortizone injections, a month of pretty intense physical therapy, x-rays, an MRI, constant knife-like pain and very, very little playing. I had one doctor tell me that I could either stop playing indefinitely or risk losing my ability to play permanently. I came very close to having surgery and backed out at the last minute, and finally after four months of hearing lots of different things from lots of different doctors, I found out that the source of all my trouble is a torn ligament in my wrist, which appears to have healed up after NO playing for two months and getting a good deal of cortisone.

All of this at 22 years old.

It's been a long, confusing road, but I'm finally getting back into playing. And, oddly enough, my playing feels better, and I feel like I sound better. Had I listened to my body and gotten help sooner, I could have avoided a lot of this pain and trouble in the first place.

Bottom line: If it hurts, stop. Back off for awhile, and if it doesn't get better, go to a hand specialist. You will avoid much, much more pain that way, and by comparison, it's a temporary inconvenience.