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"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
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Thanks Mark,,,but I know it won't last no matter what..I'm nervous about my mortality,,you know?
Trigger-finger came up on a flute list a few days ago. Here's what I posted there:
You may want to investigate the "Grape Juice Fast". Nothing but (concord) grape juice for 24 hours, to be repeated again in 10 day intervals for 2 or 3 times. (not for diabetics though because of the high sugar content). If results aren't felt in a month, it's not going to work on the individual.
My wife, keyboard and violin, had trigger finger/thumb. She went to a neurologist (who later did a carpal tunnel surgery a year of two later). Surgery was a possibility. However, my (high ranked) martial arts instructor had told us about the grape juice fast and she decided to give it a try before committing to surgery. (The doctor didn't have any objections.) And it did work....her trigger finger went away; and her physician seemed pleased at the result, and she never needed surgery for that, and the trigger finger didn't come back.
Google it. It's been floating around in the alternative health realm for close to 100 years.
Niles H
Im allergic to wasabe.
This is all really interesting to me. I'm 67. I've got trigger finger on ring finger of left hand. It developed slowly some years ago and basically has remained unchanged for the last 4 years. It only affects the furthest out joint and the end of the finger bends at about a 30 degree angle down. Tendon and sheath are swollen and hard to the middle joint. No pain. I went to an orthopedic specialist here and he told me that if it hasn't changed in that length of time, it probably is stable and won't get worse. This was at one of the most highly regarded places in the midwest. He said to just watch it and if things change I should come back in and we could talk about options. I'm all for avoiding surgery unless necessary.
I've been full time woodworking and instrument building since 1974 (and playing a lot of music), so that may be part of the problem. The doctor also said that because of my genetics, northern European, that there's a name for it: Viking's hand. Whatever. It doesn't bother my playing unless I want to barr an A shaped chord on a guitar. So I'm sitting tight on it for now.
I've heard that even after surgery that it can come back. I'm glad for the people that are sharing their experiences. Thanks to all, even if I'm not the OP.
Dale Ludewig
http://www.ludewigmandolins.com
Hi Mark, I have been fighting what I believe is something similar. My right hand, middle finger, sticks closed at the middle knuckle of my finger. It literally gets stuck in the night and when I get up it doesn't open until I force it. It would click painfully open and closed all day, and I for a while was worried that the practice of finger-picking on my old 1976 USA-Guild dread may end in the near future. I applied Icy Hot cream in the rub-on, paste/tube form each morning. It would temporarily loosen it up if only a tiny bit.
After six months it actually did improve. The big thing was that I had to force it open each morning and it hurt like heck in doing so.
I am not sure this is the same condition you described and I am thankful it isn't my first/pointer finger, which must affect your pick use. BTW-- I too am in my 62nd year and, in addition, I have a rare form of Parkinson's, which may be the source of my problem, though I am sure this occurs without the joint rigidity of P.D.
I hope yours eases as mine did. Don't get rid of your beloved instruments yet (I say that not as a joke but tongue and cheek as a form of encouragement). Take care, Mark! Dan
2014 BRW F5 #114
2022 Kentucky KM 950 Master Model
YouTube Original Recording of My composition "Closer Walk"
My old guitar instructor had trigger finger. He was nervous about the surgery seeing as how he makes his living playing guitar. He does a series of stretches daily that keeps it at bay. Not sure if it would work on trigger finger, but maybe acupuncture could help. I feel your pain. I'm 70 and have had surgery on each shoulder in the past 18 months. All good now, but I have decided to give up running due to the pounding. Still cycling-almost as good for fitness as running. We old guys need to keep moving and keep the blood pumping!
Thanks
Several mandolins of varying quality-any one of which deserves a better player than I am.......
Mark, have you ever taken the mineral Boron? I know some folks in their 60s with joint pains, etc and it has been very helpful. Like a lot of things, Boron therapy is a bit controversial, so you might want to do some reading up on it. Sorry to hear of your troubles.
...
Thanks Dan (and again, to all who have responded here, much appreciated). I'm impressed that you continue with your music, and I understand your drive. Enjoyed watching your YouTube videos a couple years ago. It's not my index finger, but the ring finger of my left hand, so it has only the silghtest affect if any on my picking - even my fingerpicking is still fine, because the problem is at the knuckle joint, and I don't close that joint when I'm fingerpicking. After a few weeks of my finger clicking shut there, the joint began swelling and is now pretty painful in that joint and in that pad there, and in the finger itself. It's usually not too terribly bothersome during the day and when it locks I can usually force it back open with some pain without using my other hand. But when it locks down at night, it gets so painful that sometimes it takes a long while to get it unlocked using my left hand. I tried splinting it with a popscicle stick before sleeping. A few nights that measure prevented it from locking but it was quite painful and not usable for an hour or so the following morning, and one night I somehow ejected the splint from under it's tape and locked the finger up. I've decided not to splint it again until I see the doc, and if he agrees I'll get a better, more comfortable splint from the drugstore.
I'll research and consider some of the things that have been suggested here, of course I understand the disclaimers and the advice to see a physician, but any treatments other than surgical and steroid therapy will be given much consideration; it's who I am.
WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
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"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
----------------------------------
HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
- Advice For Mandolin Beginners
- YouTube Stuff
A few years ago,at the onset of TF in my right middle finger,my Doc.made an appointment for me to see a consultant surgeon at my local hospital. During the consultation,he examined my hand & yes,TF was apparent. I asked him about a steroid injection & his reply shocked me - ' You can't inject a tendon ' !!!!!. I KNOW THAT !. The injection is given in an area close to the swelling in the tendon to bathe the swelling in the steroid soluution,that helps to reduce the inflamation & thus,the swelling. I couldn't believe that guy,all he knew was 'the knife' = m***n (IMHO),
Despite the discomfort for a few months (3 in my case),i would honestly recommend the TF op. Afterwards,it will not return in that finger. My left hand first finger & thumb were locking up so severely,that i literally had to peel them off my banjo neck with my right hand. It was such a short period in 40+ years of banjo playing at that time & i was hoping for many more. Without the op. i'd currently not be able to play any instrument at all,
Ivan
Weber F-5 'Fern'.
Lebeda F-5 "Special".
Stelling Bellflower BANJO
Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.
After contributing to this thread, I woke up this morning with a throbbing pain in my right knee. I blame all you old boys ...
There's a topical non steroidal anti inflammatory gel called Voltaren (Diclofenac) which your doc can prescribe. My wife has been using it for post rotator cuff surgery pain and other arthritic conditions with moderate success. It won't do anything about the finger locking though-- that's purely mechanical.
For wooden musical fun that doesn't involve strumming, check out:
www.busmanwhistles.com
Handcrafted pennywhistles in exotic hardwoods.
Holy moly. This is like living in a nursing home... when you start aching, just remember what Django was able to do, post-caravan fire.
Geezerfest 2017!
WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
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"Life is short. Play hard." - AlanN
----------------------------------
HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
Newbies Social Group | The Song-A-Week Social
The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
- Advice For Mandolin Beginners
- YouTube Stuff
the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world
I was at a friend's house last weekend where folks sometimes do an impromptu jam. Another one of the attendees pulled out a tenor uke (don't know if I can say that word here) that had been strung up with a set of Aquila "Low G" strings. He swapped the A and E strings in the set for position and tuned to standard mandolin. Nope, it doesn't sound like a mandolin, but you can play it all night by just barely looking at the nylgut strings. I can see me being there in five or six years.
Uke family is great - chord melody, comping, syncopated figures are excellent. I'm a very rhythmic player so i love playing calypso, reggae, cumbias on charango.. a fingerstyle guitarist or banjoist will appreciate the plethora of idiomatic picking patterns, re-entrant tuning, split octave, et al. Latin approaches naturally are at home, so it's popular with many latin guitarists .
From Paul Busman - " It won't do anything about the finger locking though-- that's purely mechanical. " Correct Paul,it is - but !
The Piroxicam (Feldene) anti-inflammatory gel that i use, is also an NSAID type. What it does for the swelling on the tendon which is caused by inflammation,is to reduce the inflammation & thus,the swelling. That's how it worked on the TF in my left first finger - it's totally gone.
I'm pretty sure that if you catch TF soon enough & use one of these AI gels,it could very well work. It's worth a try - the only slight pain is in the wallet !,
Ivan
Weber F-5 'Fern'.
Lebeda F-5 "Special".
Stelling Bellflower BANJO
Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.
Interesting Ivan. I hadn't thought of that. In any event it's worth a try. It's fairly expensive if your insurance doesn't cover it, but you wouldn't need much for just one finger.
For wooden musical fun that doesn't involve strumming, check out:
www.busmanwhistles.com
Handcrafted pennywhistles in exotic hardwoods.
I just want to share my experience with trigger finger over the last two years, which is now completely resolved. Ring finger left hand. Happened every time I clenched my fist and I had to mechanically straighten my finger every time. Woke me up at night if my hand curled but never occurred when I fretted my instrument. Found a hand surgeon: a plastic surgeon working in an orthopedic group who specialized in hands. He injected the base of the finger, first a small dose of lidocaine in the skin with a tiny needle, then the bigger needle with triamcinolone mixed with more long acting lidocaine. The only sensation was an initial burning from the acid medications and mild discomfort from putting a large volume of solution into a confined space. I drove home. It took 1-2 weeks for the trigger phenomenon to disappear and it lasted 8 months.
Since I had such a good response we elected to proceed with a second injection rather than surgery since there is a small percentage that will get a permanent response after an initial failure. Same treatment, same result but this time the benefit was only 4 months so I had a tendon release in December. Done under local. 1 cm incision in my palm. Home in 2-3 hours. Immediate relief. Resumed playing within a week. Sutures dissolved on their own. The only side effect was a stiffness(scarring) in the tissues for which my doctor gave me some finger exercises, combined with frequent massage, and the stiffness has resolved after 3 months. The stiffness has never interfered with my playing.
I realize that there are individual variations in treatment response but what I have described is what the vast majority of people can expect. As we get older, quality of life becomes a dominant factor in our will to survive. Don't be discouraged from pursuing a medical solution just because of some anecdotes. The only judgement you have make is where your trigger finger ranks in your overall health.
What Vincent describes was almost exactly my experience, too.
And although I was unable to play "normally" for a few days, there was one benefit:
While I had the thick bandage on, I just played string crossing exercises with my right hand for hours.
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education - Mark Twain
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