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Thread: Healing power of mandolin

  1. #1

    Default Healing power of mandolin

    I has been just 11 days since I had my carpal tunnel surgery, which required a two inch incision in my palm. Since I removed my bandages a week ago, I have been trying to use my left hand, at first very gingerly. There are movements that cause a good jolt for sure.

    I have been practicing my tremolo on open strings every day and I can't tell you how much this has helped my general state of mind, because not only can I see improvement in my tremolo, well, a day without playing is just an incomplete day. I remember back to the dark days after my open heart surgery. Let me tell you it sucks, but one day I got my mandolin out, gingerly held it to the side, and started picking fiddle tunes.

    Suddenly I had an activity that was positive. Ten minutes at a time was all I could do, but I started doing it more and more frequently, and started using it to bribe myself into walking to the corner and back. Then it was make it around the block and you can play some. Took my mind off not sleeping well and all the other negative things you can experience.

    So I've been watching the new mando build hanging there drying, calculated it had been close to a month, thought I could use my hand to hold the neck while I final sanded and polished out the finish, so I started the process. Over the next three days I found myself absorbed in the process and less and less focused on my hand. I was careful for sure, but less so.

    So there I was with a mandolin ready to be strung up. No way was I going to be able to crank tuning keys. Well, if I limited the movement to half a turn, I could. So last night I strung her up. What can you do with a freshly strung up Mando build? Try to play it, of course.

    I can play using every finger except the pinky. Stretching puts a tad too much tension on my palm, but I can play a simple tune. I can't but believe this is the best physical therapy I could do, and the mental boost is remarkable. I'm not saying I can do much beyond a basic tune. Actually started with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. But I'm making music again, and the trauma is dissipating, and darn, my fingers don't go numb.

    But it's been only 11 days! So I say to you, life has it's bumps and bruises, but play through them.
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  3. #2
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Amen! And God bless you on your healing progress. It is so hard to go a day without playing, let alone going days. blessings

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    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    All the best with your healing. I have chronic health problems, and am presently recovering from a long bout of pneumonia. I find that playing mandolin carries me through housebound times when I'd otherwise be reading or watching movies -- there are limits to how long I can enjoy these pastimes. Though I couldn't play for a time, I later played as my healing from a broken wrist progressed. Three or four years later, I'm still making myself regularly use that baby finger, which I couldn't even bend at one point. Here's to playing musical instruments.
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    I've been very happy to read about your positive progress! As a fellow carpal tunnel surgery (both hands) veteran, I'm aware it's a great leap to have the surgical phase behind you and focus on recuperation. Sending positive vibes your way for a continued successful recovery. Chris
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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    You have my sympathies and best wishes. Several of my pro musician friends have had this procedure and are doing fine.

    My buddies said that if you don't hurry, don't lift anything too heavy, follow doctors' orders, etc...you'll be fine.

    Al the best!

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Br1ck - Having had hand surgery myself,i understand 1000% how you feel. I never had any negative feeling about it,i just wondered how long it would be before i got back playing banjo again. As it turned out,it wasn't too long. I think that it tok 3 months in total from the time of my op., when my hand was bandaged,to having the stitches removed & then Physio.,to ''getting back on the hoss'' !

    Take it easy & rest your hand if it feels sore (obvious), but we can be over enthusisatic sometimes & overdo it.

    Best wishes ,& i hope you get back to playing 'full on' quicker than you think !,
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  9. #7

    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Probably the worst of it is the lifting restrictions. I have a baby girl in the family that is beyond the Five pound limit. I had a weekly one on one with her, but I have to be able to pick her up. Grandma wins.

    Never mind I got a two hour dose of angry you aren't momma, but I still miss it.
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    On a slightly different note - I had two hernia surgeries this year and my mandolin(s) were my constant companions during the recovery periods. In short . . . music has charms to heal body, mind and soul.

    Keep at it, and everything will be fine in the end.

  11. #9

    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    That is why I cited my other much more intense surgery. Playing turned me from a get through the day grinder into someone who had something positive to do, and a yardstick with which to measure progress. It was two months before I could play guitar.
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Br1ck,
    I had two vertebrae fused in my neck (C6 and 7) and I was one the lifting limitations like you. Mine lasted three months and even playing the mandolin was painful. It took me six months before I even felt normal and now my lower back is causing me a great deal of pain. So much for the golden years, they are more like tarnished brass.

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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Neck surgery, 5 back surgeries, both shoulders, yoga is unlocking my 7 year traumatized body as well as improving my playability. Being a gospel man, I say “God Bless You” instead of “Namaste”, and it’s all good. I also stopped all meds including NSAIDS except heart meds, no caffeine, no opioids for over two years, no pot, no whiskey night cap, no sugar, and pursue a high probiotic diet. I think my general inflammation levels have reduced, and I’m not hunched over or neck hyperextended for the first time in 7 years. I had been forced to buying all short scale instruments, now I’m back to full scale. Feeling twenty years younger and my playing is improving instead of declining. I am 63.

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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    From the title I thought the healing power was going to be psychological, but this even better

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    Fatally Flawed Bill Kammerzell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    I recall after neurosurgery and in the time leading up to that, when my head/hand coordination was way off, to say the least. Just the realization that the "cooperation" between my brain signal and the movements of my wrists and fingers were finally coming into focus was the first real sign of recovery. I also had all those lifting and movement restrictions and playing the mandolin was one of the few activities I could perform without any concern for causing myself problems. Then a weird thing happened. The brain being a funny thing, I didn't notice, but the wife said my creative instincts seemed somewhat sharper. That was odd. I started to do stuff during fiddle tunes, (Shady Grove was one) that I hadn't done before.
    The story of Melody Gardot's recovery after a car accident is a real musical recovery inspiration.
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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    I can play using every finger except the pinky. Stretching puts a tad too much tension on my palm, but I can play a simple tune..
    I have an idea for you, but if it doesn't work, don't keep trying. When you deploy your pinky, consciously deploy your ring finger. Think of the pinky as a slave of the ring finger, kept on a short leash, instead of as a free autonomous finger. Send the ring finger out (which in my case ever so slightly adjusts my whole hand) and then there is no stretch for the pinky. I typically put the ring finger one or two frets below where the pinky is to land, and many times its fortuitous because that is where it needs to be for the next few notes.

    Just a thought. My pinky has never been very strong, and my hands are on the small side, but as I have gotten into the above habit in my playing, I have been able to get most of the work done.

    The other part of the equation, for me, is to keep my thumb across the neck from my first finger when I need to reach up the neck. What a difference that makes. Again adjusting or moving the whole hand and the pinky reach becomes less of an issue.


    Just some thoughts, don't push yourself too hard. We musicians are in this for the loooooooooooooong haul.
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  22. #15

    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by vojtechkral View Post
    From the title I thought the healing power was going to be psychological, but this even better
    It very much is psychological as well as physiological. I'm convinced beyond a doubt psychological a huge factor.

    I have a friend who is always telling me, yes but you have a stronger immune system that me, or you heal faster than me. What it is is that I have a more positive outlook. When I told him about my surgery, he said, oh that sucks, you can't play for a while. I said that sucks but I'm going to work on my tremolo until I heal.

    Now I have not faced a chronic condition, so it remains to be seen just how cheery I could remain.

    And as another friend said, carpel tunnel is no picnic, but it's curable. I've enjoyed all the shared experiences.
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    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    I have an idea for you, but if it doesn't work, don't keep trying. When you deploy your pinky, consciously deploy your ring finger. Think of the pinky as a slave of the ring finger, kept on a short leash, instead of as a free autonomous finger. Send the ring finger out (which in my case ever so slightly adjusts my whole hand) and then there is no stretch for the pinky. I typically put the ring finger one or two frets below where the pinky is to land, and many times its fortuitous because that is where it needs to be for the next few notes.
    You sound like a track coach for mandolin players, analyzing an injury and offering rehabilitative training. Really impressive, thanks.

  25. #17

    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Well, even today I used my pinky a bit, but my hand started getting sore so I shut down for a couple of hours. Getting the stitches out tomorrow so will get a medical opinion. It's just day eleven after all.
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  27. #18

    Default Re: Healing power of mandolin

    Got my stitches out this morning, no fun, and asked about activity. Mostly they are concerned with lifting, but I mimicked the motion of fretting a finger board and there was no recommendation other than to listen to what my body is telling me. My body says to stop after ten minutes or so, but it also says what was hard yesterday is not as hard today.

    I even played some chords. Makes all the difference, being able to play ten minutes three or four times a day.
    Silverangel A
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