Dealing with hand injuries, etc.

you could try some wrist bands for some relief.


also:
Try using RPS: to automate those realy complicated bits you cannot play manaualy.

also, step recording will allow you to do note by note..

At this point you dont even need Tallent!! one finger will do!

Results not Excuses



QuinnX universal tranlator below:-
(lets not be misunderstood)

!!!!!! ephasis not anger
!!?? confusion or Stupidity
ABC are you getting the point
&*$% Anger (but rarely seen)

Yeah, sure its from playing the keyboard.

ARE you TALKING to MEEE!!?

in that case...
i have suggested NOT! playing the keyboard but doing the 1 finger thing which does not require all hands and fingers to be used all at once, thus reducing discomfort.

Results not Excuses



QuinnX universal tranlator below:-
(lets not be misunderstood)

!!!!!! ephasis not anger
!!?? confusion or Stupidity
ABC are you getting the point
&*$% Anger (but rarely seen)

with All jokes aside.......

I get that too...
what happens with me is I get this tingling anoyying pain that starts undernieth my wrist, and ends up in my fingers affecting my play. when this happens, I notice that it is me unconsiously causin it. I'll be playin jus fine then I'll get to a certain routine where I start getting stiff. Now if muscles in your wrist are contracted, guess whats gonna happen to the veins that are suppliyin' blood to your hands through those wrtists? ...... They are gonna get choked by those contracted 'built up' muscles, causing mad pain leading to carpal tunnel.

So what to do....

Well what has worked for me has been...STRETCH those wrists...

How?

well how I do this is, I get on my knees, then down "doggie style";-) But the thing is when you put your hands on the floor in front of your knees, don't point your fingers foreward. twist your arms so that your fingers are pointing towards your knees...now lean back and you'll feel those wrist being set free, and blood should be flowing to your finger tips...
this helps me ALOT!
Now depending on how long this has been affecting you, will depend on how much stretching you'll need. 'Cus you could have massvie muscles in your wrist that you developed for years that are stranglin' your veins and nerves. this would be considered chronic and would require surgery to undo. but if not that bad yet, stretchin them once a day could prevent them from getting that way! Do your own therapy..

hope it does it for you

Septimo M.D. ,'^)

Oh man, it feels awful!

I lost an ability to play few years back, I just woke up one day and I realized that I can?t control two fingers on my left hand. No pain, it?s just no control, that?s it.
I never was a real pianist, but even for me playing piano or keyboard with one right hand was not fun at all. (I am not even talking about ability to play my guitar with one hand.)
Well, I?ve started doing some exercises with the tennis ball, and little by little, the fingers control is returning back to me.
After one year, I?ve gained back ability to play piano with left hand, (very slowly). It was a small step forward but it was encouraging enough to keep doing my exercises.
In addition to that I bought a $30 guitar that was always easily accessible for exercises and started trying to play chords again.
Another year went by and now my left hand is almost fully recovered.
I am playing piano again, and yep I am playing guitar too.

I would recommend you to try physical therapy, massage? don?t start with surgeries, visit a doctor and ask him what he would recommend you in terms of exercises, not pills.

agpxv,

Here's a site that is dedicated to treatment and preventive options for musicians and RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury).

http://eeshop.unl.edu/music.html

You know your body and the nature of your injury better than anyone. Look over the options for treatment and try the one(s) that intuitively seem the best. Quinnx had a very good point with stretching, etc. Look at what else may fit you.

I'm a bassist and a veteran of RSI. I, too, had to cease playing for a little over a year at one point. Through stretching exercises, altering my technique, and paying close attention to relaxing muscles that I didn't consciously realize I was stressing, things got better. Massage also helps. I am not totally pain free, but can now do a 3-4 hour gig.

WD and Septimo bring up good points concerning proper exercise and relaxation. Check out the site and good luck!

Don't give up, just find the proper treatment that fits you.

Bassman

I'm not sure how you have your board set up. If it's on a desk, are you able to push the synth back so you can rest your forearms on the desk?

If not, what about arm rests on the chair you're using....or really any way you can take the pressure off your forearms.

That's about the best suggestion I can make without including a doctor's visit

Smoke Club!

carpal tunnel syndrome - if you don't feel pain, numbness or tingling in your thumb and forefinger (or have weakness in the "thenar eminence" - the bulk of muscles in your palm below your thumb - in severe cases), it isn't CTS. Hand and finger symptoms are often thought to be CTS, so I mention that first. If you have CTS, you probably would experience it regularly rather than only occasionally, plus you'd likely have serious wrist and hand discomfort at night regularly. Take some time off, use anti-inflammatories (pills, by iontophoresis, or see a doctor for other means), ice, and stretch. Rest is the key, though.

arthritis, rheumatism, joint problems - I guess these are all kind of the same thing. If you have these, then ultimately, the more you play into your pain, the worse your symptoms are going to get. Good luck reversing the course of any of these. Maybe playing gently and for brief episodes (instead of hours of practice) will prolong how many more years you'll be able to play.

broken bones - how'd that happen? Controlled stress though a healing bone is good for it, in general, but don't direct so much force through the fracture that it causes non-union.

tendinitis/general inflammation - rest and anti-inflammatory measures, then full-range of motion stretching, massage, gentle strengthening.

Really, for most of the problems you mention, rest is the best deal, if possible, then gradually trying to retrain local strength, flexibility, and endurance. After all, most of the problems were caused by "repetitive strain".

The position of your keys with respect to your hands naturally plays a role in all of this. I reckon everyone knows the "classic" ideal piano-playing position. Most keybeds are angled a few degrees downward away from the player, so having a board flat on a stand is good, but I'm not sure if the Fantom keybeds are angled as such.

Resting your forearms on a surface while using your digits to play will ultimately put more strain on your wrists and digits, although it may relax more proximal joints (shoulders, elbows) and back extensor muscles.

Gradually increase your practice time. Muscles need time to build endurance and strength to support the joints they cross. If you are currently having pain, try to rest and address the pain with anti-inflammatory measures until pain-free, then gradually get back to playing.

Bassman's recommendations are excellent. Body (position, posture, limits) awareness is the single most important factor in preventing and controlling RSI and related pathologies.

If you hands and wrists bother you still, consult an occupational therapist or a physical therapist who is a certified hand therapist.

I have found that magnets, miracle salves, glucosamine, and deals with the devil don't work that well either.

Good luck!

agpxv,

How in the world do you pronounce your name?

I think Bassman said it best with "You know your body and the nature of your injury better than anyone."

Septimo's advice is also very good.

Although you did not declare the area of your pain, it is likely related to playing the keyboard or the combination of a number of activities involving the same movement(s) I conclude that this is a wrist/mechanical problem.

Years ago, after riding a motorcycle.. there appeared a repetive motion injury in my index finger... tendonitis, or basically, annoying inflammation. Now, when I play guitar, I feel the inflammation for at least two weeks on. Ice is my friend.

No more guitar solos for me... but the FantomX more than makes up for the absence of my guitar with technological fun, and the act of playing a keyboard is just light enough on the fingertips to not cause strain.

Now, if I was a doctor, I would diagnose you (without making any assumptions) with a moderate carpal tunnel and/or tendonitis. Carpal tunnel will have clear symptoms distinguishing it apart from tendonitis, and carpal tunnel can actually be reduced or eliminated with surgery. Tendonitis? You can't do nuthin' about it, except lay off the strained area, ice it, or stretch it. Contrary to what physical therapists would like to believe, nothin' makes it stronger and nuthin will ever keep it from acting up again if you do the same motion in the same way, 2 that special special place. ; /

My extensive research on this condition shows that there are, affordably, a few relatively safe and effective treatments for tendonitis inflammation... anti-inflammatory medications and epidural cortisone (corticosteriod) injections. I will actually experience the latter in the future, since I have an inflammation in my in kneejoint, as well.

Anyway, about the medications, besides the typically prescribed anti-inflamatories naproxen, ibuprofen, and relafen, there are many safe, stonger, and better medications than can be prescribed by the right doctors. These medications unfortunately, are commonly unknown, and perhaps they are more "inaccessible" because doctors have been taught to think they are special drugs reserved only for patients with really serious conditions and pain management difficulty.

here are a few good infortmation only websites with tons of information about what i just described:

http://www.coventrypainclinic.org.uk/aboutpain-medicationtypes.htm
http://www.emedicine.com/pmr/topic211.htm

"Extraordinary how potent cheap music is."

agp are my initials, i use an XV-2020: my name is Andrew.
Thank you everyone for your responses, it meant a great deal to me to hear other similar stories, suddenly i don't feel so alone. I will definitely follow up those links, thanks again. The frustrating thing triskelion is that although i have had extensive tests to ascertain whether i have mild CPT, because the symptoms seem to indicate i do, the tests show normal nerve firing rate function. In addition to the pain, numbness, tingling i feel in both my thumbs (not in my indexs which is why it probably isn't CPT), i have recurring pain in a finger i broke when i was a teenager, have a guess how i did that. bassman i to was a bass player (6-string) but have since retired due to this condition, i find light plastic keys easier to play and just as satisfying, though i still miss the bass, maybe one day
i will pick it up again. Plus the technology as has been mentioned facilitates music creation with having to over-exert oneself. My own experience has taught me the importance of proper posture and technique, i hope everyone can benefit from the advice given here.

How much calcium do you intake? do you make a concious effort to load up on it? It makes a world of difference. along with strengthening bones it also keeps your entire system alkaline instead of acidic. If your system is alkaline, your cells and tissue are regenerating healty stuff. If your system is acidic, your body is replacing stuff with unhealthier stuff.

Smoke Club!

Gentlemen (and Ladies if there are any here):

I'm very glad I decided to check out this "Free Zone" thread on a whim. I am certain I have a suggestion that is worth your serious consideration.

I injured my shoulder several years ago and lived with chronic pain for 1 year. I read about "Active Release Technique" (ART) in a magazine at my local gym by chance. I went to their web site and found the only local provider in my area (a chiropractor).

After my first visit, I had NO PAIN!

Now, I don't want you to think it will forever cure you in one treatment, but those were results no MD ever gave me. I have gone back over the past 8 months for treatments in addition to resting the joint and doing stretching and other strengthening exercises my chiropractor showed me. I live without pain unless I get cocky and try to lift what I used to too soon--but after another treatment, the pain subsides. I just need to back off the weights for a longer period etc.

Anyway, my chiropractor is a former Olympic medalist in two Olympiads and, therefore, you can trust that he's about results, not hocus-pocus. He has treated other areas that I've had trouble with but that aren't as bad as my shoulder (wrist, knee, ankle, back) and I get relief right away with no need for follow up (except for one area of my back, and that's only about once a month--and remember, I train hard in the gym).

ART is only about 10 years old: however, the its inventor, Michael Leahy, has saved the careers of pro athletes and had treated Olympians etc. My doc says Leahy took carpal tunnel sufferers who expert MDs had already treated and brought back their functionality.

Many chiropractors do not do ART because it takes TIME--I generally spend 30 to 40 minutes getting treated; many chiropractors are getting like MDs and want to get you in and out as fast as possible in order to make as much $$$ as possible etc.

Therefore, you may not be able to find a ART practitioner in your area. Check out this web site and click "Find a Provider" or call around and ask local chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and trainers if they do ART. And ask how long they've been doing it and if they've been certified in both upper and lower extremities:

http://www.activerelease.com/

Check out this article: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-78-169-0-6951,00.html

"While ART, which Colorado chiropractor Michael Leahy patented in 1988, remains virtually unknown to the general public, many elite athletes rely on it to heal their soft-tissue injuries. The NFL, NHL, and Major League Baseball have begun contracting ART practitioners to keep players healthy; ART booths are popping up at marathons and triathlons; and Olympic runners, such as Marla Runyon, credit ART for helping them recover from injuries such as plantar fasciitis."

If you use a mouse for long periods of time, check out Leahy's "Zero Tension Mouse"... www.zerotensionmouse.com

Good luck!

(P.S.: by the way: in case you're wondering, my handle "The Un-dr." does not mean I'm a physician or chiropractor and I do not have any financial connection to ART or chiropractic care. I'm just a patient.)

I went to a physical therapist years ago with the same problems. I was practicing a ton and my hands (especially my right hand) opposite the palm was killing me. The physical therapist used a device that magnetically messaged the muscles inside my hand. My hands did feel better. However, the best thing I ever did was correct my pore posture at the piano and learn to breathe and relax more while practicing. A buildup of stress leads to this type of pain.

Thanks again guys and gals?, for all the excellent advice you have provided, i sincerely hope that many may benefit from the suggestions provided here, since we all have to look after ourselves in this department. Prevention is always better than cures, so don't wait until an injury starts to manifest itself, take the proper precautions now to minimise strain on the body whilst playing and practicing. This includes proper posture, periodical breaks, vitamin and mineral supplementation and stretching among many others.
On the subject of supplementation, Czar i take about 1500-3000 mg's of Calcium and approx' 1000-1500 mg's of Magnesium per day. They say the balance should be about 2-1. Do not take Calcium without Magnesium as it doesn't absorb very well, they must be taken together, find a single supplement with a ratio of 2-1. I also discovered a great natural anti-inflammatory recently called Lyprinol which is an extract of green lipped mussel oil from New Zealand, not sure if you can get it in the States, but is better in the long run than chemical-based alternatives.