Tendinitis - Three weeks with no right hand

AnOasis · #1 09-20-2010, 10:48 PM

Yeah, kind of sucks. This is a first for me. I honestly contribute it to the insane amount of hours I use a mouse at work .. seriously. Well, guess this could be a good time to work on feet! Any suggestions on feet exercise for three weeks? I reckon stick control and rudiments would be a good place to start ... This may be a blessing in disguise. Much to my shame, I've never really isolated my feet and I know I need to!

Pocket-full-of-gold · #2 09-21-2010, 01:43 AM

Stick Control and rudiments sounds like a great idea for mine. Also a good opportunity to put some time into your left hand as well.

Skulmoski · #3 09-21-2010, 04:09 AM

Bummmer; don't rush the healing process. You might pick up "Progressive Steps to Bass Drum Technique."

Good luck

GJS

AnOasis · #4 09-21-2010, 05:22 AM

Thank you, I definitely won't. Do any of you guys have experience is the tendinitis area? If so, is three weeks with the brace long enough?

Pocket-full-of-gold · #5 09-21-2010, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOasis

If so, is three weeks with the brace long enough?

If your doc or medico says it is, then I'll back him.

Max Mentzer · #6 09-21-2010, 08:22 PM

dont just focus on rudiments and stick control with your feet go out and buy virgil donati's double bass drum freedom book it is an amazing book and covers everything. work with a metronome though because your feet tend to want to play faster than hands. work on your left hand too biggie right there

Titus Pullo · #7 09-21-2010, 08:41 PM

Did you go to a sports injury specialist who is familiar with micro-tear repetitive strain injuries?

How long did you have the pain before going to the doc?

There is woefully inadequate information on RSI when it comes to GPs. Most will assume tendinitis (tennis elbow, etc) and put you in a brace, tell you this and that, only you take the brace off, start to play again and WHAM. Back to square one.

This occurs with RSI due to what's called tendonosis. Google it and good luck. I've been there. 18 months later I began serious rehab, and I'm fine now and very lucky. The horror stories of RSI that ended musical careers is not pretty.

Tendinitis is an inflammatory response to injury; Tendonosis is an entirely different animal and involves little to no inflammation.

Not trying to scare you, just saying that if once that brace comes off, if you feel the pain like the pain before you put it on, see a specialist in Tendonosis.

Good luck.

SimpanL · #8 09-21-2010, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOasis

Thank you, I definitely won't. Do any of you guys have experience is the tendinitis area? If so, is three weeks with the brace long enough?

I had it. Took about three months for it to go away so I could play again. Then I got it again. Then it went away. Then I got it back. Was like that for a year, until I completely stopped playing video games, using the computer and really minimizing the use of my fingers. Now I've been playing since july and it's still ok, not perfect though.

I might've contracted a particularly nasty case of it though.

zambizzi · #9 09-21-2010, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOasis

Yeah, kind of sucks. This is a first for me. I honestly contribute it to the insane amount of hours I use a mouse at work .. seriously. Well, guess this could be a good time to work on feet! Any suggestions on feet exercise for three weeks? I reckon stick control and rudiments would be a good place to start ... This may be a blessing in disguise. Much to my shame, I've never really isolated my feet and I know I need to!

I went through this two years ago and am fully in control of any pain that might arise, when I slack off on technique or can't relax for some reason, while playing.

I'm a software engineer and use a mouse and keyboard all day, also.

When I got hurt, I did ASTYM therapy. It feels good, gives you immediate results, and encourages you play, workout, etc. WHILE you're recovering. It's the holy grail of inflammation remedies...and I'm not being dramatic.

I figured out I could do the therapy myself, quite easily, so I bought a $40 set of massage tools to do it at home. I haven't had to use them in a year.

I dramatically improved my technique, relaxation, and posture, while playing. I can play all day long, as hard as I want, and I have not had a problem now, in a very long time.

AnOasis · #10 09-22-2010, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zambizzi

I went through this two years ago and am fully in control of any pain that might arise, when I slack off on technique or can't relax for some reason, while playing.

I'm a software engineer and use a mouse and keyboard all day, also.

When I got hurt, I did ASTYM therapy. It feels good, gives you immediate results, and encourages you play, workout, etc. WHILE you're recovering. It's the holy grail of inflammation remedies...and I'm not being dramatic.

I figured out I could do the therapy myself, quite easily, so I bought a $40 set of massage tools to do it at home. I haven't had to use them in a year.

I dramatically improved my technique, relaxation, and posture, while playing. I can play all day long, as hard as I want, and I have not had a problem now, in a very long time.

Hmmmm....tell me more. PLEASE...

AnOasis · #11 09-22-2010, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus Pullo

Did you go to a sports injury specialist who is familiar with micro-tear repetitive strain injuries?

How long did you have the pain before going to the doc?

There is woefully inadequate information on RSI when it comes to GPs. Most will assume tendinitis (tennis elbow, etc) and put you in a brace, tell you this and that, only you take the brace off, start to play again and WHAM. Back to square one.

This occurs with RSI due to what's called tendonosis. Google it and good luck. I've been there. 18 months later I began serious rehab, and I'm fine now and very lucky. The horror stories of RSI that ended musical careers is not pretty.

Tendinitis is an inflammatory response to injury; Tendonosis is an entirely different animal and involves little to no inflammation.

Not trying to scare you, just saying that if once that brace comes off, if you feel the pain like the pain before you put it on, see a specialist in Tendonosis.

Good luck.

No, I didn't. Had the pain for about 3 months before going. Ill remember this, thank you!

zambizzi · #12 09-22-2010, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOasis

Hmmmm....tell me more. PLEASE...

Lots of detail here, on an old thread:

http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34740

AnOasis · #13 09-22-2010, 02:04 AM

That is very interesting. Now i am very confused. Ive got a doctor telling me to wear this splint and take 2 aleve per day to REDUCE INFLAMMATION. Inflammation is how it heals. Something is not right here! Dangit.

zambizzi · #14 09-22-2010, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOasis

That is very interesting. Now i am very confused. Ive got a doctor telling me to wear this splint and take 2 aleve per day to REDUCE INFLAMMATION. Inflammation is how it heals. Something is not right here! Dangit.

That's the blanket reaction of almost every doctor, including the one I saw at the same place I received the ASTYM therapy. My conclusion was; the doc was a waste of money but the therapist was worth his weight in gold.

AnOasis · #15 09-22-2010, 02:39 AM

Figures. Thanks for all of your help, for real.

jim_gregory · #16 09-22-2010, 11:31 AM

You could try months of therapy like I did for my right elbow, and it failed, or 2 to 3 days on half dose celebrex. Yes it may kill you. But I have already had a good life. It's a 100% cure or me whenever I have inflamation that wont clear on it's own after a few days.

aaajn · #17 01-01-2011, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOasis

Yeah, kind of sucks. This is a first for me. I honestly contribute it to the insane amount of hours I use a mouse at work .. seriously. Well, guess this could be a good time to work on feet! Any suggestions on feet exercise for three weeks? I reckon stick control and rudiments would be a good place to start ... This may be a blessing in disguise. Much to my shame, I've never really isolated my feet and I know I need to!

Well crap, I have landed at the Arm, Wrist hand pain airport. Started out with small amount numbness and tingling in the right thumb tip and inside forefinger. That got a little better but then my elbow feels as if it has exploded. I am not playing a lot, been traveling, busy with hodlidays. I am spending a lot more time of the pad though.

Bottom line, off to the Doctor on Tuesday and then to physical therapy. Bums me out because I was starting to have a break though in progress. Sort of a learning spurt and this hits me. Always seems to wait until I really need it to work and then some sort of injury. Trying not to get too bummed out.

Appreciate any thoughts or advice.

John

wy yung · #18 01-01-2011, 05:18 AM

Try to see a specialist in sporting injuries.

Good luck.

techristian · #19 01-01-2011, 06:18 AM

Sometimes it can take months for such an injury to heal properly. I couldn't play drums for 6 months in 1991 when my carpul tunnel syndrome was real bad.

Dan

mxo721 · #20 01-01-2011, 07:20 PM

sorry to hear this. I hope it's only tendinitis, I had been diagnosed with tendinitus of the left hand back in 99, the pain was almost exclusively in my pinky and ring finger, after a year of suffering, I got a second opinion, turned out my spinal cord was completely caved in, in my neck, nothing to do with my hand, major surgery.

bpumpkin · #21 01-01-2011, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skulmoski

Bummmer; don't rush the healing process. You might pick up "Progressive Steps to Bass Drum Technique."

Good luck

GJS

Wait.....Ted Reed wrote a book on bass drums as well??? Wow, I had no idea. I've been using his Syncopation book all this time to help my bass drum technique. Is his bass drum book any good?