Wrist Trouble.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · From: Ayrshire, Scotland

About a year after I took up steel, I had an accident where I pushed a two-way door just as the person on the other side pushed. My right wrist was bent back and there was instantanious pain. My doctor diagnosed a severe sprain. It took a month or so before I could get back to the guitar. Over the years, the pain and tightness in my wrist would frequently make playing impossible. One day when I found I could hardly hold the car steering wheel or open the door with my right hand, I went to the casualty department of the local hospital. My wrist was X-rayed and I was informed that I had a scaphoid fracture. Because of the original mis-diagnosis, I was told that I was actually suffering from gout around the joint. Also, as the injury had happened many years before, an operation to help fix it would be difficult. The floating piece of bone was too badly worn and the operation would require taking a bone cutting from my hip and inserting it in my wrist. As a person with a fear of blood and needles, I declined, which the doctor said was probably the best move, as success could not be guaranteed.
Anyway, In 1999, I gave up steel guitar and sold all my gear. When I purchased a computer in 2004, I was bitten by the bug again. I have not had a severe reaction(touch steel) so far and hope I never do. I know I will never be able to do any fancy speed picking stuff, but the draw of the instrument was just too great.
Here is some information for those who may have the same condition:

http://www.davidlnelson.md/scaphoid_fracture.htm

Pissed Off,
Arch.
_________________
I'm well behaved, so there!

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

that's a bummer arch...is there any medication that might help? i take gout medicine during chemo treatment to sidestep gout buildup problems...allopurinol...probably not appropriate for your case, but there may be something...
also...django developed his guitar playing technique around physical limitations...you probably can too...good luck

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Arch. Hopefully you know my scepticism of things "new age".

In fact This Google Search has a TON of stuff that someone in your spot should at least gaze through.

In 79, I got thrown down a flight of stairs and fractured the floor of my Radius Bone Joint in my right wrist pretty badly.

I was told that since it was the surface of the joint, that I could expect arthritis.

At the time I had been playing PSG for a few years, and after it healed it didn't bother me for a couple years.

THEN, I started getting soreness, and from time to time it felt like a screwdriver was prying the bones apart. Especially when cold, or after playing a lot.

I tried a honey bee sting right at the worst pain spot. Of course it swelled up, but when it went down, the pain mostly was gone.

I tried it a couple more times in the next year, and it pretty much vanished.

Over the following years, about every other year it would start to flare up, and I stung it in the same place. Pretty much immediate relief.

For the last ten or more years, I think I've done it twice, and probably it was soreness more from the stress and strain of construction than anything. I've never had it so bad that I couldn't play. ( For better or worse Hehehehehehe)

Here's what I understand happens:

Problems around broken or disturbed joints are caused, like gout, by buildups of proteins, and other "antigens".

The bee venom is a type of complex protein that elicits a major reaction from your own immune system that in the process, clears up the offending deposits.

The swelling is a sign that your body is fighting an antigen, ( the bee venom), and it scrubs, like I said, the impacted and inflamed joint area clean.

I have ABSOLUTELY no pain, or other mobility problems in that joint.

It's been probably 6 years now that I think about it that I applied a treatment to that wrist, and even as winter approaches, I don't think it'll be bothering me. Even with a couple hours of telecaster grilling a nite, after working hard all day loading and hauling equipment, and chaining it down.

One thing that happened over the years is that I have become more sensitive, and swell more, so I've had to pick times when I didn't have a pressing gig, but the swelling has never been so bad that I couldn't put a tight suitcoat or shirt sleeve over my wrist.

Check out any or all of the Google Searches I linked to. Please.
Even the sceptical ones.

One more thing..

Lay off the Siamese Haggis...

Seriously Arch, give it a shot.

Smile

EJL

Drew Howard · From: 48854

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Drew,Don't overestimate me...

I got thrown down the stairs for my "attitude"..

Fancy That..

Smile

EJL/HFLE

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · From: Ayrshire, Scotland

Eric; The pain has never returned to the extent it was ten or so years ago, but the stiffness is still there. If it comes back, I might just look in to the bee venom therapy. The pain could be so great I would be willing to try almost anything to ease it.

Thanks, Eric.
You're the wasp's ankles.

Arch.
_________________
I'm well behaved, so there!

Robert Leaman · From: Murphy, North Carolina, USA

Sometimes an early injury can cause odd choices. I took classical guitar lessons from a neighbor lady for approximately a year and did reasonably well according to her. However, during the summer of my 12th year, a car hit me whilst I crossed the highway in front of my parent's home. My ring and little fingers were nearly torn completely off but a local family doctor was persuaded to put them in place and splint them with hope that they might heal. The doctor had little hope but my fingers healed with some weak movement. Of course, that put an end to the guitar lessons.

My music teacher told me that it was possible to raise the strings on a guitar with special nut and play it with a metal bar. She called this a Hawaiian guitar. She know little more than enough to get started and showed me how to tune to A6th.

To this day, I cannot fret a guitar but there is enough power there to hold a steel. Fortunately, the accident brought me awareness of steel guitar and the pleasure of playing it.

My right hand knuckles were broken in the accident so I can't speed pick but after many years, joint swelling has reduced to where I can bend my right fingers almost against my right palm. If I were to develop arthritis, I suppose that will end my music.

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