Arthritis in your fretting hand? What do you do about it?

[bobio]

Originally Posted by Scotso

OK this may trigger some folks.

To lose weight and lower my blood sugar, my doc suggested I go on a Keto diet. Thankfully I lost 35 lbs. But in the process all the arthritis symptoms in my hands went away. My Duke doc said that lessening of arthritis symptoms on Keto is common as inflammation markers in the blood are significantly reduced(whatever that means...sounds good I guess).

I think this is one of those things where your mileage may vary. I did not do Keto, but about 5 years ago, I did use MyFitnessPal to monitor my intake and I did a lot of walking and lost 30 pounds in a matter of 6 months. I lost another 5 after this image. I went from 203lbs down to 168lbs. I have gained a bit back in the past 6 months of being mostly home bound, but I have been able to keep the weight down over the past 5 years.

I honestly did not see any reduction in my arthritis symptoms from the weight loss. Although, my issues could be complicated by a combination of arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome from 30 years of IT work behind a keyboard.

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[Lewis]

Have a good tech or luthier check your guitar setup.
You may be able to make it easier to play by adjusting the action, especially at the nut.

Also, experiment with using a strap even while seated and you may be able to find a position that reduces left hand tension.

Lastly, loosen up a bit, especially if you have the “death grip”.


And buddyhu’s bourbon advice sounds like fun but may be subject to the law of diminishing returns. 😀

[Scotso]

Originally Posted by bobio

I think this is one of those things where your mileage may vary. I did not do Keto, but about 5 years ago, I did use MyFitnessPal to monitor my intake and I did a lot of walking and lost 30 pounds in a matter of 6 months.

Dr said it is the Keto(the massive reduction in carb intake) not just the weight loss that helps reduce the inflammation. Who knows...just reporting what he said. All I know is that Keto triggers people. I am not a doc so my mouth is moving without any real knowledge-no MD or PhD sheepskin on my wall.

[The Bard Rocks]

I do not feel any pain at all, but arthritis has moved my forefinger (Lh) upper joint outward 5-10 degrees, which no longer allows me to allow certain strings to ring clear on certain chords. Also, it has about 5 degrees less flex when bent.

I put up a (pretty well ignored) recent post on this a couple or three days ago.

[bobio]

Originally Posted by Scotso

Dr said it is the Keto(the massive reduction in carb intake) not just the weight loss that helps reduce the inflammation. Who knows...just reporting what he said. All I know is that Keto triggers people. I am not a doc so my mouth is moving without any real knowledge-no MD or PhD sheepskin on my wall.

Based on what I had my weight loss goals set for in the app, MyFitnessPal suggested a limit on carbs of no more than 188g per day. I have no idea how that compares to a Keto diet. I know nothing about Keto one way or the other, so I am not knocking it.

[Mike McLenison]

Changing your diet may help. I'm 68 with no arthritis, = no cookies, cakes or candies. Hope you can reverse it.

[Zigeuner]

I've got arthritis here and there. My doctor prescribed Ibuprofinin to take in the morning and it helps tremendously. Talk to your doctor, though.

[6L6]

Use spring grips to build up the strength in your hands. Start with very weak spring grips and work your way up to stiffer ones. Your hands will get so strong that playing guitar will no longer be a problem.

I had the same problem and went with the grips back in 1986 after a failed surgery on my left hand. To this day I do two reps of 50 pulls every day. I’ve had zero problems of arthritic pain ever since I started 34 years ago.

[darylcrisp]

i didn't see a specific finger/thumb mentioned in your post.

Osteoarthritis in the thumb is the most common form of arthritis that affects the hands. Osteoarthritis results from the breakdown of joint cartilage and the underlying bone. It can affect the basal joint, which is the joint near the wrist and the fleshy part of the thumb. the inflammation/damage can be a result of life choices, wear/tear on the hands, diet, so many things can be the reason/s.

around 11 yrs ago in my late 40's i started experiencing tenderness in my left thumb base, and a reduction in my ability to use that thumb and overall that hand. i did an xray and confirmed the hard lump that had started appearing at that area. i'm very active and use my hands a lot on my job and in all my hobbies/adventures. at the time this popped up i had been going hard at whitewater kayaking for a decade, and just started guitar. i had felt the left thumb soreness for a couple years, but the guitar really made it pronounced(assumption is due to being a beginner i was really over fretting with that left hand). that thumb base stayed sore, would lock up and i had to manually move it around to unlock it, and i had a huge loss of strength in using that hand due to the thumb being practically useless.

i look towards naturalpathic remedies first. i looked thru my diet, saw areas i could change and see what happened, along with acupuncture. i was lucky in that i've always attempted to keep healthy and eat a good balanced diet, but there were areas i needed to improve there. also lucky in that i have a high reputation acupuncturist within an hour of where i live.

short story is the acupuncture worked almost immediately for me. the pain, the swelling, the lack of movement, all went away. the initial acupuncture treatments lasted for about 8 weeks, as each week progressed the treatments were reduced(started 3 per week for 2 weeks, 2 per week for 2 weeks, then once a week). after that i would go for months and not have any issue, when any issue started up i went, had acupuncture 1 time and would be good for months again. after a year or so it never flared up again.

acupuncture doesn't work for everyone, but if its going to help, you will know very quickly. do your research and find a high skilled, highly recommended acupuncturist, just because someone hangs a sign out or has a paper shingle doesn't mean they are who you want to go too.

now, the damage to the joint area is still there, but movement is excellent, and i never have any pain or tenderness. i have full range of movement and it does not lock up any more. i am careful as to how i use the left hand and i don't stress that thumb these days. i think that is all very important. i've never taken any over the counter or prescribed meds for this. i did research a lot about diet and made some small changes. i recommend this book,
https://www.ebay.com/i/333466244526?...659a803afffae6

be sure you get the 2nd edition. and no, you do not have to become a vegetarian, there are many beneficial things in this book that will help anyone. its easy to read and easy to apply.

regarding playing instruments, as others have mentioned, get a great, low, easy action set on your guitar. if you fret using a clamped hand, relearn how to fret. you'll need frets leveled and checked, nut slots adjusted correct, and actually if you get those things done, on some instruments you can easily play med gauge and have it fret with a light touch. but lighter gauge strings definitely require a lighter touch-so whatever works for you there.

you might need to change your technique if you fret firm and attempt to go to the fretboard-the technique to lightly touch the string to the fret only is the most efficient and light touch playing style. that will help take tension away from your left hand in a huge way.

good luck and i hope you find the right remedy and application that will work best for you.

d

[Scotso]

Originally Posted by bobio

Based on what I had my weight loss goals set for in the app, MyFitnessPal suggested a limit on carbs of no more than 188g per day. I have no idea how that compares to a Keto diet. I know nothing about Keto one way or the other, so I am not knocking it.

I am on less than 40grams

[Martin_F]

I have some psoriatic arthritis that comes and goes. I think the most important thing to do is to check your technique for playing. You shouldn’t have to force the strings down if you get in the right position and use your body properly. Unfortunately many people, myself included, learned the meatball technique back in the day that you just apply more force and everything is better.

If you haven’t in a while, get a good teacher who really knows guitar mechanics. It’s hard to find good teachers who are well qualified in that kind of thing. They are mostly in the classical guitar world. But, good guitar placement where the guitar neck comes up fairly high and the elbow and forearm are up make fretting easier. But, you will have to experiment some to see what might work for you.

I hope everything works out!

Martin

[Don W]

First I always use light gauge strings then I am careful not to over stress the hands. I take a lot of vitamin D (a remarkable result from this) and when it gets real bad I take Ibuprofin before I play. Also I practice in 15-30 minute segments.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by bobio

Lighter strings, lower action and fatter necks, anything to reduce the effort required to fret a note. Wish there was as much variety in neck profiles on acoustic guitars as there are with electrics.

I was surprised at how much a fatter neck (within reason, as there is a point of diminishing returns) made. It keeps your hand open more. I actually prefer more of a U shape for my hands. I find that thin, wide necks aggravate my arthritis the most. Yours may be different, give different Neck profiles a try. The goal is to reduce the amount of pinching or clamping on the neck.

If you don’t already have one, develop as light a touch as you can that will still produce a note. Lighter strings also go well with this.

I use a stress ball to warm up my hands before playing. I typically use Ibuprofen for the inflammation from arthritis and some Icy Hot to dull any pain...

Everyone is different, but these are the things that help me the most.

It's funny because I always said bigger neck as well, but after playing a Parker Fly which is a thin neck, I'm now convinced that the neck shape is more important than anything.

[CodyToonz]

I'm 68 and have developed ulnar drift/deviation which is a form of arthritis though I'm not in any pain. My left hand fingers "drift" towards my little finger. Playing becomes more difficult the further my arm is extended from my body. The geometry gets goofy. What seems to work best is a small body, 12 fret guitar. I just got an Eastman E20P parlor, more of a 00. It fits perfect. Classical guitars seem to work well also. 12 fret, lower tension strings.
The condition gives me good reason to try/buy different size guitars. Fun.

[Glennwillow]

Hi Daniel,

I have been dealing with osteoarthritis in my finger joints since my mid-40s; I am now 72. In fact I have osteoarthritis all over the place, not just in my finger joints. I have had both of my hip joints replaced because of osteoarthritis.

I take ibuprofen fairly often because so many other things, such as my shoulders hurt so much, sometimes I soak my hands in warm water before playing, but also I have learned to be more gentle on my hands and fingers to avoid trauma and making things worse.

I thought that for a while, about 10 years ago, that I would have to stop playing. But then things seemed to have settled down and not hurt quite so much. I am still playing today, but I am much more careful about what I do on the guitar. Most people cannot tell that I am babying my fingers when I am playing, but I know that I am.

In fact, I am more careful about what I do in everything in my life to avoid trauma to my finger joints and so many other joints.

I have found that I go through periods of fairly extreme discomfort on one or more finger joints and then it seems to settle down for a while. Then I go through the cycle again some time later. I routinely wake up in the middle of the night with my hands and finger joints aching pretty badly. I try to ignore it.

In 2010 I bought a Taylor 12-Fret to help with this issue. It's short-scale and a fairly small bodied guitar and it is easier to play. But that guitar has sat in its case for the last 5-6 years without being played. It's such an odd size guitar with the fretboard in the wrong place for me because of the 12-fret-to-the-body neck design. I have never gotten comfortable with this guitar, and it does not record well unless I use a great deal of equalization that I do not need on any other guitar. Also, I really don't like the relatively floppy strings on a short-scale guitar.

I'd sell it, but I wonder if one of these days I will need it. All my other guitars are long-scale, and that is what I am used to. I might still sell it. Like so many of us, I have too many guitars.

- Glenn