Sore hands and fingers - How do you "handle" them?

[Silly Moustache]

This time last year I had an op on my right hand for trigger finger symptoms on my middle finger, feeling thankful tat it wasn't my left hand.

And now ...guess waht -same problem on my left middle and ring fingers (arguably the busiest digits).


I'm nearly 72 and trying to accept that various parts are wearing out and falling off, (clonk-uhoh, there goes my left foot!) but I'm not really ready to lose dexterity in my left handed -esp. as I am left handed (but play righty).

I've tried this but can't stand it for more than a minute and not sure it really helps:



do you rest your hands, or do you exercise them with a spikey ball etc.?
Are there foodstuffs that make things worse or better?

just looking for ideas.

[ship of fools]

lost feelings in my left and right finger tips several years back and now am at the point where no more then 5 minutes of play time and then suffer for several days.
Wish I could tell you something that helps but each body is so different then others> I can only suggest that you talk to your surgeon and ask why it happened to the best of his ability to tell you and its not always age sometimes it could be genetics.
Good luck as I can tell you that I really miss playing after 50+ years its my one true regret in life and that it helped keep me from going nuts when I started to fall apart and now well it just sucks the big one.

[Joe Beamish]

I want to try that cold/hot thing! Thanks for posting.

Currently all I do is stretch my hands and forearms a bit. My fretting index finger hurts sometimes, especially when I’ve been inactive (as during business travel) and then return to the guitar and eagerly and stupidly overdo it, all at once.

I do think foods can make a difference, but I’m sure that’s an individual thing, and would probably require experimenting with eliminating foods (wheat gluten, dairy.)

[robey]

Not sure what your finger issues are. I have osteo arthritis in (mostly) my left hand and at what point, spent a summer in PT getting mobility back in my left index finger (they weren't sure what's going on, there's a lump on the left mid knuckle, but I had immense swelling, but tested negative for most things, hand doctor went with "inflammation"...haha, hey doc is that a 4 syllable word for "swollen"? Doctors don't like when you mock them).

Anyway, I grab a hot cup of something with my left hand (coffee for me) and warm up with banjo rolls since they don't require a lot of finger pressure before hitting the guitar. Once I get going, the fingers loosen up, but I make sure to take breaks when things are feeling sore. Which is what I'm doing right this minute!

Worst is this time of year - 60 degrees in the studio. Ugh.

[roylor4]

You should go see a massage therapist or a specialist in Myofascial release. That's my specialty.

I worked on a player that had had trigger finger for a couple of years and had to quit play (he was very accomplished player). I worked on his hand for less than 10 minutes and all his symptoms were gone. He picked up a guitar in the office and started playing it - much to his delight and my surprise.

It can't be done by the individual as it require 2 hands to do the work.

Contrast baths (alternating hot and cold water) are a good thing to try. I do that when I have overplayed and been too busy in the office. I totally agree with as hot and as cold as possible. My hands are nearly red when I pull the out of the water. I do stretches in between. There are plenty of anti-inflammatory foods and herbs like Turmeric & Ginger too. Just google it.

[sayheyjeff]

I had trigger finger surgery and it was simple for me. I am sure there are variables and each case is different, but I recovered incredibly quickly and was playing guitar as badly as ever in about a week. I know others whose recovery was longer, but that was my experience. My fingers are now kinda old and stiff. Some arthritis. Playing is the best thing I do for them. Heat makes them feel good so I wash them in hot water often. Aleve and similar can help. Had 2 cortisone shots before surgery. Short term benefits. Medical consults are my go to 1st steps when I sense changes occurring. Good luck with it.

Jeff

[FrankHudson]

As has already been mentioned upthread, folks have different issues and different results. We're more likely to agree on pick choice

For my own finger joint issues I do one thing regularly and should do another.

Exercise, every day. IMHO, exercise may be optional for young people, but it's more or less mandatory for older folks. I'm no athlete, I'm overweight, and my joints don't like running or even a lot of walking, but I bike for between 30-60 minutes or so every morning (yes, even in Minnesota winters). I think it really helps my finger joints and my mood. My belief is that inflammation is systematic, even if it's those little joints at the ends of my arms that I'm most concerned with, that the body like to see those juices move around a bit regularly. I do worry that as I get even older this may be hard to keep up.

The thing I don't do, but really should, it to be careful about warming up and not asking too much too soon for those fretting hand joints. Because I'm a composer (high-toned term for I write my own music) by choice and a therefore a musician by practical necessity I'm often picking up a guitar to figure out something or because a part is called for and I'm at hand to lay it down. And even when I'm recording with other musicians, I'm the recording engineer and I'm handing out chord charts, making sure the right mics are the right places, etc and only at the last minute will I pickup the guitar. These things mean that I don't warm up before I grab the guitar all too often. More and more I find that leads to a mild but nagging injury. I believe that finger joints and the ligaments, muscles, etc don't take to being asked to do too much too soon as we age.

I do sometimes do a more casual version of the hand stretches that have been linked in other threads here before playing. I do thing that sort of thing before playing would benefit me, even though I'm skipping them most of the time.

[tubeamps]

I develop trigger finger once or twice a year usually near the end of a hour plus set.
My makeshift solution is to totally submerge my hand into a cooler of ice water, mostly ice.
It gets painful after about two minutes so you have to pull your hand out periodically for 30 seconds or so , then back in the ice bath.

I do this for about 12 minutes between sets and the intense cold shrinks the tendons back to normal and I have been able to finish my gigs.
It works for me, I’ve used this procedure successfully for probably 5 years or more.

[Kalani]

Hand, finger and forearm stretches have made all the difference for me. I do them all the time, not only before/after playing.

[Doug MacPherson]

I have chronic issues with fretting hand here, also... I've gone to 3/4 nylon guitar (for my right shoulder), play standing, and use medium (normal) not hard tension nylon strings on my short scale classical. . On my GS Mini I am now using extra light bronze strings. I know you are not supposed to (it comes with mediums) but if I want to play my GS Mini, it must be standing with extra light strings, period. I don't care what others say, that's my story and I'm sticking with it...

[dadio917]

I'm 67..got trigger finger successfully fixed on left hand and now right middle finger is acting up. Maybe will have it done in a year or so, but for now am doing:

Stretches

Food-wise cut way back on bread and other processed foods and arthritis pain has cut in half.

Massage joints vigorously by rolling a wine cork. Seems to smooth out the tendons and feels really good.

Sipping good Scotch! Might not fix anything but takes my mind off it:-)

[Dreadfulnaught]

I had severe trigger finger of the middle finger of my right hand. I am a finger picker and it is my main picking finger. Tried everything else, finally had the (simple and quick) release surgery and have been fine for the last eight years.

[Norsepicker]

I’m 73. Having some success with an ointment called Penetrex (make sure it’s not pentrex). I was given it for my back, but when rubbing it in, I rubbed by hands with it. It seemed to help, a lot. My partner is a doctor, and she vetted it It’s pretty much natural products. It’s available on line. My experience with it is quite recent (this week) but effects are dramatic. It’s more effective than CBD ointment which I’d used previously. It’s available on line if you want to try it.

[Sain't]

Same boat as you. 68 and two trigger finger procedures in the last 2 years - one is my left index and it remains somewhat curved and sore. Partial barres can be painful.

I've been doing the cold/hot thing for a few years and it gives the best results. It does hurt at first but you get used to it so keep at it. I ice for 6 minutes...

If you saw a physical therapist and were given stretching exercises, keep doing them.

Another very useful thing is diclofenac sodium gel. I use it every night on my hands and it really helps.

Good luck!

Michael

[ScottSD]

Food wise, I'd try some tart cherry juice concentrate. It's a noted inflammation fighter and touted as helping with arthritis. I take a bit every day, especially after a tough work out or work day when I know I'm going to be sore. I'm convinced it helps. My sister the genius doctor swears by it.

Scott