finger tendon injury...

kentrhodes1 · #1 11-07-2011, 05:15 PM

In August I lacerated the tendon of the last knuckle of my left hand (fretting hand). My GP insisted that it would heal by itself, with a splint.

Just a FYI to anyone who has an injury like this: It won't heal by itself. I was stupid enough to believe my GP in this matter, and now I have lost control of the end of that finger permanently... I just this week insisted and saw a hand surgeon, and have an appt. to get a CT scan and talk to him again a few weeks... but there is not much of a chance of doing surgery 3 months after the fact. Tendons are like rubber bands, and contract once severed (sometimes right up into the arm)

So.. if this happens to you, insist on seeing a surgeon right away, don't trust your GP if he thinks it will heal itself. Remember it isn't your GP's finger, so he may not really care!

Playing sucks now - especially as I also play guitar, and so need that extra (middle) finger more than when playing bass. I mean, I can still make the instrument sound good, but have found some limitations and chords (especially on guitar) that I just cannot do.

So I am going to flip the guitar and bass upside down and learn to play backwards (with the right hand fretting, on my existing right-hand instruments). Does anyone have any experience doing this? Any experiences or tips would be most welcome, although I basically know what I have to do...

thanks!

warnergt · #2 11-07-2011, 05:44 PM

I'm starting to lose faith in GP's. It seems I never make any
progress with a problem until I see a specialist. It seems that
all they are good for anymore is a flu shot and a prescription
for an antibiotic (-- usually a crummy antibiotic that every
germ on the planet can tolerate).

Furthermore, my GP office tries to push me off onto a nurse
practitioner or some other less qualified person instead of a real
doctor. Then, you get charged the full amount as if you saw a
real doctor.

Going to my GP is becoming a waste of time and money.

kentrhodes1 · #3 11-07-2011, 08:04 PM

Any upside-down players?

Anyone tried using a slide for bass?

music4Life209 · #4 11-07-2011, 11:00 PM

I had the same thing happen to me while playing basketball... I also thought it would heal with time.Turns out I now permanently can't move the tip of my left index finger.. It sucked when the doctor told me that I was never gonna move it again.. But It didn't dicourage me.I love music too much. I just thought "Well,This means I gotta work 2wice as hard.. So now I am working on speed with just that finger(index).and using my lower finger muscle to do the work.. Also try the grip master and work out all fingers but make that finger your priority.. Just think of all the people with limitations that have achieved much greater things than ppl that don't . I mean I've seen a Dude that has no arms play the Guitar! ... Hope this helps.

Fergie Fulton · #5 11-08-2011, 02:50 AM

Your GP is a General Practitioner, so tell him your problems and ask him to refer you to a specialist or for physio. If you do not ask ( in the UK anyway) it will not happen. Time is the healer, about 18 months as a rule for your type of injury.

Nordic Groover · #6 11-08-2011, 08:23 AM

Bugger.

If you divide a tendon, it requires surgical repair. I'd also be surprised if they actually did ask for a CT scan, given you said the injury was a laceration rather than a rupture (which may involve an avulsion fracture, for which CT would be useful). The investigation of choice is an MRI.

Did you cut the flexor or extensor mechanism?? (i.e. what can't you do... bend it, or straighten it?)

kentrhodes1 · #7 11-08-2011, 10:59 AM

Cut the flexor tendon. cannot bend it, it sticks straight out. In fact it bends upwards quite a bit, as the extensor tendon is still pulling on it.

It was partially lacerated when a broken (thick) glass vase cut into the last joint of the left middle finger. I had stitches, and limited movement - but prognosis looked good. I was advised to use it and strengthen it. 2 weeks after the stitches were out, I was picking up my daughter's empty plastic blow-up kids pool (ie. fairly light) and it just ruptured and gave out.

At that point, I tried to move it, and moved it once (which I assume was the tendon pulling away from it's place and bending the finger in the process).

I'm not trying to blame my GP, I could have insisted on getting proper treatment - I didn't understand the risks fully, which is partly why I made this post, so if this happens to anyone else, they don't make the same mistake that I did.

Anyways, I'm positive, and am looking for the best path to take. As far as I can tell, here are my options:

1. Continue playing with a metal slide on that finger. slide on bass might be interesting... might get a unique style out of it - although there may be a reason I have never heard it done before

Guitar chords without a middle finger are tough, but can be faked out (only need to play a 1-3 strings of a chord at a time anyways, so no big deal)

2. As Music4Life209 said, just use the finger anyways. Problem is that my fingers bend back naturally (upwards, away from the palm) quite far. So I really have to crane my hand around to use the finger to press a note. It has been great for making mid-string barre chords on a guitar, but has a drawback right now... Might be a good idea to fuse the joint somehow - to a slightly downward angle... Seems extreme, but would also mean I can type and do other normal things with it.

2. Or play the bass on my lap so it doesn't matter about the finger curvature?

3. Go lefty. Flip the instrument upside down, and play like Hendrix used to. Or just switch to a lefty instrument (I'd have to re-teach myself in either case, so wouldn't matter which one - I wouldn't mind flipping back and forth depending on the song? so that is why considering the upside down approach). Problem is that finger-picking is lessened, but no big deal, could use 1,3,4 for picking.

Which option would you choose?