Tendonitis - Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

[Leroy La Qua]

I was diagnosed with tendonitis in my right (plucking) arm in late Sept last year.

I subsequently cut down my playing time significantly in an effort to rest the tendons and have been getting treatment ( deep tissue massage) as well as stretching,using ice packs etc diligently in an effort to make a full recovery.

Whilst I feel like I have made some progress it is VERY slow going though and really frustrating

Stressful also as playing and teaching bass is what I do for a living.

I have had tendonitis for four months now and am starting to get a bit down about it.

I come in search of motivation and inspiration : )

Has anyone on here had tendonitis and made a full recovery?

Really keen to hear from others in the same predicament and what you did to get through it.

[Jazzdogg]

If you've already identified the specific aspects of your plucking technique that lead to your RSI, and taken steps to correct your technique, there may be light at the end of the [carpal] tunnel.

If not, all bets are off.

When I was at a similar crossroads several years ago- either quit playing, get surgery, or examine every aspect of my playing and make changes in my technique, I opted for the latter. After several months of rest and recuperation, I hired a bass teacher who gave me unvarnished feedback about what I was doing right and wrong, and after a few years I was playing better than ever. Wasn't easy, but very worthwhile!

[Tunaman]

I'm a good physical therapist by day and a terrible bass player by night. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

[Mofo-Kang]

I had tendonitis in my left elbow ("tennis elbow," or "lateral epicondylitis"). It was bad. I suffered for months using ice, ibuprofin, rest, doing my best to do everything I could with the right arm instead. I work in a hospital doing x-rays, and finally I had enough and asked one of the pain management doctors for some advice.

He gave me a couple of shots in the elbow. My arm was numb all day...plan on taking that whole day off. The next day it was a little sore. But within a few days it was like nothing had ever happened to it. Full, 100% recovery. Made me feel like a dummy for having suffered through all those months. Go see your doc.

[fu22ba55]

I can't tell you what happens when you follow your doc's advice and address the problem.

But I can tell you if you ignore it, you are boned.

I've had tendinitis in my left thumb for about 18 months now, and it's getting worse, and worse, and worse.

Docs say only solution for me is cold turkey (stop using the thumb for a year) but I'm not in a situation where I can stop playing right now.

How old are you? How many more years do you want to play?

I'm 40, and I'm wagering I'll have about 12 more months to finish up my current project, then I'll have to get surgery and take up sudoku for 3-5 years.

Listen to your docs. Playing less now is better than not playing anymore, at all, ever.

[bryan gibson]

Yup, tendonitis and gout put me out of action for about 3 years. Long story short, the "bone doc" put me on two prescriptions-Allopurinol for gout maintenance and Diclofenac (anti inflammatory) for flareups of either variety. I also re-adjusted my playing style a bit in an effort to put less stress on my hands and wrists-bass way up higher, lower action, lighter strings, etc. I've even considered a 30" scale bass, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Hang in there and good luck, it's not the end of the world

[davidAaronCarte]

I had a run-in with tendinitis this past summer but was lucky to catch it early
One of the things that helped me most was re-evaluating my posture AWAY from the instrument
A lot of the problems in my arm were stemming from my back, which wasn't being aided by a constant closed/playing posture even away from my interest
Opening up my shoulders and following the doc's exercises got me back in one piece pretty quickly, and keeping at it has kept any problems from re-emerging
I also started weight training on the advice of my doc and that's really help develop strong posture all the time

[SpartacusAudion]

I had that bad after coming back from a lay-off. Couldn't click a mouse at work, much less play (finger style guy, for the most part). Tendons grinding up my arm from my fingers.

Drummer at the time was also a podiatrist. Gave me a sample pack of prednisone (steroid). It really helped. Don't have an infection or open wound if .... best yet, ask your family doc.....

Good Luck!

[DebStehr]

Originally Posted by SpartacusAudion

I had that bad after coming back from a lay-off. Couldn't click a mouse at work, much less play (finger style guy, for the most part). Tendons grinding up my arm from my fingers.

Drummer at the time was also a podiatrist. Gave me a sample pack of prednisone (steroid). It really helped. Don't have an infection or open wound if .... best yet, ask your family doc.....

Good Luck!

I had severe tendinitis as a grad student, I had a masters recital to prepare and made my living at playing the bass. I sought alternative medical advice and started using arnica gel topically and arnica Montana internally (homeopathic). Also, with that doing daily stretching exercises(AIS). I recovered totally within 6 months and it's never come back.

[davec]

Seems like it went on for better than a year, no issue now. I don't think I'll ever be completely the same, just because I'm aware of it now. I warm up, If I know I'm playing for an extended time I'll wear tendon bands. Gary Willis is the man in regards to light touch/ light guage/ good position/ let your amp do all the heavy lifting type teaching. The biggest difference for me is diet, If I know I'm playing a weekend at church I make sure do drink lots of water Friday and Saturday. ..... my name is Dave I have tendonitis, it's been a year and nine months since my last steriod injection

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by davidAaronCarte

I had a run-in with tendinitis this past summer but was lucky to catch it early
One of the things that helped me most was re-evaluating my posture AWAY from the instrument
A lot of the problems in my arm were stemming from my back, which wasn't being aided by a constant closed/playing posture even away from my interest
Opening up my shoulders and following the doc's exercises got me back in one piece pretty quickly, and keeping at it has kept any problems from re-emerging
I also started weight training on the advice of my doc and that's really help develop strong posture all the time

compliments to the doc - I assume he/she doesn't even play bass...

Your story confirms my own observations. Good posture is being gravely underrated.

Feel free to check out my pages,f.e.:
http://chriskeuken.nl/health/posture-and-breath.html

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by SpartacusAudion

I had that bad after coming back from a lay-off. Couldn't click a mouse at work, much less play (finger style guy, for the most part). Tendons grinding up my arm from my fingers.

Drummer at the time was also a podiatrist. Gave me a sample pack of prednisone (steroid). It really helped. Don't have an infection or open wound if .... best yet, ask your family doc.....

Good Luck!

Shocking... I'm glad it worked for you, but... you just shouldn't, not without a doctor monitoring...
It won't take away the causes, you know...
To learn more, click on the link below.

[davidAaronCarte]

Originally Posted by Chris K

compliments to the doc - I assume he/she doesn't even play bass...

Your story confirms my own observations. Good posture is being gravely underrated.

Feel free to check out my pages,f.e.:
http://chriskeuken.nl/health/posture-and-breath.html

Yeah, I was lucky and had a pretty hip doc
At the time I was at the Banff Centre in Western Canada in a three-week jazz workshop - the Centre is a haven for all the arts year-round, and they're used to dealing with musicians

[Gilsonite]

Curious to know what kind of shots did you receive? Was it a cortisone shot?

Originally Posted by Mofo-Kang

I had tendonitis in my left elbow ("tennis elbow," or "lateral epicondylitis"). It was bad. I suffered for months using ice, ibuprofin, rest, doing my best to do everything I could with the right arm instead. I work in a hospital doing x-rays, and finally I had enough and asked one of the pain management doctors for some advice.

He gave me a couple of shots in the elbow. My arm was numb all day...plan on taking that whole day off. The next day it was a little sore. But within a few days it was like nothing had ever happened to it. Full, 100% recovery. Made me feel like a dummy for having suffered through all those months. Go see your doc.

[Jimmy Riot]

Originally Posted by Gilsonite

Curious to know what kind of shots did you receive? Was it a cortisone shot?

I'd love to know too. After 5mos of forearm RSI/tendonitis I'm ready to see a GP and I want to get all of my questions in line so I don't squander my brief expensive appointment.

[cire113]

cure for tendonitits is rest its not rocket science.... rest for 16 weeks it will heal up

[jnuts1]

Cire you have no clue what you are talking about & should not give advice.

but anyways i started using a hybrid of DiPiazza & Matt Garrisons technique full time after i got it in my right forearm & wrist/hand. i was using this technique for a few songs (about 20%) so i was already using it somewhat. but playing everything like that really got to me since i am WAY better in the traditional two finger style. but i kept at it & decided i was going for it & learned sir duke that way. sir duke was the light at the end of my tunnel cause i knew if i could nail sir duke like this i can adapt & still play like crazy.

[metalstorm]

I have tendonitis type problems with my left wrist. Last year it was so bad that I had to stop playing for almost a month. However, I now have it reasonably under control. The way I did it was by carefully examining my technique and making necessary changes to the way I hold the instrument. I also listen to my body. If I feel that my wrist is a bit sore or tired I will stop playing. Ice and stretching help. Repetitive strain injuries are quite difficult to cure completely so it's more a matter of being able to manage it.

[jm5string]

I also had tons of pain playing With severe wrist pain and my forearms felt cramped up to the point of barely finishing a show...A new Chiropractor in my town offered a fairly new treatment called Graston...after about 5 to 10 treatments. And a couple of weeks of healing from the bruising.. I was amazed at the difference...now I can play all night long with little to no pain....

[Jerry Ziarko]

Cortisone will eliminate the pain form "tennis elbow". That's not to say it won't return. You also need to address the root cause, be it your bass playing, your daily work, hobby, etc. Even raising or lowering your strap as little as 1" can affect whether or not the inflamed tendon, get better. From my day job, I have had it bad in both elbows. It disappeared 7 years ago, but came back last year like a gang buster. There are several things you can do. Rest is existential. Ice is your friend. Exercises designed to strengthen the tendon should be performed religiously. Ibuprofen can help reduce the inflammation, and cortisone will stop the agony.