Hand injury. Now what?

[micguy]

I currently have sort of the opposite situation. Ruptured my quadriceps tendon, currently recovering. It’s a couple months where I can’t drive to work or gigs, but I have plenty of time to practice. I can play my ass off, I just need to get to where I can utilize my newly polished skillset.

 

[Single Coil]

All of that music theory you were planning to get around learning some day. I’ve also found that playing without an actual instrument in your hand, using your imagination, will help reinforce the muscle memory once you actually get back on board.

I could not agree with this more as it matches my experience. When I say it, it sounds stupid. However, it works. Practice in your mind. Think through the bass lines and visualize your fingers moving as you listen to the music.

 

[Blankandson]

When I broke my hand bones in Northern Michigan in the summer of 2016 I wanted to get back to Nashville because I thought that they would have the best doctors for musicians with hand injuries. I discovered that there were many qualified doctors all over the USA who can help a musician get back to work. Do as the above comments suggest - call around - do your research - shouldn't be hard to find someone who will help you out. Then do as they say !

 

[MuttThud]

This week I suffered 2 severe lacerations on the back of my middle and ring fingers of my left hand. The extensor tendon was severed on my middle finger and will require surgery to repair. I’m not going to be playing for quite some time, so I’m curious if anyone else has experienced an injury that stopped them from playing for a while, what you did instead of playing, and any tips or exercises for getting back into it after I’m healed up? Thanks!

Sorry about your accident. Sounds nasty - my sympathies. Like others posting here, I’ve been there.... crushed middle metacarpal in my left hand. Severe corkscrew fracture with bone fragments all over the place, took two operations and six months with an external splint and pins then many months of physio and exercises.

Three thoughts from me.

1) Don’t be too easy on your injured hand once any surgery is done. You need to keep working your fingers continually. If you keep them immobile too much, they can start to get stiff and freeze up. In a separate accident a few years ago, I trashed my right shoulder and eventually needed stabilisation and reconstruction surgery. The post-op pain was beyond words - even with tramadol - and I was instinctively reluctant to move my arm an inch. Big mistake: I soon found the joint had frozen, which was seriously painful and took more than two years to heal. I wish in retrospect I’d just gritted my teeth and moved the damn joint for 10 minutes every hour rather than sitting there all strapped up in a sling. Movement is your friend.

2) Proper post-op physiotherapy is as critical as finding the right surgeon (as other posters have mentioned, you really need a specialist with experience). A physiotherapist recommended by the surgeon would be best as the two of them will effectively work together to give you the most effective recovery plan.

3) At the end of it all, you may be right back to where you were before this happened. But you may not: sometimes the body heals, but doesn’t quite go back to 100%. If the latter is what happens to you (and you won’t know for many months yet), all is not lost. While the body doesn’t always heal properly after trauma, human beings are also amazingly adaptable. It is possible to find ways to work around unexpected shortcomings. In my case, the fingers on my left hand crab inwards, and my middle finger can get tangled up with my ring finger. It makes stretching on the fretboard very difficult. My workaround is a combination of sliding and playing short scale 4s or five strings above the 5th fret to make the movements a little shorter.

I share all of this because when I couldn’t play after my accident and operations, I spent a lot of time worrying that I would never be able to play an instrument again. In the end, eventually, it all worked out OK. Hopefully the same will be true for you. Best of luck with it all.

 

[Rock Salad]

When I crushed my right hand and couldn't play at all for about a year, somehow my brain had still been practicing and then the little work around you invent getting it back-
Wound up growing me more (I believe) as a musician than if it hadn't happened.
Get well soon

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

My left hand and wrist are injured right now, I play one-handed with the bass on my lap. Headstock rests on my right leg, body rests on left leg. Using hammer-ons, pull-offs, and a thumbpick, I am able to get by with just my right hand. Playing position is on the fretboard instead of near the pickups.

Alternatively, I have seen a one-handed bassist that played everything by tapping.

Otherwise, synth or key bass is possible.

 

[xaxxat]

Slide bass.

 

[Low End Curse]

Slide bass.

Oh man, why didn’t I think of Mark Sandman?! Problem solved hahaha

 

[madbass6]

This week I suffered 2 severe lacerations on the back of my middle and ring fingers of my left hand. The extensor tendon was severed on my middle finger and will require surgery to repair. I’m not going to be playing for quite some time, so I’m curious if anyone else has experienced an injury that stopped them from playing for a while, what you did instead of playing, and any tips or exercises for getting back into it after I’m healed up? Thanks!

Even thou temptation to pick up the bass will happen "Don't!" Just let your fingers heal properly before you do
not only are you risking more damage but you can also create bad habits (adjusting) that will be hard to break later on! in the mean hit the books ! work on your music reading chops / music theory etc.
good luck man hope all works out for you.

 

[TheReceder]

My injury was actually pretty minor compared to most of the previous posts. Suprisingly, it took a ridiculous amount of time before I was back to 100%, mainly because I had to prove I was an idiot by playing too soon. All I did was slice a middle finger and tendon with an x-acto knife. I thought I'd be able to work around it. I was wrong and made it worse. Seems like it was closer to a year before I was back to 100% when it should have been just a couple months

I got into midi and wrote a lot of (very bad) songs using computer software. I've heard it's a good thing to get bad ideas out of your head and onto paper... that way there's more room for better ideas.

 

[rtav]

Yeah... this.



Two titanium plates and seven screws.

It took about 4 months of painful rehab before I could really begin playing, but 6 months after the surgery I was about 100% and I don’t even notice it anymore.

While I couldn’t play I would practice in my dreams. I went to band practice regularly to be a part of things, and followed phys therapy no matter how painful to the letter.

Follow the doctors orders, don’t miss phys therapy and keep your chin up!

 

[BMGecko]

Bust out the Taurus Pedals!

 

[MonetBass]

I feel for you, man. I've had two surgeries in the last year: right foot and left shoulder. My best advice is to do ALL exercises you're given, and stay at it. Go to all PT sessions. It will not be fun, but it will help tremendously in the end, I promise.

 

[Skeptismo]

In 2012 had the ring finger flexor tendon on my left (fretting) hand rupture completely. I followed the advice, and did all they asked for with the end result being a finger that is a little more bent than it used to be. As far as dexterity goes, I'd say it's about 90-95% of what it used to be. In response, my playing style has adapted. Long story short, it's all good.
Keep on listening and reading, and when the OT or PT gives you the heads up to start playing again, you'll be hungry to try all the stuff you've learned.

 

[Oleg BassPlayer]

I broke my IV left metacarpal bone 3 years ago and had to have a titanium fixator put on it. The surgeon said it could be left there so I lived for more than two years with it only realize it hinders my playing. When I consulted surgeons again they said the screws were likely to have stuck in the bone too well and it was going to be a problem to remove it. So it was! Still have the remnants of 3 screws out of 6 inside.

That said, the thing was mostly psychological. Out of all reasons for my bad playing, the physical discomfort accounted for maybe 20%, the rest being something else. This is only my particular case and I don't want to overgeneralize, but the bottom line is, after a period of rehabilitation, if fingers are in place and can move, it's more annoying than really hindering. Of course I'm not talking about severe injuries that cannot or weren't timely cured.

 

[bolophonic]

Man, I’m sorry to hear that. I haven’t had an injury to my hand as severe as what you describe, but I have had moderate injuries that took a long time to heal. I spent that time listening to music and basically just trying to enjoy my life until I could get back in the saddle again. In every case, I found that my ergonomics were changed. I play a much simpler style nowadays, and I’m ok with that.

Good luck with your recovery!

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Sorry to hear about your injury.

If you want a silver lining, extensor tendon injuries are MUCH easier to treat than flexor injuries. With good acute care and rehab, which you have in place, you should end up with a good result.

I've had to take time away from playing for a number of reasons over the years. Expect to come back with some pent-up desire to play, but give yourself some time to get back gradually. Some OT's have experience with musicians, so if you can find out some of those folks in your community, you'll have a bit of an advantage in your comeback. Hand therapists are expert at treading the fine line between trying to come back too quickly and delaying functional recovery. I place equal importance on the surgical repair and the rehabilitation of these injuries. Your hand surgeon should be able to direct you to the right OT.

Lots of good suggestions already for musical and non-musical activities to occupy your down time. Choose the things that give you the balance that is required for a good life and those that satisfy your soul.

Good luck with your recovery!

PS
Checked your profile. DIGGING that Ripper! My first bass was an '81 Grabber and I'll never part with it!

 

[sowilson]

I have had trigger release issues requiring surgery on all of my fingers. Although the recovery for an individual finger is fairly short to get it to be useful, redeveloping the dexterity and speed to be able to play various instruments can be arduous. When I had surgery on my left thumb, there were complications and a rather nasty staff infection that almost killed me. Four surgeries later, 4 months of physical therapy (PT's who worked for the Orthopedic Hand Specialist), and 8 months of work and I was able to play bass and guitar again (bass was earlier). Most of the other fingers weren't as bad but it would take 2-3 months to get the finger back. The end result is that I've pretty much given up mandolin but can still play guitar, bass, octave mandolin, tenor banjo, bouzouki, and fiddle. Right now I'm recovering from surgery on my last two fingers (right hand index and pinky). I'm back to playing all the instruments but am still weak and slow on bass due to my index finger. It's recovering slowly and my surgeon has given me a couple of treatment ideas that help (dipping hand in near boiling wax and wrapping in saran wrap prior to practicing). I figure another 3-4 months of rehab to get my bass playing back.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

Any update from OP? As for me, I am fully healed

 

[rtav]

I have eight screws and two titanium plates in my fretting hand middle finger from January 2014. I had surgery (obviously), 3 months of phys therapy, endless stomach probs from the meds, and I was in incredible pain even with it.

While I was recovering/rehabbing, I used to dream about practicing, I would dream about bass lines, about playing and practicing. I went to band practice to listen and get some hang time, watched lots of Scott's Bass Lessons vids and did EXACTLY what my doctor said.

EXACTLY.

I went through hell in phys therapy, but did it EXACTLY like they said, every hour for ten minutes as they said, for months.

Three months later I was starting to get some movement back in my fretting middle finger as the phys therapy paid off. I showed my orthopedic surgeon how I fret the bass and asked if he thought there would be any problem with me doing that as part of my recovery and he encouraged it saying it would be an awesome way to get flexibility back in my hand.

But I asked first before just doing it and showed him how I fretted notes rather than just jumping into it.

It took my much faster than expected to get back up 100% - like 6-7 months. Since then I've continued practicing, playing and never had an issue with my fretting fingers at all - check out my video channel below for proof lol.

The BIG takeaway is that if you want any chance on recovery, do exactly what your doctor tells you, how he or she tells you to do it, when they tell you to do it.

Do everything the physical therapist/sadist tells you to do, no matter how much it hurts or how often you have to do it.

During the recovery period ask your doctor his opinion before doing ANYTHING with your injured hand. Don't assume any repetitive motion -like fretting a note - is OK.

Get ready to be frustrated, bored and anxious - at least I was. I had NO idea if I would be able to play at the level I was used to, and if not, I decided that I wouldn't want to play at all (but that's me, your milage may vary).

Good luck!

I hope you heal up fast with no complications and get back on the bass soon!