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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
 Posted - 04/02/2011 : 05:29:43 AM
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After 30+ yeas of washing windows and playing music, my left fore arm has a touch of tendonitis. I went to PT last spring and that helped, but it came back. I've been using a massager and icing the spot 20 minutes a day and it seems to be getting better. I've also been doing light weight lifting. What a bummer! Anyone else have any suggestions?
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2011 : 06:07:32 AM
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Maybe you are already aware of this remedy but if not, this will help.
What I did was wear a purchased wrap that had an inflated balloon pad in it. It puts pressure on the injured tendon and keeps you from aggravating it during your daily activities.
It took about a month or so but it also gave immediate relief from the pain of picking things up etc. I could even gingerly play my guitar with it on.
I still keep it around just in case because it does work. They are available at drug stores like Walgreens, etc.
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mike2jb
Lokahi
USA
213 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2011 : 06:16:18 AM
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| Kory, if there's a single spot you are icing and the pain is not in the whole forearm, it's possible a small brace may help. Where is the spot? Is it on the "top" side of the forearm (the part that runs down to the back of your hand), or on the underside (the part that runs to the palm)? Is it closer to the elbow or to the wrist? If you put your arm out with the wrist held back (like a guard saying "Halt"), does this make the spot hurt more? |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2011 : 06:27:45 AM
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| This must be infectous. I've got it in my right elbow. Ice, ibuprofin and the small brace (wrap). Historically, I've had success with acupuncture, when I could afford it. Now I'm on a treat myself regimine. Be careful lifting weights; I regularly lift and I've found some exercises that make it worse. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2011 : 09:21:36 AM
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Acute tendonitis resolves fairly well and fairly quickly with rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE) and use of NSAIDs. If NSAIDs do not resolve the pain, then more than likely it is actual damage to a tendon from overuse and long term repetitive motions. That many times cannot be resolved unless either the action that has caused the damage ceases and/or if there is some type of surgical intervention to repair the damaged tendon. As one who suffers similar symptoms because of peripheral neuropathy due to diabetes, I hate to tell you, there is not much that can be done for long term problems. As long as you wash windows and play guitar, you are insulting the tendon over and over and over. The mechanical systems in our body wear just like any other machine.
Kory, I am sad that you are hurting. The best thing that helps me is what I call my "microwavie". It is a sort of pillow thingie filled with flax seeds. I microwave it and then lay the pillow/cushion thingie on the area that hurts. The warmth soothes and helps me tremendously. I use it for my arms when they hurt. I use it for my knees when they hurt. I use it for my feet when they hurt. And I usse it for my back every night. I have one that is about 18x 44" that covers my whole back from the nape of my neck to below my knees. Me & the microwavie go to bed together every night. You can find various sizes of these thingies to fit just about anywhere on your body that bothers you. This big one, you can wrap around an arm or a leg. Lots of people make homemade ones that they fill with rice kernels.
The reason I am recommending heat is that if it is not an acute injury, the ice usually provides no relief, rather many times, the cold will aggravate the problem. But the warmth helps. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2011 : 09:22:46 AM
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| PS: chronic, long term use of NSAIDs may lead to kidney damage in those who have other high risk conditions for kidney disease. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2011 : 5:41:25 PM
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| Good news! I was able to jam for a couple hours with Garyj, Jack, Uncle Danny and Ken Lono on bass. After, we did the set with Aunty Manu and Gary with Ben Baker on 12-string and Pake on bass. Twinges, but no pilikia. Gail from Hawai'i General Store (plenny craft booths li'dat at da festival) let me use a gel pack a couple times. I had a wrist band on my fore arm. The "knot" in the tendon for my index finger has steadily gone down. Heat, ice and mild stretching helped. Ibuprofen also. Bumbye should be mo' bettah. I found that I can play closed position chords for 4 hours, no pilikia, 'cause the hand stay totally relaxed for Jazz kine chords. Ki ho'alu, you stay hold da hand different, get discomfort. Gary told me to use a frozen bag of popcorn and a microwave (rememba da Samoan joke?) bag of rice. Aging, the price of maturity. |
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Bau
Lokahi
USA
226 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2011 : 04:19:47 AM
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I feel your pain, I have very bad fibromyalgia ad jsut hurt all over all the time, sore tendons all over hands dont wat to work right. I agree with the heat thing, ice is good afterthe initial injury Ive read but heat speeds healing and relaxes tight muscles that will just continue to pull on the tendon becuase of pain reflex. streching very important. NSAIDS can also cause major stomache damage, not good for heavy or long term use.
I've got a background in audio and have been doign a lot of study in healing through sound, you might also want to try soem sort of sound therapy, from a vibrating massager at low frequency
or you could just have your cat sit on you:
"low-decibel frequencies similar to that of a cat’s purr have also proven beneficial for the healing of muscles and tendons in humans. One study found that following sports injuries, low-frequency biomechanical stimulation can prevent decreases in muscle strength and mass. Another found that the vibration can speed tendon healing in the ankle, increasing upper ankle joint mobility by up to 19% after injury."
Read more at Suite101: Purring Helps with Healing: Cat Purr Frequency Increases Bone Density & Speeds Injury Recovery http://www.suite101.com/content/purring-helps-with-healing-a58330#ixzz1IT85OKzd
I've got a little old car that vibrates somthing terrible, sometimes i just go for a ride in it and it makes me feel better. i call it my holoka'a therapy lol
You might also want to check this out - Pohaku healing. I believe it is the vibration of the percusive effect that makes this effective. I haven't tryed anything similar to this yet myself. If anyone has I would be very interested in hearing about your experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_dzsMCMDug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrwCBS2ewg8 |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 12:21:52 AM
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| I've had the tendonitis before, in fingers. It does go away, but takes ages! The problem is that rest is really important, but as I use my fingers to play stringed instruments and computer keyboards every day, this is kind of difficult. If you are playing for four hours at a stretch, this is probably far too much. The heat/cold treatment will help, as will the anti-inflamatories, but perhaps you could take it a bit more easy on the playing! |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 05:19:06 AM
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| I've been laying off the guitar. Work, on the other hand, is a constant. I can feel the condition slowly improve. The 4 hour stretch was a few weeks ago and I hold my hand and arm differently for the polka gigs. I just got a bigger gel-pack, much better! |
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Haolenuke
Lokahi
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 08:17:06 AM
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This is probably not applicable to your situation, but it might be worth a try. I had forearm pain from overuse that for many months refused to respond to rest, stretching, and ibuprofen. The doctors I consulted were talking about a wrist operation, when I met an old coworker that had had a successful operation to address scar tissue in the muscle sheaths in his forearms. As an operation was not all that appealing, I tried breaking up the scar tissue in my forearms with vigorous massage. To my surprise, and great relief, the pain went away within a week. The pain returns when I do stupid things, but it can still be resolved with more massage.
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 08:56:55 AM
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While searching for information on how I can relieve the neuropathy pain and regain movement in the ring finger and pinky on one hand, I found that massage really is a valid way to help. I know there was a study by whom and when I cannot remember, but the gist of it was that frequent massage of the area helps tremendously. Additionally one of the things that helped me stretch the muscle and therefore take the strain off the tendon and release the ulnar nerve that was being compressed was a very weird exercise:
For both hands put pointer and thumb together like your are makiing the OK sign. Now turn your hands upside down so the OK is on the bottom and your pinkies are stick up in the air. Then move each hand to your eyes like they are spectacles. The goal is to lay the inside of your thumb and pointer flat against your eye socket. They had me hold it for a count of 15 at first. Maybe 10 minutes later, try it again and hold it longer. Keep doing that as often as you can think and it really will help stretch the muscles and relieve ulnar nerve pain and stretch the muscles and tendons in that area.
What Haolenuke says really for sure works.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 09:02:39 AM
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I may have to hang onto this as the (slightly out of context) "quote of the day":quote:
... pain returns when I do stupid things ...
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 1:37:13 PM
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| The hand held massager is used at least 2 times a day along with ice and heat. Bumbye we get'em. Come on, ice cream! |
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 3:26:00 PM
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A bit of a tangent, but...
Wanda,
I have no idea if this is applicable to your case, but I also had a ring finger and pinkie I couldn't use- the pinky in particular just hung there loose, and flapped with any movement. My left arm had numb, low level constant pain, tingling "asleep" feeling, and my entire left hand was weak-almost useless- and starting to atrophy a bit from lack of exercise, although I tried to use it as much as possible.
After about two years of this, I went to an osteopathic doctor, who said a nerve was pinched in my spine. He did some fairly gentle manipulation (OMM), and I immediately had a somewhat firmer grip in that hand and gradually recovered over about six months. Years later, I still get pain and numbness after long walks, or other situations where my arm is dangling and swinging, but am essentially recovered. After thinking I had permanently lost most use of my left hand, that is a great relief!
An osteopath is similar to an MD, having all the rights to prescribe, do surgery, etc. etc. However, as it is somewhat less prestige, it is easier to get into an osteopathic program, so many osteopathic doctors are just trying to be regular doctors and never learn the OMM, which is something like what a chiropractor does. Osteopaths are pretty rare in the west, but quite common in the "midwest". The issue is finding one who is skilled in OMM.
It was well worth the price of the single appointment to regain use of a hand! If you are no certain that this ISN'T the cause of what sounds quite similar- loss of use of the pinkie and ring fingers- it could prove well worth your while to seek out this treatment. |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2011 : 3:31:56 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by thumbstruck
Come on, ice cream!
Wasn't that a song by Dexy's Midnight Runners? |
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Tendonitis
