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Old 01-11-2015, 09:23 PM
Sixfir Sixfir is offline
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Default Has anyone here definitively recovered from chronical tendonitis?

As mentioned in the title of this topic I am wondering if any of you has recovered totally from chronical tendonitis, while still practicing the instrument without any major restriction?
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Old 01-11-2015, 09:47 PM
Von Beerhofen Von Beerhofen is offline
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I've recovered from anything guitar playing related thrown at me by taking sufficient time to allow healing. If tendonitis was amongst it I can't say as I'm not a person going for a diagnosis if I think that a rest period is all it needs to heal and it always did heal and never resurfaced.
At the moment I have a blocked nerve somewhere in my shoulder area which makes my left hand feel numb and tingly, it's not helping much when I play but I can still mannage. This obviously is not something which needs to heal in the ordinary sense, the nerve must relocate itself where it's supposed to be but sofar no luck. Still, no matter how long it takes I won't have surgery on it, someday I'll make it come back to normal again by excersising the shoulder and perhaps with infrared and some massaging. Surgery is only needed when things start hampering your life and you can no longer function normally, but it's never been that bad fortunately,

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Last edited by Von Beerhofen; 01-11-2015 at 09:54 PM.
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Old 01-11-2015, 09:59 PM
Twilo123 Twilo123 is offline
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I was diagnosed with tendinitis a few years back due to tennis. I had to stop playing for months and it finally went away. I was told it never fully heals and can reoccur at any time later on although I have not had it reoccur since. Just my experience. Crazy aches that went on forever and drove me crazy.
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Old 01-11-2015, 10:00 PM
yandz yandz is offline
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When you say chronic, how long? And where? And are you sure that's what it is?
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Old 01-11-2015, 10:07 PM
dmbfan32 dmbfan32 is offline
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Default Has anyone here definitively recovered from chronical tendonitis?

Depending on how long you have had it, you may have tendonosis vs tendonitis. Treatment is vastly different.

Tendenosis is very unhealthy tissue but no swelling/inflammation. Current treatment options include aggressive manual therapy, dry needling, PRP injections, or surgery with worse case scenario. You need to induce inflammation and bleeding in the tissue to get it to heal. If it is tendonosis, the worst thing you could do right now is ice it & use anti-inflammatories.
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Old 01-11-2015, 10:08 PM
mhs mhs is offline
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Hi Six,

I want to say "yes" but I'm afraid it'll strike me about 3 seconds after I say that. (not that I'm the least bit superstitious) ;)

About a year back, we had a big storm, and I was (for some reason) using a pickax and concrete to repair some damage when I somehow let the ax fly and it then found it's way into my elbow, causing tendon havoc. I'm not one for taking those paths that involve words like "you just have to stop using that arm for awhile, like 9-12 months", but as it happens, the doctor was right about that.

I started PT and kept it going for at least 6 months, couldn't play guitar for the first 3-4 months, then asked the PT people to work it into the therapy. Now it's ~a year after those days and it's really only about 3 months ago that I've been back to "normal" playing. By the way: I was "offered" surgery (2 types that involved creating a different path for the tendon) but said "no thanks" and went the PT route. The reason I went that way was that the recovery time after having surgery was said to be slightly longer and still involved cessation of playing.

I guess that since mine came about as a result of being hit by an ax, that it might not be chronic, but it sure is now. It's obvious in the types of pain left over by any gig over 2-3 hours but home "PT" takes care of it the next morning, but at least I can play again and don't feel like disaster is looming constantly. I did feel that way for the first 6-8 months.

Good luck.
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Old 01-11-2015, 10:09 PM
dmbfan32 dmbfan32 is offline
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Default Has anyone here definitively recovered from chronical tendonitis?

People with acute pain(i.e. Does not normally happen to them) is usually tendonitis. Like knee pain if you played basketball for the 1st time in a very long time.

Tendonosis is typically found in patients who have a long history of recurrent pain in the same tendon/region.
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Old 01-11-2015, 11:03 PM
Yamaha Man Yamaha Man is offline
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I think I had tendentious in my right arm...it hurt really bad and I couldn't lift a cup of coffee with my right forearm... the sports doctor I went to gave me cortisone shots and a velcro arm brace to wear. I wore the brace for about a year, and eventually my arm strength came back. The arm brace gave me enough strength in my arm to work and do daily chores, without the brace, I had no strength. Today my arm is just fine, like nothing happened.
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Old 01-11-2015, 11:35 PM
jeanray1113 jeanray1113 is offline
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About two years ago I developed tendonitis(aka tennis elbow)in not one but both arms after a minor (I thought) change in my computer set up. After some consultation with "Dr Google" I read about a physical therapy technique called the Tyler Twist, after the PT who developed it. You can read about it here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/...56D7G520090714. You do it with a Flexbar made by Theraband that you can order from Amazon. As I recall, I think it was about $15. You are warned that the exercise may increase the soreness somewhat at first, but in my case, it wasn't bad. Within 3 weeks I noticed a big improvement and I'd say it was gone in a couple of months. If you google "Tyler Twist" you will find a lot of additional information, including you tube videos of how to perform the exercise. It has been written up in physical therapy journals. It worked so well for me that I wound up never going to the doctor and getting a referral for PT. I didn't totally stop doing everything that hurt, either. Although the area does need rest, I didn't find that I had to totally rest it. In my case, playing guitar didn't cause near as much pain as shooting with my DSLR,, which is a fairly heavy camera. I had a big photo trip coming up and didn't want to suffer the whole time, and by the time I took the trip, it had improved greatly. Hope this works as well for you!
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Old 01-12-2015, 12:20 AM
jseth jseth is offline
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As with all my lower back "drama", I don't know that I would use the description "permanently recovered" regarding any sort of major physical trauma... it's more a question of learning to "manage" both the pain and the condition...

With that in mind, I had fairly severe tendonitis 7 or 8 years ago; through different stretching techniques, Chinese meditation balls and self-massage, I have it pretty well under control...

When my elbows/wrists hurt a lot, I couldn't hold a golf club or wrap my hands around a guitar neck for long, if at all... now, I play quite a bit, about as much as I want, although I will mention that my days of obsessive practicing have been over for decades (!); the amount I play is more like when I want, or when I'm working on a new tune or a new song to perform, and playing gigs, which for me are solo acoustic guitar and voice.

There are a lot of different avenues of treatment available that have worked for many; one physical therapist I saw had a brother who was a nationally-ranked "Long Drive" professional, and he told me that NOTHING worked for his brother, until he put one of those stupid bracelets around his wrist that are supposed to balance the flow of energy through your body... and THAT worked for him! The upshot of this was the PT telling me to try anything, that it's still mysterious how and why certain things work for that problem...

Personally, I would ALWAYS want the result, as opposed to knowing "why". I'd say to start researching different avenues of treatment and start with the ones that seem most appealing to you. I am NOT a huge fan of Western Medicine, and being a self-employed musician/songwriter without insurance, I nearly always find the most cost effective treatment available for any physical issues with which I have had to deal throughout my 63 years (well, 46 years on my own).

Although you didn't say that you have a problem with tendonitis, I wish you best of luck and fortune with it if you do... believe me, YOU CAN DEAL WITH IT and still do the things you love to do!
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Old 01-12-2015, 04:17 AM
Erik Singletary Erik Singletary is offline
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I am a new player and have experienced a bit of pain/discomfort in my strumming arm elbow (top). After discussing it with my nephew who has played for years he pointed toward my poor technique as the culprit.

Don't treat the symptoms without addressing the cause.
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Old 01-12-2015, 05:57 AM
inluvwithsara inluvwithsara is offline
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Back in 1996, I was playing bass for 9 worship sets a week...and one day I woke up to a locked up left hand...I had gone to the orthopedic office who did some looking, and decided since shots didn't help, they said my only option was surgery, that was a not promising much success. So I decided to try an acupuncturist. In two weeks time (About 6 treatments) I could play again...and the acupuncturist gave me some tips...I have been playing fine ever since...not saying it works for everything, but I am a believer!
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Old 01-12-2015, 06:44 AM
roylor4 roylor4 is offline
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I developed a bad case of tendonitis a little over thirty years ago in my left bicep as a result of overuse power lifting. I did get over it but only after taking a hiatus from the sport.

Tendons are the slowest healing soft tissue in the body and any RSI (repetitive strain injury) is very common and is much more serious than it sounds. Rest was key - for me anyway.
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Old 01-12-2015, 08:20 AM
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I always get more than a little worried at threads like this in which people recount their personal experiences. People want to be helpful and we'd all like the remedy to our ailments to be quick and simple. Some suggested remedies may be harmless. But some may actually be harmful. If pain persists, it's really a good idea to see someone with professional qualifications and experience treating the ailment in question. They may or may not offer an effective solution but their odds are better than grasping at straws based on other people's anecdotal experiences, or sometimes not even personal anecdotes but stories from others they're relaying indirectly.

I don't fault people for sharing their experiences when someone asks. But the asker should exercise due diligence in filtering the information and, more often than not, some expert guidance in that process can be well worth the expense it entails. Being able to use our hands is important to everybody and more so to guitar players. It's not something to mess around with if you're having persistent difficulties.
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Old 01-12-2015, 08:36 AM
j3ffr0 j3ffr0 is offline
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As a young man I had tendonitis in my thumb to the point where I couldn't even open a door knob. This condition persisted as I continued to practice. Finally, I took many months off the guitar. When I picked the guitar back up I corrected technique flaw causing the problem, and vowed to never over practice again. It has never returned.

I now have tendonitis where my bicep attaches to my forearm. So far I've done several months complete rest (done) followed by light exercise (in process), and it appears to be on the road to recovery.

Based on my limited experience, I'd recommend putting the guitar down for at least a couple of months. You won't loose anything, and the benefits are well worth it. It always amazes me that when I spend time away from the guitar I come back better than before. If you must do music constantly, then bone up on theory, ear training, or composing during your time away from the instrument.

Best of luck.
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