Hand pain from playing guitar and work

by Mike
(Ohio)

Hi,

I've had pain in my left and right hand for about 6 months from playing guitar, and working in a deli. Let me explain some symptoms. In the left hand, I have a very persistent ache pretty much all through my hand, and up to my forearm.

I've tried ice, rest, and nothing seems to help the ache. I also have a tenderness/pain/weakness in my thumb pads of both hands. But no ache in my right.

Bought your ebook on guitar tendinitis a few months back. Tried the protocol for about a week, but it seemed to make the pain worse. I would get some relief when I would do it, but hours later the ache would come back with a vengeance.

Plus, the morning after doing it I would be in a lot of pain. Now I'm thinking I should have stuck with it longer, and I'm trying it again. When I do the massage I have to dig in pretty hard to find the tender spots, especially in my thumb area.

The pain seems to go pretty deep. Do you think I'm doing it too hard? Could that actually worsen the condition?

I'm seeing an ART therapist as well, who thinks I have tendinosis. I've been taking glucosimine, calcium magnesium, vitamins D,A,C and E, salmon oil, alfalfa tablets and zinc.

Basically here are my questions.

1. Can massaging to hard cause more damage?

2. Will this work with tendinosis?

3. Is it okay to massage all throughout the day? Like while at work, or after doing an activity that irritates the area? or is it too much?

4. How long is too long to get good results? And define good results? Is it just general pain reduction? Or a great deal of pain reduction?

5. I do still play guitar, but only about once a week, and for only an hour or so. Is that still too much? Do I have to cut it out completely?

6. Does it get worse before it gets better?

Thanks,
-Mike



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Joshua Answers:

Hi Mike.

Yes, you have to stick with it for more than a week if it still hurts. It's taken you years and years for this Pain Causing Dynamic to develop. It may take you more than a week to reverse the dynamic.

FYI, no amount of Rest will fix this. Not for you or anyone else.

If you feel better after ice dipping and then pain comes back with a vengeance, that means your negative factors are pushing a certain amount, and you have to push back with positive factors (self care) enough to push it back. Specifically it means the inflammation process is pushing new pain enhancing chemical into the area.

The self care didn't make the pain worse, but it did have you actually feeling more of what was already there.

1. Can massaging too hard cause more damage?

That depends. Is there any actual damage? Or is your muscle and connective tissue just too tight, your Process of Inflammation too acute and chronic, your nervous system freaked out, and your nutrition still not up to snuff?

I imagine your ART guy is pressing pretty hard, so you better hope not. :)

Technically you could hurt yourself if you pressed SO hard that you actually injure your tissue, but in general, I'll answer that with a no. It can, however, irritate an already existing irritable dynamic.


2. Yes this will work with Tendonosis. Tendonosis is caused by too tight structures and lack of circulation to the tendon.


3. Little bits of massage throughout the day. Awesome. Literally just a minute here and a minute there. You'll get the cumulative benefit of repetitive addition of positive stimulation.


4. That depends. What's -your- goal? Lots of people are happy with a little pain reduction. Some want it ALL gone.

Your motivation level dictates how much diligence you'll give to the self care.

Can you get out of pain 100%? Yes. It will take some trial and error and some fine tuning.

How long will it take? It just all depends on what exactly you have going on and how exactly you go about addressing it.

See my last statement below.


5. If you play guitar a little or a lot, that just adds a little or a lot of irritation to your already irritated Tendonitis dynamic.

You don't have to quit, but the more you play, the more you have to do self care to reduce the side effects of the new irritation.


6. Does it get worse before it gets better?

Sometimes, yes.

I promise you that we can get you out of pain. You have to stick with it. You have to experiment and explore.

Who knows, maybe you're gluten intolerant and that's adding to your nutritional status and inflammation.

Reversing Guitar Tendonitis ebook is a guide. It's the simplest plan with the most effective tools. It's the biggest bang for the buck for the most people.

And frankly, from what you said, my impression is that you're not following the plan in the ebook.....

Will it work for you? Yes. If you stick with it, if you follow it, if you use the contact form here on the site so I can ask you some specific questions about what you're doing that I want to keep off the public forum.


Diligence and fine tuning. We'll get there.






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Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com