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Well, It's Not Carpal Tunnel, but It HURTS!!

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Dante:
Hi Guys,

I haven't been around hear nearly enough lately - truth is, I haven't been on my computer much lately.

I have been dealing with some forearm pain for years. I am convinced it stems from pushing a mouse around for so many years, because for most of this time, it's been isolated to my right forearm (my mousing hand). I started using a stylus and tablet instead of a mouse about 10 years ago and still use one to this day - it really helps.

Now, my left forearm started killing me when I type. Then it started hurting WHEN I PLAY GUITAR. No good  :nono:

I went to the doc yesterday about it, he says I do not have carpal tunnel syndrome (yay!). He diagnosed it as tennis elbow - in both elbows...I don't even play tennis. He asked me if I could play less guitar....my answer was an emphatic "that ain't gonna happen".

So, I'm going conservative with my treatment for now, because I don't want to go to the next step: Steroids. I'll be icing my forearms (like a pitcher does in baseball), taking ibuprofen to alleviate the inflammation, taking vitamin B-6 for some reason, and stretching. Oh yeah, I'm also using Icy/Hot which smells fantastic - chicks really dig that

rnolan:
Hey Dante, bummer. I've been getting bad cramps in my right arm for a while now. Switched to left hand mousing, which helps. And also, as Mike is qualified massage therapist (good to have in your band BTW  :thumb-up: ), I get a fortnightly massage from him which helps.

There's an Ayurveda Panchakarma treatment called Patra potali (heated cheesecloth bags filled with herbs, lemon slices and oil, rubbed on the area or pounded on the area to free it up). My sister gave me 45 min treatments over 3 days after xmas. The best relief I've has for ages. I can now hold chopsticks again without cramping. Now mine is largely coming from my right hip and shoulder. Anyway, check out your local Ayurveda Panchakarma options, there are licensed Maharishi Transcendental Meditation Ayurveda Panchakarma centers, but there are others as well, the Maharishi refined the treatments and brought them to the west. Depak Chopra used to be his right hand man until he deserted and moved to California to go commercial (he's an Ayurveda doctor). Check it out, It will help  :thumb-up:
The other thing I use is a thing called Crampease (which would also help), has Rutin, Magnesium, B vitamins and homeopathic copper, it also helps allot (and isn't steroids!)

Fortuitously, playing guitar doesn't aggravate, and isn't hindered by my particular plight (few), but I understand the pain... I like you answer to the doctor, play less ? yeah good luck with that LoL

rabidgerry:
Awww man!!  I know how it is.  I push a mouse around for a living also.  I use no fancy tools to help my situation but I sit in slighlty strange ways where I leava a lot on my elbows and have my arm for the mouse in such away that it's virtually free to move and there is no strain being put on it (you'd need to see what I mean to understand).  I also make sure my height of the chair is in such a away that it will not annoy my arm and wrist at what ever angle it is that causes me issues. 

I had pains before I worked in IT in my right forearm.  It did not affect my playing but it was sore and also in my wrist and no doubt it would have started to affect me had I not done something about it.  First I went to physio, she said it was trapped nerves and she treated me for a few months.  I think it helped a little but basically I was told to perform stretches and shit myself at home to maintain the problem myself.  So I did and hurt myself a few times doing the stretches.  So anyways I don't get anytrouble really anymore, occasionally I do but not much.  What I helped more than anything in my opinion was exercise and weight training.  I have a pull up bar and I started working out a few years ago.  I feel the pull up bar stretched everything out inside my arm and kept it this way.  I also believe doin certain weight lifts helped build strength also.  Now I'm not talking about arnold schwarzenegger I'm just talking about weight training but at a more manageable level.  I really believe it helped me.  I will say since my forearm wrist problem it has never been the same, but it is no holding me back with anything.  It just does not feel the way it used to if that makes sense.  Feels like something inside moved somewhere and now that's where it is and I just have to deal with it, however the exercise and strength stuff has kinda bolstered it.  Hard to explain ut hopefully something I've said might provide some help for you.  I believe Richard has given you good advice and tips also.  But do think about some wide grip pull ups man and some pressup and may be a wrist strengthening device like a Power ball (really hard to use one of them though.)

Soloist:
Hey Dante, I have "tennis elbow" but mine actually only hurts in the elbow the forearm sometimes gets tight but generally feels ok. The strumming motion aggravates it so does high humidity or damp cold temps. I pretty much don't play acoustically anymore because of it. I have a brace like wrap for it I wear when not playing. It seems to help some but I know what you mean by it hurts. Getting old sucks!

Dante:
Richard,

I like what you're suggesting, thank you. I will definitely look into that.

FYI: A long time ago, I was in a car accident (rear-ended by a COP! - haha  C:-) ) and I went to a chiropractor...but not the normal kind. I went to a Chinese healing center, where this little lady used to manhandle me for a half hour and I'd leave feeling like a limp noodle (in a good way). Many older Chinese people came in while I was waiting for my appointments. They would purchase a paper bag full of god-knows-what (herbs of some kind) and go on their way. I have to wonder if they were buying tiger lips or whatever.

I'm the type of guy that goes to the sushi restaurant where there's a whole Japanese family eating dinner, so this place was right up my alley ;)

Your mid-Eastern remedies are exactly what I want to look into, thanks man

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