hand problems

[mrbulletbutt]

ever since winter started, ive come inside with cold hands and tryed to play guitar a lot. some times ive woken up and tried to play guitar. sometimes i just decide to play guitar. and half the time i have this problem with my hands. my hands just will not play guitar. my brain tells my hand to play anything and it takes me literally ten seconds to play it. is this a normal problem? is there any name for this problem?

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

that's not a hand problem, that's a brain problem.

 

[cram]

It'd be just awesome if I could schedule a gig where I slept for a good 8 hours in this isolation chamber on the side of the stage. The rest of the band could handle sound check and setup for me. They'd just need to wake me up and I'd play the first set in my PJ's.
C'mon!? What would be better than a puffy faced, groggy guitarist to start a show!?

 

[Pelagic]

I once read an article about a world renowed female classical guitarist who lost the ability to play and had to relearn the instrument. I believe it was neurological.

 

[dysorexia]

I have that problem but with my bowels.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

I once read an article about a world renowed female classical guitarist who lost the ability to play and had to relearn the instrument. I believe it was neurological.

Pat Martino had an aneurysm and had to completely relearn the instrument.

 

[G Man]

Pat Martino had an aneurysm and had to completely relearn the instrument.

Jerry Garcia had to re-learn the guitar after his diabetic coma in the late 80s.

 

[DrumBob]

How callous can you be? This guy might have a neurological disorder, in which case, it's not something to be laughed at.

 

[Tim Plains]

Sorry, I thought this was a joke and just found Help's post extremely funny.

 

[DavidH]

You need to get that gratification feedback loop going between your fingers and your brain, then you're away. Great tone helps. A lot.

 

[docsmith]

Everything is under the control of your brain. If you're having motor problems, it's usually caused by a CNS (central nervous system) problems.

The nervous system is "plastic" - meaning it has the ability to change, to learn, to recover, etc. You can try starting slowly and deliberately and work on simple exercises (1-2-3-4) stuff. Work on simple chords (open position)...and just be patient and take your time. I could explain the neurophysiology behind this. But it would be a long-winded spiel and you probably don't care. The point is - just reinforce simple stuff until it restores those basics and then move on.

If this progresses or you find you cannot perform other day to day tasks, make an appointment with a doctor who specializes in the nervous system (chiropractor - what I do, or a neurologist). They both will do a similar diagnostic workup...it's just the treatments will be different. A chiropractor will do adjustments to the spine, prescribe nutritional supplements specifically to nourish the nervous system, and do brain based therapies designed to "wake up the brain" (auditory stimulation, visual stimulation, sensory stimulation). A neurologist will prescribe medicine designed to accomplish a specific physiological response. They're both valid yet different approaches.


Good luck to you.



Doc Smith

ever since winter started, ive come inside with cold hands and tryed to play guitar a lot. some times ive woken up and tried to play guitar. sometimes i just decide to play guitar. and half the time i have this problem with my hands. my hands just will not play guitar. my brain tells my hand to play anything and it takes me literally ten seconds to play it. is this a normal problem? is there any name for this problem?

 

[Stonebandit]

I'd be with Doc Smith on that one. If it is bad like you say it is. A quick call and book in for a 15/30 mins visit to your GP. Kind of urgent, if things were alright only a short while back.

Keep us posted. Try and get into the GP in the next days or so. Better to get it checked. Especially !!! if Specialist Appointments need to be made, If it is serious they can get you in as an urgent case. Take the casual approach... And Yeap the secretary at the Specialist may not be able to 'give' you the next available appointment and you may have to wait several months.!!!!

But let's hope for the best, but 10 seconds sounds a little long if prior you were fluent.

 

[supa-fuzz]

What would be better than a puffy faced, groggy guitarist to start a show!?

Pretty sure this was Richie Blackmore in the 70's

 

[GulfportBound]

I wouldn't exactly laugh at any kind of hand problem. Sometimes if it's cold outside and I've got to or want to play, I have to let my hands re-warm before I can play decently. On chilly gig nights I get to the venue an hour before I have to go on, anyway, so my hands can get back to normal by the time I have to strap on the guitar and start playing.

I also had to overcome an injury to my fretting hand 20 years ago---broke two bones in it. The bones healed but I lost a lot of dexterity in the hand. Before that, I had some pretty sleek and slick fingers on the fretboard. After that, I simply couldn't do that again physically, and I still can't. So I began rethinking my entire approach to the guitar---I was (and remain) a blues player, anyway, so where on earth was it written you had to play machine-gun fast to play the blues?

That accident turned out to be the greatest blessing of my musical life, because it forced me to begin thinking about playing with taste and making every note count, instead of just whipping out swift runs, scales, whatever. People who hear me play now give me way more compliments about my playing than I ever got when I could really rip it. (I have a small handful of quick licks I can do but that's about all, and I can't do it constantly, but I don't mind.) And I enjoy my own playing even more now, myself.

 

[diego]

A neurologist that is experienced with repetitive stress/strain injuries would be a good investment. The cold you experience could be related to your circulation, and the clumsiness to your nervous system.

If you press into the area between the clavicle and the first rib and it is painful or sore, this area could be inflamed and therefore compressing the circulation and the nerves to the hands, and your symptoms could be from thoracic outlet syndrome.

 

[b2sc]

Hand problems are no laughing matter. I've had tendonitis the past few years (I'm 45) in my fretting hand and it's been getting progressively worse quickly. Over the past 3 years, i've had four cortisone injections into 4 different finger joints on my hands. and cortisone injections are limited to 2 in one site in a lifetime.

I played a gig last weekend that went great but I woke up the next day and my left index finger was swollen, in pain and I couldn't move it for 3 days. I could'nt pick up a guitar to fret a note at all.

Saw the good Dr. this AM and got another injection in this joint. He looked at it and said it probably won't last (let's hope it does) and I should plan on having one of my tendons removed witihn the next year to make room for the others to move freely. The good news is I was playinn pain free and my hand felt better than it had in years. I was inspired.

We laugh (all in good spirits I hope) but the thing that scares me more than anything is to know that at somepoint, I'll no longer be able to play and enjoy life with my music the way I do now.

..But that's why they make fast cars, I suppose.

 

[vortexxxx]

"adn cortison injections are limited to 2 in one site in a lifetime."

Why is this? I was just wondering because I used to have to take cortisone in tablet form for a while. There were side effects but nothing permanent.

 

[Summa]

OP, please see a doctor. If possible a neurologist. I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis). I don't want to scare you but the symptoms you describe sound eerily similar.

Please let me know what happens.

 

[BigfnMonster]

I had similar problem, ended up being a disc in my neck. No neck pain mind you, just arm/hand problem. What helped me play and what may help is loads of stretching and warmups. I even ran my hand under very warm water. Then twice as many exercises. Helps a lot.

 

[Stonebandit]

Did you manage to get an Appointment AsaP? At least to the G.P so you can get your Specialist Appointements underway as 'Urgent'.
This can be written on the refereral, then also you can call the receptionist once you have the name of the specialist, and ask 'reiterating it is of urgent attention, and that you'd appreciate the earliest Appointement If one was available. Also is it possible to be listed on the Cancellation List- to be called if one of your patients cancels, and an earlier appointment becomes available, and if you could leave your details for such a situation.

How are you going these last couple of days?