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Thread: The Ravages of Age

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    The Ravages of Age

    Many of us post our trials and tribulations when it comes to our health. I am comfortable (without bragging) that I've had exceptionally good health the majority of my life. A couple of broken bones, but nothing internal, chronic or systemic. Well, until 2019, that is. During a routine physical check up, my doctor made me aware that I was mortal. No, nothing that required me to update my will, but simply an acknowledgement that we all have a miracle vessel we inhabit that has an expiration date on it. The systems that give us strength and energy when we are younger, begin to wear down over time. That was what I learned.

    Yesterday I went to the chiropractor. I haven't been since returning from my trip that ended when the COVID "15 day" curve-flattening began. (Some 15 days, huh?). Anyway, I've noticed over the past few weeks that I develop a pain in my left (fret hand) thumb joint when I'm playing, and after a while I have to take a break. I can probe the area and feel discomfort. It's right where my thumb joins to the wrist. Thanks to the Internet, I self-diagnosed my condition as arthritis. Yep, age.

    So, I went to the chiropractor and he now has me using a rubber band stretched over my hand as if I were holding a baseball, with the band closing over my thumb and pinky. I am to flex against the resistance. Sort of like this, but with the band going behind the last knuckle of the fingers.



    My chiropractor is a guitar player himself, so he's very keen on making sure I can play all day and all night, if I wish.

    Age. Huh.
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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Funny you bring this up- a couple of joints in my right hand hurt too much to really play guitar. I think I injured myself (mildly) when dealing with the water in my basement- maybe while ripping out wet carpeting. I'll give it a couple more days before I before I worry about it.

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    last week, during some of the less than wicked cold freezing days, I got lackadaisical about wearing gloves in my car. I've also been getting impatient with the hot water at my bathroom sink, washing my hands in cold water. Well, my left index finger let me know of my transgressions. I played a bit of guitar and I could barely type that Sunday.

    I've been taking the time, standing in the doorway of stores if I have to, making damn sure I have my gloves on before I head outside. Also making sure I put my gloves back on after I put my mask, hat back on and put away my USB stick, CDs etc before i leave the car. I start the water running as soon as I enter the bathroom and usually by the time I'm doing talking to a man about a horse and the toilet stops filling, the water at the sink faucet is finally warm. I'm not kidding, it's a good 2 minutes plus if I haven't gone in a few hours.

    It's been paying off. My finger has stopped hurting and I've been playing guitar more without pain. The motions of playing my new keyboard is using muscles in ways they're not used to so it is really important to keep my phalanges and wrists warm. Plus one benefit of apartment living is no snow shoveling.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    I’m a finger picking bass player and because of the repetitive use of those fingers I developed a case of “trigger finger” where my index finger would lock and snap loose. This is a good video that explains how the surgery is done to repair or release the problem.


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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    For years my right wrist hurt like heck. I would have to wrap it with a flexibler wristband to even use my hand. Since I sold my last car with a standard transmission and gone to an automatic, it hurts about 90% less.... Speaking of th3 bopy breaking down, I have a dr. appt next week to get my prostate checked - discomfort and plumbing issues - worried sick it might be the big C...
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by gibsonjunkie View Post
    For years my right wrist hurt like heck. I would have to wrap it with a flexibler wristband to even use my hand. Since I sold my last car with a standard transmission and gone to an automatic, it hurts about 90% less.... Speaking of th3 bopy breaking down, I have a dr. appt next week to get my prostate checked - discomfort and plumbing issues - worried sick it might be the big C...
    Prostates can swell and cause difficulties with the flow. Infections will make you feel like your nuts are getting crushed. That's common with guys our age and older. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. A buddy of mine went in for a biopsy last week. Fingers on the other hand crossed for him.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  7. #7
    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by gibsonjunkie View Post
    For years my right wrist hurt like heck. I would have to wrap it with a flexibler wristband to even use my hand. Since I sold my last car with a standard transmission and gone to an automatic, it hurts about 90% less.... Speaking of th3 bopy breaking down, I have a dr. appt next week to get my prostate checked - discomfort and plumbing issues - worried sick it might be the big C...
    I can let you know about the prostate issues, mine was removed last December when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer after several years of watching PSA numbers bounce around and finally undergoing a biopsy. I was given the options of hormone therapy or radioactive seeds to make an attempt at correcting the situation or surgery to remove the organ. I chose removal to just make everything final. With removal, there are two types of surgery, conventional and robotic. I chose robotic because it is quicker (who cares, you’re gassed and don’t know), is an overnight hospital stay (conventional is three days), and quicker recovery time. It was painless with the only discomfort living two weeks with a foley catheter inserted post surgery.

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    The drummer I jam with has had trigger finger surgery on both hands. He's doing very well now.

    I broke both of my wrists in a fall many years ago. I sleep with a brace on my left wrist and am realizing that using the snow blower and shoveling aggravates that wrist. I may have to have a landscaper clear my snow in the future if I want to keep playing guitar.

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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    If it really is arthritis, you might want to get an MD to look at it. Self-diagnosing using the internet is tricky business as many symptoms for one pathology overlap with many symptoms of other pathologies.

    Do you know if you have osteoarthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis? Gout? Other inflammation? RSI? Just a muscle pull? Have you ever injured that area of your hand before?

    Physical therapy as suggested by your chiro might only be dealing with part of the picture and they may not be advising the proper course of treatment.

    Did your chiro even suggest having an MD check it out? Of course not, silly me!

  10. #10
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Had a rough time with my wrists recently. Physical therapy and stretches prevented surgery and now I’m fine.

    Stretches help a LOT.

  11. #11
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    If it really is arthritis, you might want to get an MD to look at it. Self-diagnosing using the internet is tricky business as many symptoms for one pathology overlap with many symptoms of other pathologies.

    Do you know if you have osteoarthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis? Gout? Other inflammation? RSI? Just a muscle pull? Have you ever injured that area of your hand before?

    Physical therapy as suggested by your chiro might only be dealing with part of the picture and they may not be advising the proper course of treatment.

    Did your chiro even suggest having an MD check it out? Of course not, silly me!
    No, no he didn't.

    I'm working through a progression, of course. If chiro addresses the issue, so be it. If not, then I'll go to my PCP.
    Striving to be ordinary

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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Like you Laker, my beautiful bride developed a locking finger a couple of years ago, but I hadn't thought about her bass picking being the cause. I took her to the emergency room the first time, but we've learned since to soak in hot water and pull out on the end of the finger to let it unlock and straighten.

  13. #13
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    The drummer I jam with has had trigger finger surgery on both hands. He's doing very well now.

    I broke both of my wrists in a fall many years ago. I sleep with a brace on my left wrist and am realizing that using the snow blower and shoveling aggravates that wrist. I may have to have a landscaper clear my snow in the future if I want to keep playing guitar.
    while it may seem like you're wimping out by going to a plow service, it is well worth it in the long run. We had plow service at the old house the last few years and I'm sure they saved my bacon. I still had to shovel and occasionally snowblow but far less than I would have otherwise.

    If and when we do finally get a house again, I'm definitely going to have plow service. I've done my half century of snow removal duties. I either pay someone else or move to Florida. I'd rather pay someone else
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  14. #14
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    while it may seem like you're wimping out by going to a plow service, it is well worth it in the long run. We had plow service at the old house the last few years and I'm sure they saved my bacon. I still had to shovel and occasionally snowblow but far less than I would have otherwise.

    If and when we do finally get a house again, I'm definitely going to have plow service. I've done my half century of snow removal duties. I either pay someone else or move to Florida. I'd rather pay someone else
    It's not that I feel like I'm wimping out, it's just that clearing snow was one of the few yard work tasks that I actually like!

  15. #15
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    to be fair, I was probably projecting there. I actually liked snow removal, too. In the good old days, I used to spark up a bowl and go to town. A clean dry driveway was a small victory for me.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    to be fair, I was probably projecting there. I actually liked snow removal, too. In the good old days, I used to spark up a bowl and go to town. A clean dry driveway was a small victory for me.
    I've always said clearing snow is the adult equivalent of playing with your mashed potatoes!

  17. #17
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    I've always said clearing snow is the adult equivalent of playing with your mashed potatoes!
    Like my grandpappy used to say: “Ain’t no one gonna eat those potatoes for you!”. I took it to mean that I need to snowblow my own driveway to have it done when I want it to be done and to my standards. I had a plow service for the winter just after my daughter was born. They never came on time and always did a shit job. You’d think snow removal contractors - in Canada! - would have figured out how to make it work. But sadly no. At one point, my former contractor sent his own father over with a shovel to do the job. I told him not to bother and I pulled out my snowblower.

  18. #18
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    the guy I had for a couple years did a really good job, until he had some sort of break down following the winter of '18-'19. He flaked out on me that summer. The few times I had to get substitute plow guys before we moved in Feb 2020 were pretty bad. One time I spent 8 hours over 2 days fixing their shitty job (didn't call that guy again)
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  19. #19
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    The guy that does the house across the street and next door is always right on top of it. He's been in the business for a long time, has done some work for us in the past, used to live a few houses away from us and and currently lives a couple of blocks from us- we see him and his wife taking their grandchild for walks.

  20. #20
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    |I was ice skating a few weeks ago with the kiddo, and I fell. I think my hand was wrapped a bit weird around my hockey stick, and my pinky finger on my fretting hand has been hurting since. It swelled up pretty good the day after, and it;s slowly been getting better. |I don't think it was broken - |I could still flex that finger, but it was not as flexible as usual.
    I was playing today, and other than a few long stretches |I was able to play just as badly as ever.
    ********************************
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    "It is if you don't drop it."
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  21. #21
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    one of my college buddies fell skating 2 weeks ago and broke his left wrist. I asked if had queried his surgeon if he could play the guitar after surgery.

    *oh, come on, you know what's coming*

    "Oh, good, because I couldn't before"

    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  22. #22
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    one of my college buddies fell skating 2 weeks ago and broke his left wrist. I asked if had queried his surgeon if he could play the guitar after surgery.

    *oh, come on, you know what's coming*

    "Oh, good, because I couldn't before"

    Interesting story... My college roommate, Scott Colby plays slide a lot like Sonny Landreth. A number of years ago he injured his arm in a fall and was told by his doctor that he would never again play guitar. He was at a music awards event with a friend of his, (Henry Kaiser), and they actually had dinner with Sonny Landreth (and the CEO of Rickenbacker guitars). After dinner (and a show) they all went back to Sonny's room to jam. When Sonny heard Scott's story, he asked him if he had even tried to play. When Scott replied "no", Sonny handed him his guitar and said "play!"... and he did!
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  23. #23
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by gibsonjunkie View Post
    Interesting story... My college roommate, Scott Colby plays slide a lot like Sonny Landreth. A number of years ago he injured his arm in a fall and was told by his doctor that he would never again play guitar. He was at a music awards event with a friend of his, (Henry Kaiser), and they actually had dinner with Sonny Landreth (and the CEO of Rickenbacker guitars). After dinner (and a show) they all went back to Sonny's room to jam. When Sonny heard Scott's story, he asked him if he had even tried to play. When Scott replied "no", Sonny handed him his guitar and said "play!"... and he did!
    omg, i would have wanted to kick that doctor's ass
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  24. #24
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Ravages of Age

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    omg, i would have wanted to kick that doctor's ass
    You got that right!
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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