Injured barre finger!

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Allan C.
Date: 20 Mar 06 - 07:19 PM

The consultation with the doctor revealed the following observations or recommendations:

The calluses surrounding the blood vessels were, indeed, created by the body to protect the vessels due to the repeated pressure put upon them in the forming of barre chords.
Surgical intervention does not appear to be necessary.
Two remaining options seem to be either to rethink the positioning of the finger or to avoid the barre chords altogether.

In other words, the doctor had little to add to what has already been said here. She was greatly apologetic in that she didn’t know enough about guitar playing to advise me more about possible solutions with regard to technique. However, she felt quite sure that the options she outlined were sound. (So did I.) She also offered a prescription for an anti-inflamatory drug that may help to speed my recovery.

Recently I discovered that I could actually play barre chords on my wife’s nylon stringed classical guitar without discomfort. This was a joyous breakthrough! Nonetheless, I have continued to avoid such chords wherever possible. Also, the calluses have by now dissolved almost completely, allowing me to be able to play my twelve-string once more - at least a little. The twelve-string (Martin D12-28) has a much lighter action (by far!) than my old Yamaha FG 160 six-string, aka, The Mudcat Adventure Guitar. Although it developed a very fine sound after I refinished it, the Yamaha’s action has always been its most evident flaw, making it the obvious culprit with regard to my damaged finger. And so, I’m afraid The Mudcat Adventure Guitar may have to gather a little dust for a while. I’ll miss it terribly.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Malc R
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 10:41 AM

You have my synpathy too.

If your favorite songs require barre chords, and it hurts to play barre chords it might be a good time to broaden your repetoir by learning some new songs that don't require barre chords and if it is RSI it will have a chance to heal without withdrawal symptoms!!!!!Nah - to easy.

Good luck at the Dr's.

Mal >:o)

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 10:26 AM

Which are the barred chords you use? Sometimes there are ways and means without barring (the obvious one is playing an F using the thumb to fret the 6th string, but there are others). I almost never use barred chords, mainly because I think they sound 'wrong' in folk music - about the only one I do use is Bm but it's fairly rare.
Apologies if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs! :-)
S:0)

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Allan C.
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:51 AM

SJ, where possible, I try to do that. However, there are many songs that, no matter what key you put them in or what use you make of a capo, fretted chords are necessary. BTW, using modified barres is of little help in this case. I've even tried skipping the barred chords; but the gap is far too obvious.

Nope. I'm doomed (for the moment, at least.) I'm just having a hard time coming to grips (no pun intended,) with my inability to play the songs I like. I will have to say that I am well on the way to a mend and so there is hope for a recovery. My question to the doctor will be how I might prevent future problems of this sort. However, I'm not sure that I want to hear the answer I am likely to receive!

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:23 AM

Play root position chords. Use a capo to get the thing pitched to your voice. QED.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 10:53 AM

Re: I do have plans to visit the doctor in the next few days. However, I have some doubt that I will receive specific help.

Umm, who's paying the bills here? You, right? Look the doctor in the eye, make sure she's awake and listening (they tend to be overworked and exhauted), emphasize your points and repeat yourself if necessary. Don't be rude, but don't be brushed off, either.

Your problem sounds like something that needs professional attention.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 06:29 AM

This is an excerpt from a post I just made on an acoustic guitar forum in a similar thread. You already seem aware of R.S.I. and its horrible implications, but for anyone who isn't, please read on (even if it is a bit of a lecture). This is a condition that really has to be taken seriously.

The trouble with R.S.I. is that (a) it often doesn't hurt enough to really stop activity, so people stoically carry on and try to "work through" it: a disastrously wrong approach for R.S.I.; (b) it can escalate in stages, so that people go for a period of time with a nagging but bearable amount of pain until one day it's so much worse that they can't use their hand/shoulder properly at all; (c) this is a worst-case scenario, but if this sort of wear-injury is persistently ignored it can permanently cripple the affected area. I'm not exaggerating or trying to scare-monger. It can and it DOES. The websites and blogs are full of people saying "if only someone had told me".

Computers are the worst culprits because they use repeated tiny movements rather than the larger actions required by the old manual typewriters. It can also be caused by knitting, playing an instrument, or anything that makes you do the same movement over and over.

The other thing to be aware of is how you're sitting, especially if you're using any muscle tension in your back or shoulders to "hold" yourself in place. This can have a huge effect on how much stress is being put on the tendons. You can be tensing something in the shoulders or neck that will manifest down at the wrists, for example.

There are some very helpful R.S.I. chat/help forums. You really have to stop playing altogether until it heals, which could be a matter or weeks or months depending upon how bad it is. But it's better than stopping permanently, which is a very real alternative. The only way to treat wear is to stop doing whatever causes it and let the body rebuild itself.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Bert
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 03:24 AM

Serves ya bloody right for showing off with all them fancy chords. A, D and E7 work just fine for me.


Seriously though it sounds a real bummer, but you have really answered your own question with - "then Don't do it" - just borrow Carmen's auto harp and give the poor finger a good rest until it gets better.

Cheers,

Bert.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Kaleea
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 07:52 PM

I play a variety of instruments, & know quite well how deprived one can feel when unable to play a fav instrument. If you do go after the autoharp, remember that it can be quite addictive. I got an adirondack autoharp a few years back & a friend helped me set up the chord bars in the Bryan Bowers configuration. Within a few weeks, the bug had bitten, but the dinging & ringing & buzzing was driving me crackers. Therefore I bought a Fladmark! I've been pinchin' & pluckin' ever since. You might want to start looking for your own right away.
Meanwhile, see what the Dr. says. You might even want to take your guitar with you. Some Dr.s are good about working with Musicians.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Tootler
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 06:18 PM

You have my sympathy. Different instrument as I play a wind instrument, but I had problems with RSI a couple of years or so back and was told by my doctor to stop playing for a while which I did for about 4 months - definitely suffered withdrawal symptons during that time, but it did the trick and gave the body time to start healing. Even so it took about 2 years for my wrist and hand to properly recover and I had to be careful not to overdo it during that period. I think my problem arose more from overuse of a computer keyboard than playing recorder, but the two probably aggravated each other.

I am sure a visit to your GP will help even if she is not fully aware of the hazards of playing guitar :-)

Good Luck

Geoff

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Allan C.
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 04:57 PM

Thanks all. Besides the other things I've already mentioned, I anticipated HfAndy's advice and have learned to drink right-handed (which wasn't much of a trick since I am right-handed anyway!)

Nope, there are no signs of any manner of infection. Thank goodness! I worked in hospitals (including the ER,) for long enough to recognize all manner of dangerous symptoms.

Early on, I thought about the kind of injury RichM described. I've had the same sort of thing happen in much the same way or by carrying one too many buckets of water.

The fact is, lately I've been playing guitar far more regularly than in almost any other time in my life. Heck, I've even developed calluses on my fingerpicking fingers! So, I imagine that Bonnie is probably very close to the truth when she suggested some sort of injury due to repetition. My overall suspicion is that the callus formed to protect the vein from the pressure I was puttting on it so often by playing barre chords repeatedly - especially in one particular song I've been practicing lately. Taking that theory one step further, I believe the callus grew to the point at which it was putting unusual pressure on a nerve.

I do have plans to visit the doctor in the next few days. However, I have some doubt that I will receive specific help. I remember during my first visit, this doctor was quite puzzled by the calluses on the tips of the fingers of my left hand. Clearly, she had never played guitar or knew anyone who did.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:48 PM

Sorry, me again... If your skin has formed a callus around/above something which is painful when probed, it sounds as though your body is trying to isolate it, which means there might be something foreign trapped under there that could have become infected. (Is there any inflammation or swelling, or - warning signal - red streaks emanating from it?) If it IS an infection (and the sharp pain you describe reminds me of one I once had) it needs professional dealing with, and sooner not later!

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:36 PM

If the time it's been going on is measurable in weeks, then I really truly think you need to get it looked at by a doctor, perhaps even X-rayed. Obviously SOMEthing isn't right, and it's not going away of its own accord. Ignoring it may allow it to get worse or cause damage which could have otherwise been avoided.

I would have suggested possible R.S.I. (repetitive strain injury) but the symptoms don't sound like it - not that I'm a medical professional. But take some productive action, please! You never know -

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: RichM
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:22 PM

I've had this problem a couple of times over the years, but I don't know that it's from the same cause as yours.

Once, it was caused by carrying a single plastic grocery bag that was heavy-- heavy enough to stretch and thin the hand grip part. It was a ruptured blood vessel at the second joint. Took weeks to heal. Do what Leadfingers suggests... and don't make any barres until it stops hurting.

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:06 PM

I injure a finger or two badly enough to interfere with chording about once a year, on average. It gives me a chance to brush up on my Dobro playing.

Subject: RE: Injured barreBar finger? finger!
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 02:55 PM

Use the other hand to lift your pint glass???

I'll get my coat......

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 02:25 PM

This may be a totally superflous idea , but have you seen a doctor ?

Subject: RE: Injured barre finger!
From: Wesley S
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 01:56 PM

Sorry Allen - no solutions here - just sympathy. Good luck and keep us posted.

Subject: Injured barre finger!
From: Allan C.
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 01:46 PM

Oh no! I have somehow incapacitated my guitar barre-ing finger! Specifically, it hurts at the crease of the second joint of my index finger, more or less on the side nearest my thumb. When attempting a barre chord it feels as though someone is jamming broken glass into that spot! Painful probing and close examination reveals that there is a vein traversing that spot that has developed something akin to a callus around it. It seems that any pressure on this callus results in the kind of pain I have described. Note: it only hurts when pressure is applied.

I know. I know. "If it hurts when you do that, then don't do it!" But it is killing me not to play the songs I love. I've transposed as many as I can to keys that don't require a barre chord; but it usually winds up being in a key unfavorable to my voice range. Plus, there are so many songs that no amount of transposing will eliminate the need for barre chords. And yes, I've tried using bandages to cushion the afflicted digit while playing guitar; but that doesn't really have much of a positive effect.

This has been going on for nearly three weeks now. I admit that the enforced disuse of that finger has brought a considerable reduction in the pain; but my wife, Carmen, is starting to notice that I am eyeing her autoharp with a certain degree of envy.

I have never experienced anything quite like it and, since I don't know exactly what caused it to suddenly become a problem, I have no idea how to prevent it from happening again. I feel sure that time will heal this wound just as it does most others. I certainly hope that when it finally subsides, it never returns.

Well, thanks for "listening." I just needed to gripe about it.