Posts
251
Joined
5/5/2016
Location
Quad Cities, IL
US
Edited Date/Time
5/20/2016 3:57pm
I have a hand/wrist condition that has put me in a state where I can barely ride or play guitar. I am trying to diagnose what the problem may be and after a few doctors appointments and research that I have done, I am left with more questions than answers. I am going to do my best to explain exactly what I am experiencing, what the doctors said, what I have learned and some of my questions and thoughts on this. I am hoping that some of you may have advice or opinions on what might be going on.
A little background.
For about 5+ years, i've thought that I had carpal tunnel in both hands despite having no symptoms that are listed on most carpal tunnel websites. I am able to go through everyday life with no pain, problems or setbacks and It seems like this condition is only agitated during certain events or movements like when riding MX and playing guitar.
I haven't seeked out any help for this until now because the problem started around the time that I began college. I wasn't riding or playing guitar nearly as much during this time and because every other activity wasn't affected, it wasn't as much of an issue. Now that I have graduated, I am wanting to ride a lot more but my condition isn't allowing me to ride like I use to.
My Symptoms
It is hard for me to explain exactly what I am experiencing. Basically, I am only able to make it around the track for two laps and after that I physically cannot pull the clutch in anymore, much like armpump. Before you guys think that it's because I am not in shape, gripping too tight, not gripping enough with my legs or any other common reason for armpump, I want to try and explain why I think there is something else going on.
I am not the best guitar player but I have been playing since I was about 10 years old. I was never in a band or anything but would often play for hours with no issue. I was able to play guitar more often than I was able to ride in college but gradually I wasn't able to play as much as I use to. I am to the point now where I cannot play one full song because I get to the point where I literrally cannot hold any strings on the guitar down. It's as if I am not strong enough to pinch the little guitar string the fraction of an inch down to the guitars neck. This is bizarre to me.
Another thing that seems weird to me is that I have these little bumps that look like cysts on both wrists. I've had these seen by two doctors and both said that they are Ganglyion cysts, which are nothing to worry about and they would not be the reason I am having these issues. (Pictures at end of post) I don't know how cysts work but it seems weird to me that I would have em in both my wrists. Why wouldn't it just be one? Is there some kind of movement that I am doing that causes these?
Background and Doctors Appointments
I am 27 years old and I have been on a computer since I was about 10 years old and my job now requires me to be on a computer 8+ hours a day. I've always known that being on a computer as much as I am will put you at risk for carpal tunnel but after speaking with my doctor, he said at my age, it would be quite rare for me to have this condition.
With that being said, my doctor still scheduled some appointments for me to have 3 tests done to check for carpal tunnel. The first test was an x-ray on both wrists. The results came back fine. The second was a blood test to see if any of my levels are low which could be causing me to cramp up during these events. The results came back fine. The third test was an Electrodiagnostic test (EMG) where they would measure the electrical impulses of the muscles in my wrist at rest and during contraction. This test was done to check for any nerve problems such as carpal tunnel. The results came back fine.
Dystonia?
All the tests have confirmed that I do not have carpal tunnel. After sitting down with my doctor, he thought that I may be suffering from Dystonia, or what is often known as "Musicians" Dystonia - because it is common in many musicians. The way he explained it is that there could be a hereditary component involved or it could be caused by a repetitive motion over time. His suggestion in dealing with this problem varies. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. It sounded like I am to research options to see which might work for me. His methods of treatment ranged from a lack of magnesium phosphate, retraining your brain to use a new technique in doing these movements and some people choose to have Botox injections in the muscles of the forearm.
What is Musician Dystonia? (according to Dytonia Foundation)
Professional musicians are susceptible to a number of occupational conditions, including task-specific focal dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and postures...Click here to read more
I am not sure what to do about this. I have included a 2 minute video below that shows a guy talking about a technique known as Focal Dystonia Treatment for Musicians, where a musician learns a new sensori-motor program for moving their fingers on the piano. The technique involves focusing on your shoulders rather than your fingers when playing. I cannot imagine how I would do that while riding
Questions
I am hoping that some of you may be able to provide insight into this condition or any other conditions that you feel I may be experiencing. Some questions that I have are;
How would you go about retraining your brain to pull in a clutch?
What are your thoughts and diagnosis for a condition where I can type all day on the computer without any issue but as soon as I pick up my guitar, I can only play for 1 minute. Even if I can do 2 laps around the track, thats longer than I can play a guitar!
What are your thoughts on the video I posted above?
Do you think I am suffering from Musicians Dystonia?
What are your thoughts about the bumps (Ganglyion Cysts) on my wrists? (Pictures below)
RIGHT HAND
LEFT HAND
Do you have any other comments or suggestions on what I may be able to do to combat this problem?
_____________________
Thank you all for taking the time to read my post. I tried to keep it short and failed on that but I wanted to be sure that I was thorough in explaining. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to hearing your replies.
Thanks
A little background.
For about 5+ years, i've thought that I had carpal tunnel in both hands despite having no symptoms that are listed on most carpal tunnel websites. I am able to go through everyday life with no pain, problems or setbacks and It seems like this condition is only agitated during certain events or movements like when riding MX and playing guitar.
I haven't seeked out any help for this until now because the problem started around the time that I began college. I wasn't riding or playing guitar nearly as much during this time and because every other activity wasn't affected, it wasn't as much of an issue. Now that I have graduated, I am wanting to ride a lot more but my condition isn't allowing me to ride like I use to.
My Symptoms
It is hard for me to explain exactly what I am experiencing. Basically, I am only able to make it around the track for two laps and after that I physically cannot pull the clutch in anymore, much like armpump. Before you guys think that it's because I am not in shape, gripping too tight, not gripping enough with my legs or any other common reason for armpump, I want to try and explain why I think there is something else going on.
I am not the best guitar player but I have been playing since I was about 10 years old. I was never in a band or anything but would often play for hours with no issue. I was able to play guitar more often than I was able to ride in college but gradually I wasn't able to play as much as I use to. I am to the point now where I cannot play one full song because I get to the point where I literrally cannot hold any strings on the guitar down. It's as if I am not strong enough to pinch the little guitar string the fraction of an inch down to the guitars neck. This is bizarre to me.
Another thing that seems weird to me is that I have these little bumps that look like cysts on both wrists. I've had these seen by two doctors and both said that they are Ganglyion cysts, which are nothing to worry about and they would not be the reason I am having these issues. (Pictures at end of post) I don't know how cysts work but it seems weird to me that I would have em in both my wrists. Why wouldn't it just be one? Is there some kind of movement that I am doing that causes these?
Background and Doctors Appointments
I am 27 years old and I have been on a computer since I was about 10 years old and my job now requires me to be on a computer 8+ hours a day. I've always known that being on a computer as much as I am will put you at risk for carpal tunnel but after speaking with my doctor, he said at my age, it would be quite rare for me to have this condition.
With that being said, my doctor still scheduled some appointments for me to have 3 tests done to check for carpal tunnel. The first test was an x-ray on both wrists. The results came back fine. The second was a blood test to see if any of my levels are low which could be causing me to cramp up during these events. The results came back fine. The third test was an Electrodiagnostic test (EMG) where they would measure the electrical impulses of the muscles in my wrist at rest and during contraction. This test was done to check for any nerve problems such as carpal tunnel. The results came back fine.
Dystonia?
All the tests have confirmed that I do not have carpal tunnel. After sitting down with my doctor, he thought that I may be suffering from Dystonia, or what is often known as "Musicians" Dystonia - because it is common in many musicians. The way he explained it is that there could be a hereditary component involved or it could be caused by a repetitive motion over time. His suggestion in dealing with this problem varies. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. It sounded like I am to research options to see which might work for me. His methods of treatment ranged from a lack of magnesium phosphate, retraining your brain to use a new technique in doing these movements and some people choose to have Botox injections in the muscles of the forearm.
What is Musician Dystonia? (according to Dytonia Foundation)
Professional musicians are susceptible to a number of occupational conditions, including task-specific focal dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and postures...Click here to read more
I am not sure what to do about this. I have included a 2 minute video below that shows a guy talking about a technique known as Focal Dystonia Treatment for Musicians, where a musician learns a new sensori-motor program for moving their fingers on the piano. The technique involves focusing on your shoulders rather than your fingers when playing. I cannot imagine how I would do that while riding
Questions
I am hoping that some of you may be able to provide insight into this condition or any other conditions that you feel I may be experiencing. Some questions that I have are;
How would you go about retraining your brain to pull in a clutch?
What are your thoughts and diagnosis for a condition where I can type all day on the computer without any issue but as soon as I pick up my guitar, I can only play for 1 minute. Even if I can do 2 laps around the track, thats longer than I can play a guitar!
What are your thoughts on the video I posted above?
Do you think I am suffering from Musicians Dystonia?
What are your thoughts about the bumps (Ganglyion Cysts) on my wrists? (Pictures below)
RIGHT HAND
LEFT HAND
Do you have any other comments or suggestions on what I may be able to do to combat this problem?
_____________________
Thank you all for taking the time to read my post. I tried to keep it short and failed on that but I wanted to be sure that I was thorough in explaining. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to hearing your replies.
Thanks
While the cysts themselves are benign, but their appearnce is due to underlying issues/injuries with those tendons or ligaments. Ligaments and tendons naturally have like a fim of fluid for lubrication purposes. When an injury happens (whether it be inflammation or other issues) the body recognizes the issue and makes extra fluid (that form into cysts) to help in areas that the body identifies as needing extra lubrication.So, the cysts in your pics, suggest underlying issues that could be from repetitive use, or whatever. Having said that, those injuries should be investigated very thoroughly. Could be dystonia, but keep in mind it is thought to be of neuorlogic origin. It is also genetic, so check whith family members. Lastly, there is such a thing as idiopathic dystonia which means it is of unknown origin or cause. Or, your problem could be more than 1 thing.
Finally, you didn't specify what kind of doctor has seen you for this. I assume it is a family/general practice provider. If that is the case, I think that you should find an ortho hand guy. They are really good in this area and since it is all they do, they have a lot more options as far as labs, diagnosis, etc..I think that would do you a lot of good. Personally, I think that you will find it to be of carpal tunnel origin ( I know you said that was ruled out but more extensive testing can change findings)
Hope that helped and I didn't ramble too long.
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