Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Arthritis alternative besides STOP Playing!

dire tonic, Thanks for sharing your story - it is such a challenge to learn to live with one's own body isn't it. There is no universal answer as the medical world might wish. From all the suggestions I've received I might find something that helps. Best is hearing that no-one has actually stopped playing because of arthritis!

I love the silk PJs recommendation. I wonder if I can get a Dr.'s order to wear them at all times!!

Hi there, I am in the same boat. My doctor put it like this.... well you got bursitis..... you got tendonitis...... and that's superimposed on carpal tunnel. Well celebrex was no good, but this new stuff called tramadol is magic in the bottle. Too bad it doesn't last that long but you're allowed three a day. I am a mechanic by trade, and it gets me through. Hope this helps, I still can't play for a long time, but I can play some. The good news is everybody here plays better than I do, lol, I just love my keyboard and the membership here. All my best..

BlueNotes. Thanks for your support. Well I'm glad I missed out on the bursitis and carpal tunnel but I do know what tendonitis is like. This is the second reference to tremadol so there must be something in it.
I shied away from the steroid shots having had a few int he past. No fun and threatened with hospitalization if I needed any more!.
There are some wonderful players here in PW and it's inspirational to listen to them. I've had to accept having to play much simpler pieces and much slower going than I used to but at least I still am! There is such beauty in simplicity and it's always a mental challenge to learn something new.

With doctors in the States handing out "notes" to allow narcissists to bring their pet dogs onto airplanes, I'm sure this isn't far removed.

If you mean for yourself, your post said you don't have pain, so tremadol probably wouldn't be right for you. Tremadol is an analgesic, and a pretty powerful, opiate one. I don't think it does anything for the underlying arthritis, etc.

We really should pay far more attention to Associations like this. When I came close to permanent death 10 years ago. The only one who truly provided real help in knowledge, was the American Diabetes Association. I had and have professionals who won't bother to go find out from the Diabetes Association that "lifestyle" is a real treatment. Lifestyle is a cause. We can do so much more than doctors can for ourselves. Our bodies are far better at curing than doctors are. We just need to give our bodies a good chance to do that.

EDIT: I hope you people realize that things like Cancer are a normal part of our bodies processes. We have a new body every three months. Cancer is part of the tearing down process then the rebuild happens. Which is constantly. Cancer as we know it is when this process runs amuck. Somehow keeping it in check stops happening. That's all Cancer is. Very simple.

jdeacon, noted! I'm sure the Doc would tell me! Pain flares up and sometimes have a few bad nights mostly in shoulders as yet and it feels like someone is driving a nail into the joints.... Usually because I overdid things. It takes quite a while to calm down week to 10 days. I was doing the NSAID's 3x3 a day before trying the celebrex and find I still reach for the tylenol or such.
Fingers seem to ache,swell and tingle at the moment not that stabbling pain, and when theose cracks and clicks started I became fearful of its progresssion, not that one can stop it, just hope to alay it.

Bobpickel, you are too much. Want to see your next recording submission suitable attired!

I thought I would clarify something regarding the use of Tramadol (Ultram).

First off, this is a last resort type of pain therapy to use only if nothing else is working as it IS a cleverly disguised opiate.

Tramadol (Ultram) works incredibly well to relieve pain due to the fact that it has a 24 hr 'half life'. This means that around half the power of the pill lasts almost all day. But remember it IS a cleverly disguised opiate and IS habit forming.

You NEVER want to take any stronger drug than you absolutely must do to the fact that your body builds up a tolerance to these drugs fairly quickly. What that means is that if you REALLY needed to take pain pills for something after you have been taking them for a while....they either will have little effect, OR, you will need to take lots more just to somewhat work. That is NEVER a good situation to be in. Just ask your Liver!

Having been surrounded by people with severe arthritis in support groups etc, I have yet to meet anyone who s problems are solved with NSAIDS or Celebrex. I've personally tried both at various strengths will zero results. The only drug that some people have said that works (other than Tramadol) is 800 mg Motrin. I've tried that myself as well and it did nothing for me but tear my stomach up.

If I'm really hurting badly (usually do to a significant barometric change) I will avoid any and all sugars/starches [as that is what the bacteria eats] and eat all veggies or an Atkins type of low carb diet. Before bed I will wash myself with handmade cold process soap because the difference between using that and regular store bought soap is dramatically noticeable. It makes me feel SO much better (my skin that is).

Then I will go to bed on a Latex mattress with very clean, fresh smelling soft sheets. The Latex mattress does not give you any hard pressure points like coils can or 'pack' down into a much harder surface like memory foam can. (tried that too).

Nothing, (other than Tramadol) works better for me than to have my wife gently massage my bodies joints with her fingertips. It turns me from the Tasmanian devil spinning around in my own generated whirlwind into a semi comatose melted blob drooling on his pillow! The electrical power generated by the soft, gentle massaging fingertips cannot be understated. But, unfortunately, reality sets in and I can't have my wife massaging me 24/7. Of course I'm all for it but she starts to wear out after a while and I don't want her joints to hurt.

The 'silk pajamas' suggestion is absolutely NOT a joke. When you are in pain, you have to do everything humanly possible in your quest for comfort. If you don't, you will not sleep at all at night as your body s pains and aches will keep you up. You must do everything you can think of (that actually works).

Pain in the joints are often caused by 'Barorecepters' in your joints that sense the change and imbalance in barometric pressure. This is why on windy days I am absolutely miserable. The only thing you can do on days like this is just take it easy and wait for the pressure to stabilize.

Another observation I have made observing arthritic people is that they hurt no matter what. If you work out with weights to build up the muscles thereby reducing your joint as a leveraged hinge, it will eventually help with the joint pain but then you will be sore from lifting! It is still highly recommended however I have not noticed anyone who has been significantly affected by arthritis pain become 'normal' or permanently better. They just do everything they can to manage it and keep things somewhat under control.

What I hate about joint pain most is that it has the ability to take the natural smile off my face because it is very hard to be in a good mood when you don't feel good. Unfortunately, I DO understand how pain works in the brain and realize that you can't completely eliminate it as the pain is part of your biofeedback system. It is also there for a reason pretty much tossing a flag on the play letting you know something is wrong (the feedback part).

You MUST mentally prepare yourself to identify the underlying problem/source of the pain and do everything you possibly can to deal with it. And yes, this includes radical lifestyle changes; especially in diet and exercise.

Has anyone else tried the "Hand-Eze" gloves or similar types of things? I've been thinking about getting some to help prevent injury, as I've been through the whole tendonitis thing and don't really want to go back. Can you practice with them on? My job involves tons of typing, so my hands get more use than most people's.

I'm hoping to be constructive here. Truly! Please don't take anything as an argument. I wish to learn as well as share info. I ain't no expert. I have learned more than most bother to.

The above statement rung a bell with me. That joint mobility I speak of. For me, it was a release of full body blood flow. Like every one of my joints were a Bonsai tie. I didn't have but a hint of arthritis. It's gone now. It ain't no quick fix either. Takes a year to start realizing the results. That's just the start.



I can only relate to this in that I used to have many sinus headaches. I could always tell when it was going to rain. Doing this joint mobility. Part of it is moving the head. The mobility of the upper reaches of the spinal chord. I had been doing this almost 6 months. I was moving my head like Stevie Wonder. Yes that's one of the movements. Something popped in my head. My sinuses were clear. Could hear, see better. Better sense of balance.
I could never before run while breathing through my nose. I can do that now.
I don't have sinus headaches anymore.
I also rationalize this as from a show on the brain with Alan Alda. As people get older. There is a build up of fluid in the center of the brain. Younger people don't have this. I'm rationalizing that I released that fluid. I can rationalize that adults won't move their head much so that fluid builds up.
Much of this mobility wisdom is based on the fact that fluids build up in joints. We don't move them enough to release that. The joints get deposits in them. They're not healthy enough to get rid of that. Then things like arthritis happen.

One thing that I find more than interesting with my mobility work. My feet. Foot problems run in my family. I always had to wear shoes. I have gone to much mobility work on my feet. Also I wear Vibram Five Fingers mostly. I run in Vibrams also. When I was 49. My shoe size was 9 1/2 D. Had been for all my adult life. Since then, I finally bought a pair of boots for work. They are 11 EEE.These aren't even lace up boots. They're slip on. They fit great. My feet have grown. I'm 53 now.
My brother complains about foot problems. He has doctor prescribed inserts. The whole 9 yards. I tell him to just be harder on his feet. Do mobility drills for his feet. He won't listen. He keeps suffering.
My brother was also impressed at how easily I bend over to pick up a piece of paper off the floor. He couldn't believe it. He won't listen and do mobility drills.

I just wanted to share. This has done a ton for me. Made me younger, literally. I just wish everyone the best. Hope they would at least give it a good try for a year. They won't regret it.

I use the Hand-eze gloves and swear by them. They don't look like they would do much. But, they do. My night time circulation in my hands has improved tremendously. For any reason I don't wear them, I sure know it!!! My hands will be slightly swollen and quite painful without them.

edit to add, Yes you can play with them on. They are very unobtrusive.

dynamobt, I can easily see how wearing the gloves could provide some relief. Compression therapy does work to some degree.

Many people experience increased support and circulation from just wearing something tight like thermal underwear.

I wear tight fitting thermal underwear under my jeans in very cold weather and the increased support from them is very noticeable. The slight squeezing pressure on the knee and hip joints from the tight thermal underwear pants is a welcome relief.

Rocking chairs and porch swings work well too in a different way. They keep you moving without focusing the pain on one specific position.

Anne, I have worn gloves while using the computer for years now. Mostly, I buy the inexpensive, cloth gloves from the big stores and cut the tips off. Lately for piano, I use full fingered gloves designed to be used with touch screens. I lose a bit of span, but the trade off is comfort. It also keeps the keyboard really clean, which I like.

I believe that for me, keeping the hands warm is the key component. Cool and damp weather makes me feel worse. Cool being a relative term given my Southern California location.

I have also seen carpal tunnel gloves. Have not seen the Hand-Eze in person, though I am curious now. One advantage is a longer cuff to cover the wrist area.

I have some fingerless IMAK gloves too. I like them so much that I hardly even feel silly wearing them in overly air conditioned rooms in the summer time.

My arthritis started at the age of 75 ...
seemed like the end of the world with an achy left hand ...
which curtailed my touch-type computer work,
not to mention the frequent daily visits to my Grotrian Steinweg upright.

But within a month, the hand recovered ...
leaving me trying to guess what I had done right ...
here are some of the clues to the easing

1. Exercise (slow/fast walking when shopping)
2. Warm water (washing hands or lying in a bath)
3. Eating pineapple and other fruit
4. Eating spinach and other vegetables
5. Occasionally taking aspirin

However, my daughter (in the medical field) says that
my recovery is due to having a highly active sporting
career ... apparently my heart responds well to a chase ...
(deep intake of air).

Here’s hoping some of the suggestions might help
my less fortunate colleagues.

Kind regards, btb

Don't discount the fact that a food allergy or sensitivity and vitamin deficiencies could be causing your problems.

I had a lot of hip pain swelling (i felt like I was swollen from the inside) other pain/stiffness and fatigue. I recently did an elimination diet and cut out suspected food allergens (gluten, dairy) as well as some other common allergens. The hip pain is GONE! The swelling is GONE! A lot of the stiffness ummm GONE! The overwhelming fatigue has significantly decreased. I also have some vitamin deficiencies that could be contributing to some of the pain and fatigue that I am still working on and hopefully I will continue to improve (oh yeah and my sleep has improved as well). But the reason I wanted to mention this is because in my research many people who have done an elimination diet who believed they had arthritis has significant improvements or they symptoms went away completely. Might be worth a try. I know the something definitely had some kid of effect on my because even my face was swollen but that has gone now! phew!
Best of luck.

High humidity can also be a significant factor. Living in an air-conditioned / dehumidified environment could help.

Yes I'm afraid that is the case. there is no cure, just slowing the progress and managing the situation as best you can.
Exercise and diet is so important for many aspects of our lives - but if it relates to ability to play piano it goes to the top of the priority list for me!
As for the drugs, then quite rightly they are a last ditch resort and to be kept at minimal levels.
So many great suggestions here.
Blue Emu is in hiding up here although I'm sure there are internet shopping sites. Icy Hot is readily available and I was suprized at its effect. Great when things flare up a bit!
I had a hard time finding arthritis gloves. Again internet sales possible but hard to just buy something like this without seeing and trying on, especially since most are non-returnable items and ended up being quite expensive.
I did find some Imak's in a pharmacy so bought them at a reasonable price - under CA$30. I was a bit sceptical but have fallen in love with them. I literally do wear them all but 24/7. Last winter fingerless gloves were all the rage. It's just funny to be wearing gloves through summertime!
They ease the night time swelling, and keep me nice and warm in the air con. I do wear other gloves on top for household chores and gardening.
My hands are big so even the little restriction in stretch doesn't affect my playing piano. If they stop helping then maybe I'll check out the other kinds that offer more support but these are fine for now. A really easy instant way to get some relief! thanks for all the advice!