Anyone here with injuries?

[keloooe]

So I know a few of you here have injuries that have affected your musical loves in some way, so I thought we should share them and compare battle scars! Obviously if you don't want to contribute, then that's fine.

So to kick start this thread I'll chat about my own injuries (Yay!).
So early last year I had a fall in which I tried to break with my hands, but my right hand was positioned so that the top of my hand was facing down instead of my palm being there, so when I hit the ground my wrist was fractured and wrecked most of my metacarpal tendons in the hand. Fast forward to today and while playing guitar (and bass), it still hurts as apparently it is an injury which will never heal completely. it only seems to hurt with my first two tendons, the ones that go to the index and middle fingers, the rest are fine.

The result of this injury is my speed is impaired and also my finer rhythm is impaired, so sometimes I need to use a pick to play bass properly and for guitar I need to watch my speed to not destroy my hand.

Will be interesting to hear of some injuries here on the forum!

Cheers,
Pest

[Bass Guy]

When I was about 18 I was told by my doctor to stop playing guitar for 6mths as I was developing the symptoms of CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome). I developed this in my left wrist (my writing and fretting hand) because I was wearing my guitar around my knees trying to be "metal". The resulting angle of my fretting hand was such that it was straining the ligaments and pinching the nerve.

And just last Tuesday I had a gig on bass and Stick at the Blues Club here in Perth. Due to off-stage matters and general disrespect by the organisers the entire band was amped and ready to play a killer show. Which we did- it was our Queen At Live Aid moment. But I must have played very hard as my right middle and index fingers ached dreadfully afterward. I think I bruised my hand muscles internally, and it's only just stopped sending shooting pains today.

[keloooe]

I used to play guitar as low as possible, just for the metal factor \m/
Never knew you also wrote with your left hand BG, I thought I was the only right handed player who writes with their left! Good luck recovering from the injury from last week mate, get back to playing killer shows once you are all well and recovered!

[Bass Guy]

We're in good company- Mark Knopfler, Steve Morse, Sting... All southpaws who play conventionally.

It makes sense to me, particularly with higher gauged string instruments- that the strongest hand does the majority of the work. If I had my way righties would be playing like McCartney....

[Nickosaurus]

I feel you with the wrists Pest. I've got TFCC and ligament damage in my left wrist/hand. Had surgery (plates/bone shortening) and I can't stretch nearly as far as I used to (lucky I have long fingers) and it still gives me grief. I'll never be able to lift heavy weights again which sucks. Lifting weights used to be a passion. Now I can only swim. Gotta look after my right wrist too as that's liable to go in the next decade too (joy).

Also got tinnitus like a lot of musos. Wish I could have told my younger self to wear some damn earplugs.

[keloooe]

Yeah Nick I saw the video with the wire running through your wrist! For me I dont lift weights, I do mainly core / legs, but push ups and the like I dabble in every now and then.

[GeneralKaos]

Ahh, youth........
Just wait till Art Wrightus comes along and kicks yer arse.

[dingobass]

Five buggered discs, three vertebrae with stress fractures, arthritus in right index finger knuckle.....
Thats what ya get for a misspent youth..

[dave.king1]

I've only got one that affects my playing ( apart from lack of skill ), a cricket ball smashed the 2nd knuckle of the ring finger on my right hand which required some major reconstruction.

Luckily it gets into a comfortable position for hybrid picking

Other than that I had a run in with a rotary hacksaw blade in an angle grinder, the cut was around 25mm deep in places and missed everything

[keloooe]

One word Dave.... OOOOOOUUUUUUUUUCCCHHHH!!!!