Hi pianoplayer,

I think the ulnar and shoulder pain have returned because you went back to the same occupation. Who could blame you though, doing what you love. My daughter is a singer and dancer so I know the passion performers have for their work. I also agree with Jo that maybe you should try to cut down for a while so as to use the time to get through this flare. All the PTs kepot wanting me to strengthen my shoulder girdle with those nasty bands. That's where I drew the line and refused. Then I started water therapy. A little easier to try to strengthen the shoulder in water. I've had all the surgeries for cubital tunnel, tennis elbow, radial nerve release, carpal tunnel release, all this right and left, sometimes three procedures in one surgery. and ONE ribresection on the left of which I say I will never do the right side-I'll cut it off first...They sent me home on the same day!!!!

The exercises you learn with a good PT you will need to do for life as one surgeon said. I've slacked off lately and I can tell a difference. But I'm looking for a job now through WC one where I will most likely end up having the whole parade of symptoms and surgeries return, they just don't get it.

Anyway, sorry to ramble, wish you good luck in your recovery.

Sandy

By looking back at your posts again, I just had a thought about maybe you could put a pillow in your lap to sort of balance your hands to try and avoid pain. I know it helps me in driving.

Hi Sue, I agree with Sandy, I have used a pillow for my arm while driving long distances. My problem is raising my arm over my head. Best of luck. It is difficult to change your actions especially when it is your career and, as you said, who you are. Maybe you can modify it in some way. Keep writing to keep everyon updated. Linda

Jo - I always loved scales... I took most of the summer off, only playing on Sundays. I did feel better, but as soon as I went back in the fall, things got increasingly worse.

For the next two months I have gigs that I cannot give up. One, because I need the money and two, because if I stop playing people won't call me the next time.

Richard - I live in the Chicago suburbs.

Sue

Sue you need a diagnosis from a competent doctor very familiar with this condition, nothing less, if you are afflicted with this condition and ignore it and try to play through the pain it will most likely get progressively worse.If is caught early enough the chances for a positive outcome greatly increase.There are people here who a few years ago were playing tennis and running in marathons who cannot wash the dishes or in some cases lift a fork without paying a severe price hours later, please find a competent doctor who can make a diagnosis one way or the other and do not rely on the family physician well intentioned though he may be.

I Googled - musician focused rsi specialists
the link to the result list-
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&c...ts&btnG=Search
http://eeshop.unl.edu/music.html
http://www.musicianshealth.com/whyrsi.htm

sadly it won't go away by ignoring it- we don't want you to go too far or too long in pain.

Thanks for the links - kind of scary!

So far (since Monday!) I've been doing alright. I've changed my playing position in the last few months so that when I'm at my own keyboard I play standing with the keyboard about hip high. It has helped in that I'm not holding my arms out in front of me. Yesterday and today, whenever my little finger started to tingle I stopped using it.

My plan is to try Sharon Butler's program during my breaks to see if I can hold off the pain through a day. I see my ortho on the 22nd and will see what he has to say. He feels that my elbow is hurting worse because of adhesions from the first surgery, and wants to redo it, wrapping and burying the nerve. I'm thinking if I can control the TOS aspect with some sort of non-surgical program, a redo of the elbow might have a chance. No time for any type of surgery until April, tho - too much money to be made in the next few months.

If I can't control the TOS symptoms on my own, I may be looking at a trip to Denver and Dr. Sanders.

Thanks, all, for your words of wisdom and encouragement!

Sue

Dear Sue,

Quote:

Quote: I have to say the fact that you are a musician, does make the situation more complex. And the interesting fact that you got your TOS from an accident / auto, instead of the more common way of repetitive hand / arm movements via your instrument or computer, this adds another unique aspect. First, I would make sure the outside of playing, that your hands / arm are protected. For computer work, or any kind of written communication, you can get Dragon Naturally Speaking and a headset and within one day it gets used to your voice and you will be surprised at how easily and fast it picks it all up. I HATE gadgets, yet I learned it and it learned my voice in one day. (After I left my law firm, 200 attorneys now HAVE to use it, that's how sure they were that I got TOS from my computer.) Next, I am having some legal questions. Are you an employee? Because if you are, this situation is now where you are self-modifying your job. That is evidence of a job injury, because although it started out as a non-job accident, (unless you were driving to / from your job itself, then it is a full job injury due to the nature of the trip), then you have a hybrid case where your employment has had some effect on your injury of making it worse. Each state and even county treats these differently, but the basic rule is some level of compensation for the loss of potential job market (PD) and present medical care, including temporary disability which cannot be apportioned. (The PD can be apportioned according to the judge's idea of how much is work caused vs. work exacerbated.) So I'm looking down the line, and need you to consider getting a FREE legal consult from an attorney of work comp, experienced fully in this area, to tell you what your rights and responsibilities are. OK, let's say you are an independent contractor. Then, there are still issues of state disability for the periods when / if you go into for surgery, or have periods where you medically can't work. So an SSDI attorney would be the one for the FREE consult there. And you didn't say if you were ALONE in that accident, at fault, etc. If you were in a collision with another car, then you need an appt. with a personal injury attorney, because if you were not at fault, (or even in you were and had your own medical coverage), then you need to discuss issues of compensation for loss of your use of your hands which are your livelihood, and an anticipated amount of money that is carefully considered to be paid for what might happen in the future with you. Did I confuse you enough? If you want to talk, PM me, and when / if I feel good enough, I can try to talk to you about it. Besides the Butler take home program, I have heard that Edgelow, in Berkeley (he's on our lists) is an EXCELLENT take home program. Just because I couldn't do any PT, I heartily push and ask everyone else to try to be as active in their PT as possible, as these are the people who seem to do better. Welcome to our little family. Everyone here truly cares. God bless you on your healing path...Tam

this thing it totally acting crazy, unless it is me, the technitian!

Tam,

Thanks for the post.

I am an employee, but also an independent contractor. I'm employed by a church as an organist/choir director. Good salary, no benefits. I'm also employed by a school district as an accompanist. Crappy salary, pretty good health benefits. Independently, I don't make alot of money, but I do spend alot of time, and what I make goes for the fun things in life like my kids' college tuitions!

I was a passenger in my own car that was rear-ended. There is presently a lawsuit going on. However, I understand that I'm pretty much limited to the other driver's policy limits. The other driver is a college kid.

I do plan to make a trip to Denver one of these days, but the timing is the tough part of that. I think the best thing for me would be to go right about now so that if they did do surgery I'd have the rest of the school year plus the summer to recover, limiting the sick days used in my school job.

But, there are those other jobs -

The church really likes me to be around during the Easter season, and the choir sings through May. The church only gives me 6 weeks of Sundays off, although they were very good to me the last time I had surgery, and paid for a sub for me for much longer than that. I don't like to take advantage, tho!

I'm starting rehearsals in April for a musical that will run through the end of June. (I'm music directing) If I wait until then to have surgery, I'm sure I wouldn't be ready to go back to work at the school in August!

Sometimes the logistics of all this paralyze me!

Sue