I reasoned that if I couldn’t play, why read about guitars and playing.
See link for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_finger
I tried a couple of avenues to alleviate the trigger finger but I finally decided to try the surgery. I was scheduled to have it done early this past summer but other medical tests were required before it could be done so it was finally re-scheduled for September 27.
The total time for the out-patient procedure was about four hours.
I had very little pain from the surgery itself and what little pain there was completely went away by the next day.
I picked up a guitar one week later to see if I could play and it was very painful. Especially chords that require my index finger to hold down the first fret on the B string (note C) such as A min, F Maj, etc.
It was partly having to curl my finger that much (the trigger finger “pop” was gone). It was mostly having to stretch across the frets … the side of my finger hurt a lot. I wasn’t expecting that.
Ten days after the surgery (Oct. 7) I had the stitches taken out and brought one of my guitars with to show the doctor what the goal of this whole thing was and to show her where I was feeling the pain.
When I showed her where the pain was, the doctor asked me to play a couple of songs! How many patients get to do mini concerts for their surgeon? (For the curious, there really isn’t much of a surprise on the two songs I played: High Flying Bird and Death Don’t Have No Mercy.”)
The doctor said the pain on the side was normal and that playing was a great exercise and that I should keep at it. She also told me, for additional exercise, to make a complete closed fist ten times every hour.
Current update: It is now exactly three weeks and three days after the surgery … and I can actually play! Well, not great. Still a little rusty at some parts but a million times better than not playing at all.
I am not a doctor and I am offering no medical advice whatsoever. But (so far) I am very glad that I had the surgery done. I just wish I had done it sooner. I’m still experiencing a little stiffness and pain and I think part of the reason is because my finger was so immobile for a very long time.
One trick I did discover to ease back into practicing was that it is much easier to play with a capo on the second fret because the third and fourth frets, etc. are so much closer to each other than the first two frets. I don’t have to stretch my fingers as far.
I doubt I will be posting as much as I used to but I wanted to give everyone an update and it is great to be back playing.
- Mark
