Positive Music Practice when Injured. I cut my fingertip on my left hand this week and this is how I’ve been dealing with it and still practicing is a positive way and getting good work done. This comes via my YouTube. The 100 open string exercises I mention are from My Technique Book.
From the physical standpoint – I cleaned and bandaged the wound. Then I looked for a rubber thimble but couldn’t find one so I ended up with a Visco-Gel toe cap which is okay but not perfect. I can play with it but its cumbersome.
Psychologically – You want to think of the injury as an opportunity in disguise to work on stuff you normally wouldn’t focus on. You can always get good solid work done even if it’s not what you wanted to work on.
For practicing I’ve been focusing on right hand open string exercises and left hand exercises that leave out that finger. I’ve also been going through small passages that mainly avoid that finger. And for some new repertoire I’ve just been going over the fingering in half-playing fashion.
Additional – You can also consider working on music theory and history as well as musicianship and listening skills.
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Do you know anyone who’s had any experience with any of the surgery options for arthritis in the thumb joints? I’m having a hard time getting sufficient practice time in because I have to limit how much I use it. Right now I’m getting along with braces and topical pain meds, because I know from experience once I start the shots they only help for about a year. There are surgery options but I’m worried I wouldn’t be able to use my p finger to play afterwards.
Does practicing in small doses help at all? Anyway, maybe a physiotherapist that has specialization in arthritis could help.
Yes, I’m usually OK if I just do 20-30 minutes and can do that twice a day. I’m hoping it settles in….I had a lot of pain in my finger joints when I started developing arthritis, and it seemed to stop once the joint had finished twisting. They’re quite distorted but usable and don’t hurt unless someone squeezes my hand or they get cold. My orthopedic surgeon who replaced my shoulder doesn’t do hand surgery…..I would probably have to go to Pittsburgh or Cleveland. Surprisingly, playing doesn’t seem to hurt much unless I play too long. It might even be helping because it keeps my fingers moving.