Hey all, anyone with arthritis?

[cyber3d]

Any tips? I have osteoarthritis in both hands and interestingly, in my left elbow. Which makes it hard to get my hand into position. What do you do?

Luckily for me, I have a short-scale bass. But, it is still a pain.

 

[UkerDanno]

Ubass with Pahoehoes is the best if you have arthritis!

 

[cyber3d]

Man those are gnarly-looking strings! Do they really help? How?

 

[Thoades]

Any tips? I have osteoarthritis in both hands and interestingly, in my left elbow. Which makes it hard to get my hand into position. What do you do?

Luckily for me, I have a short-scale bass. But, it is still a pain.

Very sorry to hear of your pain.
I have some arthritis and RSI in most of my knuckles and a little in both my wrists, which is one reason why I have switched from guitar to ukulele actually for the easier fretting.
But I was originally a bass player. I made the switch to upright bass. Strangely, the increased scale actually helped in my instance because I no longer needed to squeezed swollen and painful joints into a small fret space and no longer had the need to play quickly or use so many fingers.
Maybe switching to a longer scale bass or actually being realistic about the basslines you play might help? I now find that by playing less I can be more expressive. It wasn't easy but certainly helped me.
A drummer friend of mine also has arthritis and carpal tunnel problems, and he has had to go through changing a lot of his technique and repertoire to allow him to still play. Trouble is, it was that or nothing so he has put in the effort.
For myself, I only play for my own enjoyment so when it hurts I stop, but my friend has found that re-learning a lot of his technique (with the help of a good teacher) has really helped.

 

[plunker]

I have arthritis really bad in my feet and ankles, although some people say my playing sounds like
i play with my feet, I don't. Anyway, Asper creme and osteo biflex helps. Someday I think Ill try relief factor. Best of luck with it. BTW got steroid shots once. helped about 6 months, but I didn't like the constant steroid use,

 

[UkerDanno]

Man those are gnarly-looking strings! Do they really help? How?

Gnarly?! They're smooth and soft, easy to play, hardly any effort. I have Psoriatic Arthritis, everything hurts, I can play for 2 hours and my hands are fine, back and neck pain from sitting, however is the problem.

 

[cyber3d]

Gnarly?! They're smooth and soft, easy to play, hardly any effort. I have Psoriatic Arthritis, everything hurts, I can play for 2 hours and my hands are fine, back and neck pain from sitting, however is the problem.

I was looking at the cover of the string packaging. I guess that was not a photo of the string itself. Some marketing image. Anyway, sorry to hear of your malady. My mom had that. I wonder if the Pahoehoe come in 28" scale?

 

[cyber3d]

I have arthritis really bad in my feet and ankles, although some people say my playing sounds like
i play with my feet, I don't. Anyway, Asper creme and osteo biflex helps. Someday I think Ill try relief factor. Best of luck with it. BTW got steroid shots once. helped about 6 months, but I didn't like the constant steroid use,

My Dr. recommended some topical creme called Voltaren. Works for a bit over an hour then the pain comes back. It's an NSAID formula. It's either that or some codeine medicine. Voltaren is slightly greasy. So, I always have to wipe down the guitar or uke body after I play. Hassle.

 

[cyber3d]

Very sorry to hear of your pain.
I have some arthritis and RSI in most of my knuckles and a little in both my wrists, which is one reason why I have switched from guitar to ukulele actually for the easier fretting.
But I was originally a bass player. I made the switch to upright bass. Strangely, the increased scale actually helped in my instance because I no longer needed to squeezed swollen and painful joints into a small fret space and no longer had the need to play quickly or use so many fingers.
Maybe switching to a longer scale bass or actually being realistic about the basslines you play might help? I now find that by playing less I can be more expressive. It wasn't easy but certainly helped me.
A drummer friend of mine also has arthritis and carpal tunnel problems, and he has had to go through changing a lot of his technique and repertoire to allow him to still play. Trouble is, it was that or nothing so he has put in the effort.
For myself, I only play for my own enjoyment so when it hurts I stop, but my friend has found that re-learning a lot of his technique (with the help of a good teacher) has really helped.

Thanks for the advice. I've found a teacher (for my bass playing) between the two of us we can alter my technique to accommodate my malady.

 

[UkerDanno]

I was looking at the cover of the string packaging. I guess that was not a photo of the string itself. Some marketing image. Anyway, sorry to hear of your malady. My mom had that. I wonder if the Pahoehoe come in 28" scale?

No, don't think they do...

 

[UkerDanno]

I was looking at the cover of the string packaging. I guess that was not a photo of the string itself. Some marketing image. Anyway, sorry to hear of your malady. My mom had that. I wonder if the Pahoehoe come in 28" scale?

My solid spruce top with Pahoehoes...

 

[tm3]

Gnarly?! They're smooth and soft, easy to play, hardly any effort.

Would you say that they are significantly easier to fret/play than round wounds or flat wounds? I watched a YouTube comparison that described the difference as "a little" and hard to tell what that really means.

 

[UkerDanno]

Absolutely...they're very easy to play.

 

[Patty]

My Dr. recommended some topical creme called Voltaren. Works for a bit over an hour then the pain comes back. It's an NSAID formula. It's either that or some codeine medicine. Voltaren is slightly greasy. So, I always have to wipe down the guitar or uke body after I play. Hassle.

I use mostly Aspercream for my arthritis (fingers, hands, wrists). I sometimes resort to Voltaren, but I agree that it's greasy and it works for only a short time. When the pain keeps me awake I take two tablets of Tylenol Arthritis-Strength Formula. Don't like to use that a lot, though, since long-term use ain't good for the innards. Getting old really sucks.

 

[Canada Jim]

I use mostly Aspercream for my arthritis (fingers, hands, wrists). I sometimes resort to Voltaren, but I agree that it's greasy and it works for only a short time. When the pain keeps me awake I take two tablets of Tylenol Arthritis-Strength Formula. Don't like to use that a lot, though, since long-term use ain't good for the innards. Getting old really sucks.

Gettin' old does have its drawbacks, but it beats the alternative. I drop a couple of Tylenol Arthritis-Strength Formula pills before each pickin' session.