[CAUT] aches and pains

[Keith Roberts]

I have had ulnar nerve problems that may have started when I started tuning
but I had bypass surgery a year after that and I'm inclined to think they
crushed something in the shoulder or my poor neck posture, etc. Maybe all
but I was a pipe fitter out of the plumbers union and have lived and worked
in the mountains (chop your own firewood) so I haven't felt that the strain
on my arm was much in comparison but the torque  on the spine while
tuning is mostly in the same direction. So my ulnar stopped working
completely. The tennis ball would knock the racquet out of my backhand. It
stems from the neck C6,7,8 where the radial (they call that the medianin the
simplified drawing) and ulnar bindle branches come out. The radial controls
the rotation and the ulnar is the in out or back forth.  The chiropractor
helped but the yoga exercises are doing the best and I now actually have a
backhand.

Keith

On Dec 21, 2007 8:07 AM, Donald McKechnie <dmckech at ithaca.edu> wrote:

> While we are on the topic of aches and pains, here is one I have not heard
> about among piano technicians. Just wondering if any of you have experienced
> this? We are fairly familiar with carpal tunnel problems in our ranks but I
> have not heard about ulnar nerve problems. Take a look at this diagram of
> the two primary nerves that go through the wrist:
>
> http://www.eorthopod.com/images/ContentImages/hand/hand_guyon_canal/hand_guyon_canal_anat01.jpg
>
> About a year ago I started to experience pain in both wrists, numbness in
> the little finger and the next, with occasional shooting pain up the arm. A
> visit to a neurologist confirmed ulnar nerve inflammation. (Nasty little
> test involving needles being stuck into your hands and arms but really cool
> to actually hear your nerves firing away and seeing a graph of it on the
> computer.) The best part of all this was the cure. Wear bicycle gloves when
> tuning! I'm a lefty but I switch back and forth on a grand as some described
> in the shoulder posts. A trip to a local bike shop produced these gloves:
>
>
> http://www.shopatron.com/product/part_number=1481034/444.0.17246.22482.19762.0.0
>
> I like these as they have good padding and are easy to put on and take
> off. Also, the knit back helps to keep the hand cool. Since I have been
> wearing these I have been pain free. I believe they will help with carpal
> tunnel problems too.
>
> Don
>
>
> Don McKechnie
> Piano Technician
> Ithaca College
> dmckech at ithaca.edu
> 607-274-3908
>
>
>
>
>
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