<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16587" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="WORD-WRAP: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space"> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Wow Don, that's exactly what I have have struggled with on and off for the last 15 years! It happens while tuning, especially in my left hand and arm, which I use for banging in unisons. I've also had it in my right hand and arm, but that is not as pronounced in terms of pain and numbness, although I have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel in the right wrist, while they found nothing in the left. What you describe is exactly what I've experienced there. My left hand also goes numb (especially the little and next finger over) when I play double bass during prolonged sessions, and especially on difficult passages. No doubt that's related as well.....</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks very much for the tip, Don! I'll be following up on this for sure....</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>On a related note. I've had back issues on and off for years, and been having a very bad bought of pain for the last two 1/2 months. It's likely a pinched nerve which is referred off to my left side and buttock. I've got bulging disks at L1 and L2, as well as general degeneration in the rest of my spine. I'm going to a physical therapist for this and I'm on anti-inflammatories. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thankfully I found positions for tuning that got me through the busy end of semester flurry and jury times, but I can't do any kind of rebuilding work that keeps me standing for any length of time. I'd hoped to get some rebuilding done over break, but that's out except for maybe some light action work. I'm hopeful I can get this under control without surgery, but even so, it's no picnic!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm nearly sure this back trouble was either caused, or at least made much worse by piano moving in my stupid early years in the biz... I have tried being careful the last 15 years or so, but my guess is the damage was done more like 25 to 30 years ago. Some of this at least is also likely some long ago injury in a motorcycle wreck and a couple of car accidents, a bad slip while fly fishing about 6 years ago, and all kinds of other life long stupidity!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Be careful! Especially any young guys! It WILL catch up with you! I also try to watch out for the guys on our campus moving crew. When possible I supervise the piano moves, and try to make sure everyone is lifting correctly, but it's often hard to tell. I also try to limit the need to have pianos moved in the first place. Faculty, guests, administrators, and others just don't get it sometimes... I feel responsible for these guys and try to watch out for them. I've headed off at least half of the moves that are suggested over the last few years, and it has virtually no impact on the quality of performances or education either. I think it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt, and my guess is we are setting these guys up for some serious issues latter in life, if not right away.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks again for the tip Don. This has been an interesting couple of threads!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Merry Christmas to those that celebrate it, and all the best in the New Year!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=609063616-21122007><FONT face=Arial size=2>Scott</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Donald McKechnie<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 21, 2007 10:08 AM<BR><B>To:</B> caut@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [CAUT] aches and pains<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>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: <DIV><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px"><A href="http://www.eorthopod.com/images/ContentImages/hand/hand_guyon_canal/hand_guyon_canal_anat01.jpg">http://www.eorthopod.com/images/ContentImages/hand/hand_guyon_canal/hand_guyon_canal_anat01.jpg</A></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV>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: </DIV> <DIV><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica><FONT class=Apple-style-span size=4><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 14px"><A href="http://www.shopatron.com/product/part_number=1481034/444.0.17246.22482.19762.0.0">http://www.shopatron.com/product/part_number=1481034/444.0.17246.22482.19762.0.0</A></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">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.</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><BR class=webkit-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0px">Don </DIV><BR> <DIV><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 14px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 14px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2"> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px">Don McKechnie</SPAN></SPAN></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px">Piano Technician</SPAN></SPAN></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px">Ithaca College</SPAN></SPAN></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><A href="mailto:dmckech@ithaca.edu">dmckech@ithaca.edu</A></SPAN></SPAN></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 12px">607-274-3908</SPAN></SPAN></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px"><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV><BR class=Apple-interchange-newline></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>