Posted on 01/12/2024 6:05:26 PM PST by nickcarraway
One day, my hand stopped speaking to my brain. As a doctor and flute player, I had to try to understand this strange affliction
The morning after performing the concert of my life, I could no longer play the flute. The pinky and ring fingers of my left hand failed to cooperate with what my mind wanted to do – I couldn’t work the keys. The harder I tried, the more my fingers curled into a claw, stuck in spasm. Even stranger: no other activity was affected. I could type on a keyboard with the same facility as usual and play scales on the piano with unimpeded finger action.
The concert, the capstone of my master’s degree in historical performance at the same university where I’d worked as a palliative care physician until 2019, was in March 2020 – one of the last before the Covid-19 lockdowns. My weird finger problem seemed small compared with the unfolding pandemic.
I initially opted for self-diagnosis, starting with a medical process called a “rule-out”. For instance, I ruled out a stroke. Otherwise, why did I have symptoms only when I played? I ruled out an injured hand. I couldn’t remember hurting or straining it. I had no pain, no history of arthritis and no wrist, arm or shoulder movement limitations: no numbness or tingling. I could air-play an invisible flute with virtuosity; only a real one induced the symptoms. My other hand worked fine. I felt well.
So I ruminated on other possibilities. Had my brain-finger circuitry become unglued or rewired? What was the origin of the spasming – my hand or my mind? Was this an issue of age? Of nerves? I found myself confronted with a problem that my background as a physician could not make sense of.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
68 now. I have operated video cameras in the day. Time took its toll on me in a similar way. I would do a wedding for 6, 7 hours and on the drive home, left wrist and hand would clench up and refuse to release. Made it hard getting home. Retired and other things hurt !!
Yeah, why do I usually bogie the next hole after I get a birdie?
Thank you for posting.
I’ve had claw cramps, usually when I play outside at night when the temperature drops.
What he’s describing, though, is a different thing. I’ve had mild versions of that, but I just attribute it to getting older or arthritis.
You are welcome. I have always been interested in the yips. It started in golf, but I have no interest in golf, except for the psychological aspect.
IMO, this phenomenon comes from aging joints and abnormal wrist positions for an extended period of time.
My daughter was 15 when she was diagnosed. She played flute and wanted to be a musician. She had a hard time in high school because she couldn’t write. Even things like brushing her teeth was difficult.
When she’s really stressed she’ll even have spasms in her legs.
She managed to graduate high school and get a full tuition scholarship to college and graduate with a 4.0.
(She turned down a disability scholarship at a better school.)
She got laid off in May right before she got married. She says her hands have been great now that she’s not working.
She has also picked up playing banjo. It doesn’t use the fingers that are primarily affected.
We spent years dealing with her depression from all of it. She still struggles mentally.
ketamine therapy or 2 delta 8 25mg gummies and then try to play.
Nope. It’s a brain disorder. Happened to my 15 year old daughter.
In what sport?
She played the flute.
I don't like golf, but I found it fascinating that Tiger Woods was the greater golfer in the world, but after his personal life fell apart, he was never as good again.
I play the flute, and a spasmn recently happened to my pinky and fourth finger when I was practicing difficult music passages and not playing for a while. I immediately stopped, massaged my joints, and made sure my hand position was correct.
It didn’t bother me after that
Overuse could be a also be a factor.
I’d like to see if a dissociative drug would have an impact on it.
That would be interesting. We took my daughter to a physical therapist from UCSF who is one of the leading researchers in the world. She works to retrain the brain, but it’s very intense and time consuming. It just overwhelmed my daughter.
I think a professional musician would do the work involved.
There was a lot that was done blindfolded. It was fascinating.
Interesting and disconcerting article.
Why is the 5th shot in a group WAY outside of the rest?
I'm 72 and have played guitar since I was 12. Starting a few years ago one or the other of my thumbs would cramp into a claw, apparently randomly. Fold your thumb over the first section of your index finger nearest the big knuckle and you'll get the idea. Can't pry it loose, and it hurts like heck.
Not surprisingly, it makes playing the guitar impossible. Fortunately it doesn't happen too often, and only lasts a few minutes at a time. And while it has happened at gigs, it hasn't happened during a song. Yet.
I attribute it mainly to a combination of mental/physical stress, and repetitive motion fatigue -- I have worked at a computer keyboard/mouse 8 hours a day for many decades. But stress is definitely the trigger.
I will pray for your daughter's situation to improve. Hers sounds considerably worse than mine, and I pray that God grants her healing and peace of mind. Same for you -- you've clearly been through a lot as well. God Bless.
Sounds like you might have trigger-finger. Has to do with tendons near the hinge joints.
I play to and am prone to a mild case of it, but it hasn’t really gotten in the way of playing... yet.
If so it’s treatable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.