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Post by jubbo on Feb 19, 2021 11:49:38 GMT
Hi All
It has been a while since i posted. It has been a while since i picked up a guitar.
About 6 months ago i developed an ache in my shoulder. It was very manageable and i thought it was due to lockdown and using a cheap chair from Amazon for my home office. I since upgraded the chair visited a chiropractor, yet week by week the shoulder would get worse. More worryingly movement started to become restricted. It is now very bad, i have very limted range in my right shoulder. I have been diagnosed with frozen shoulder and with some googling i have found it is a condition that is not well understood. I have had x-rays and i am due a scan tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis. Hopefully then I can move forward with some of the treatments
About 3 months ago i tried to play the guitar and couldn't, I just could not get my strumming arm to be in the right position around the body of the guitar. I found it devestating as playing guitar has been such a solace during lockdown. This week i tried again, it is still not possible, but i think with a smaller body guitar i could manage it. Unfortunatley i sold my 00-28 before all of this as it was one of my least played guitars. My 2 dreadnaugts and Faith Earth are all on the larger side.
I am considering investing in a Martin 0-18 or somethings similar. I am less familiar with smaller body sizes. I would want something with 14 frets. I would appreciate any recommendations. I would also appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with Frozen shoulder. I am 40 and quite active. I have been shocked at how it sneeked up on me. I have a certain range of movement where there is no issue, but outside of that range i just can't do anything. FOr example i can't reach up to a cupboard with my right arm or bush my hair etc
J
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Post by oustudent on Feb 19, 2021 12:04:14 GMT
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Post by robmc on Feb 19, 2021 12:51:30 GMT
jubbo, very sorry to hear that and hope you get a plan of action to improve things... in terms of a guitar, I'd probably get something like a Gretsch Jim Dandy and see how you go rather than buy an expensive small bodied guitar that may or may not work. The Gretsch is great fun and easy to come buy and sell. There are also the small Vintage guitars that people seem to rate.
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maninashed
Cheerfully Optimistic
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Posts: 4,195
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Post by maninashed on Feb 19, 2021 12:53:51 GMT
Not a frozen shoulder, but I had an unstable right shoulder that kept dislocating, the last when I turned over in bed one night, that did a lot of damage and eventualy I had surgery to fix it and it's been fine since. Before the op I had restricted mobility in my right shoulder that made playing a big guitar quite uncomfortable. I wanted a new acoustic and got a Crafter parlour guitar. It's 12 fret but I've become much more comfortable with it. The bridge is further back than a 14 fret neck and my right hand picking position is more natural. 14 fret necks feel like I'm stretching a bit now. That was my experience, I hope you find a guitar you feel good playing soon!
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Post by lavaman on Feb 19, 2021 13:31:17 GMT
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Post by marcus on Feb 19, 2021 21:58:44 GMT
Hi jubbo,
Sorry to hear that you are having frozen shoulder issues and that you are struggling to play the guitar.
I was diagnosed with rotator cuff tears in my right shoulder about 15 months ago (too much bowling to our cricket-mad son I think) and ended up having a stint of frozen shoulder for quite a few months. It was all surprisingly painful and debilitating... and I had similar problems to those you are describing.
I ended up having a cortisone shot (that didn't really help) and went to a few different physiotherapists and a sports physician. While I still have pain with certain movements and can no longer bowl/throw a ball (very frustrating), the sharp pain is gone and my shoulder is much improved. I think this is mostly due to stretches and exercises that were prescribed by the physios/sports physician. These included lots of stretchy band exercises which apparently help strengthen rotator cuff muscles and back muscles. It was all very slow but worth sticking with in the end.
I couldn't play guitar for quite some time even though I only have a 0-sized guitar and a Baby Collings. I am now able to play the Baby Collings for quite a while but not the 0. The main difference between the two guitars is that the Baby Collings is shallow in depth (<4 inches) meaning that my right shoulder doesn't extend so far out when I wrap my arm over the body of the guitar. This makes me wonder whether in your search for a smaller guitar it may be worth thinking about body depth. I understand that small bodied guitars (including my 0-sized guitar) sometimes have a bit of extra depth to them to increase the volume of the guitar body. In any event, it's just a thought.
I should add that the Baby Collings is a wonderful guitar but, unfortunately, rather pricey.
I also picked up a 3/4-size, shallow depth, student classical guitar with a short scale length (La Mancha Rubi SMX/59). I've also found this okay to play and it sounds pretty good to my inexperienced ears.
Best of luck with getting all this sorted. I'd also echo that too much work on the computer (especially reaching out with the mouse) seems to affect me so the previous suggestions on this thread look interesting.
All the best,
M
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Feb 19, 2021 22:45:13 GMT
I don't often contribute on medical conditions as I'm not qualified and everyone's situation is likely to be different. I'll strect a point a bit on this one.
I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder (left) about 4 years ago (I was about 70 at the time). I could barely reach above shoulder height and couldn't get my hand behind my back. Couldn't put a coat sleeve on by myself or a rucksack etc. I did some gentle physio and was told that most likely it would correct itself over 18 months. Luckily it didn't affect my guitar playing too much being my left shoulder (I'm right handed) but kept me down to about 20 minutes a session before the ache was too strong. Sure enough, after 12 months it eased a lot, after 18 nearly all gone although I still ache a lot stretching upwards for more than 30 secs. (Gets me out of hanging the washing out!).
Unfortunately just when it was about gone my right shoulder had the very same thing although not quite as bad. That also took about 18 months and then cleared. Again cut my guitar sessions down a bit but wasn't as bad as yours sounds.
So, if its a similar thing there is a possibility it is not 'forever'. Good luck with it.
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Post by martinrowe on Feb 19, 2021 23:23:26 GMT
I had a similar experience to fatfingerjohn . Horrible, I thought it would never go away. I started yoga classes and that helped and once it started to loosen I took every opportunity to move my shoulders, and now, it's gone, but every morning in the shower I wash my left shoulder blade with my right hand over the left shoulder and stretch my right shoulder just a little bit out of my comfort zone, and vice versa. It's now better than it ever was. Hope that helps.
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 20, 2021 9:33:51 GMT
I'm also suffering with this. Stretching helps a little — keep playing but maybe in shorter bursts. Prolonged rest doesnt seem to work for me.
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andrewjw
C.O.G.
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Post by andrewjw on Feb 20, 2021 13:36:56 GMT
I had the same problem [back in my early 40's ] and had nothing to to with guitar playing as I was having a long breakaway at the time... I went to my GP who prescribed ibuprofen gel [ for rubbing in ] the ibuprofen I mean not the gel...little or no effect . I stopped playing competitive squash [is there any other sort?] and started taking self prescribed Glucosamine...after about a year the left frozen shoulder warmed up but sadly moved across to my right shoulder . Another year on and all was pain free albeit with slightly more limited movement that is my only excuse for not playing guitar better. I gave up on the glucosamine years ago.....has never come back in either shoulder. The only comfort I can give is that it will pass eventually.
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Post by andy3sheds on Feb 20, 2021 21:40:50 GMT
Shoulder problems was what spurred me to look for a short scale guitar and led me to buy my Fylde Oberon, also on the short scale spectrum is another of my favourite guitars my Godin 5th Ave archtop they are now discontinued in their non cutaway purely acoustic version but they can still be found on eBay a lot cheaper than the pickup loaded later variants, though it seems people have realised just how good these low brow guitars are, and they are no longer as cheap as they once were
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Post by curmudgeon on Feb 20, 2021 22:57:00 GMT
I have experienced this in my left shoulder which is damaged and deformed due to a cycling accident, broken collar bone both poorly managed by localhospital.
I eventually had a corrective op, which I'm told they won't do now. (My left shoulder always aches).
This video might be of interest :
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Post by dreadnought28 on Feb 20, 2021 23:14:17 GMT
I’ve had psoriatic arthritis for 21 years. It flares up from time to time, currently it’s worst in my right hip. My left shoulder has been very sore on and off for the last couple of years. I’ve found, right from when it started, that standing up to play is a lot less painful.
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 21, 2021 22:33:25 GMT
I’ve had psoriatic arthritis for 21 years. It flares up from time to time, currently it’s worst in my right hip. My left shoulder has been very sore on and off for the last couple of years. I’ve found, right from when it started, that standing up to play is a lot less painful. I’ve found that as well - standing is less painful - it is easier to get a more relaxed stance with sitting it is too easy to contort the body!
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 22, 2021 17:43:30 GMT
Damn shoulder is really painful today. Curmugeon's post reminds me that I slipped and fell on this about 5 years ago and it was painful for a a while then.
I'm wondering how others are getting on? I have been playing around with my OM rather than the SJ (with Manzer wedge) and if I'm honest it doesn't seem any more comfortable.
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