I have mentioned this before, but I have a nerve condition that has affected my right hand over the last few years. It may be referred to as Ulnar claw, but my specialist has called it multifocal motor neuropathy. Basically the nerve that control some parts of the hand is not working properly and it has led to a loss in strength and mobility.
You can see that the third and fourth fingers are bent. I cannot fully straighten them and I can barely spread the fingers of that hand. The muscle next to the thumb has wasted away and the hand is generally emaciated compared to the left.
Here's the left for comparison. My split index fingernail is down to a incident with a circular saw many years ago.
Since I noticed the problem I've seen a couple of specialists, but they couldn't offer me much. They did MRI scans and I had a lumbar puncture (AKA spinal tap) to test my spinal fluids. Apparently it's just one of these things that can happen, but the Wikipedia article says it can be the result of certain jobs, including desk work. I had a course of antibody treatment that didn't do much. Luckily my health insurance paid for all this or I would have had to wait longer for NHS treatment. I see the specialist once a year to see if there is any change.
I've tried some exercises and I try to do a few things to maintain some strength in the hand. It does have some effect on my guitar playing. It can be hard to grip a pick and my fingerpicking is not so good now.
I have these tools. On the left is a Powerball gyroscopic exerciser and the other is aimed at guitarists to build finger strength. I can't say I've seen definite improvement. I just want to be able to keep playing guitar and doing other everyday tasks. I know this is a pretty minor handicap, but it makes me appreciate what I have lost.
Value your health and do what you can to preserve it.
I'll buy guitar picks for Steem Dollars
If this post is over seven days old you can vote up one of my newer posts to reward me.
Spam comments may be flagged