# Broken metacarpal in my left hand...



## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

I was working on something in the garage, left hand gets caught and twisted.

I went to the doctor 4 days later (the soonest available appt.) and he sent me for xrays and I was put in a splint from my finger tips to almost my elbow.

3 weeks after the injury, my knuckles are still swollen, and there's some bruising on my hand that wasn't there when I went into the splint (finger tips to almost the elbow).

What bothers me is that I took the splint off today to wash, and I close my fingers, the ring finger doesn't close parallel to the other fingers; it's off on it's own. 

The doctor called this splaying. 

I made an appointment for early tomorrow. Not sure if I need pins in my hand, but I want this to heal properly. I wish it was my right hand and not my fretting hand.


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## Krelf (Jul 3, 2012)

You may only have to go for physio. But its amazing what therapists can do so long as you follow their instructions. I had hand surgery last June and had about about 25 stitches from the base of my left hand up to the tip of my little finger. It was something called Dupuytren's Contracture and they had to cut all the tissue around one of my tendons because my little finger had buckled and it was playing havoc with my guitar playing. 

But I was playing again in about 8 weeks. The therapist told me guitar players were generally great patients because they work so hard to get the use of their fingers back. No motivation was needed to get them to do the finger stretches and exercises!


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks for the positive feedback. 

I have what is also called a boxer's fracture. I hope I can get my ring finger to recover.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

I wish you much luck with this. I broke my fifth metacarpal 16 months ago and was advised to have surgery so that I wouldn't lose reach on my little finger. Two weeks after surgery I reached for something and tore a tendon on the same finger, a mallet finger injury. Now I had a splint on my finger for 6 weeks as well as a pin sticking out of my hand. The results were less than optimal as I still don't have the stretch that I should have, even though the bone healed perfectly straight. My buddy who didn't have surgery after the identical injury has more reach than I. As well the tip of my finger droops from the mallet finger injury. My hand is still very stiff to close completely and just doesn't feel right. Hand surgery is major and I hope you recover 100%.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Sounds like it hurts. Wishing you a speedy recovery.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Major bummer. If I can offer some hope, I simply note Les Paul, Django Reinhardt, and Jerry Garcia, who all had serious damage to their fret or picking arm, and still managed to be brilliant viruosos.

I seem to have done something to my index finger on my fret hand some months back, and thought my playing days were over, because I could not barre chord anymore withut causing pain to the knuckles on that finger. Happily, it has subsided (though it took months), and I'm about 95% recovered.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Ouch, sorry to hear about your hand.

Hand injuries are bad enough for anyone, but for a guitar player,
especially on the fretting hand, it's terrible.
Even with a full recovery, you have the downtime for healing.

I hope everything works out for you, keep us posted.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks guys. I went to the surgeon today and he taped my middle finger to the injured ring finger then put it in a cast. 

He told me to wear the cast for 1 more week, then I should keep my 2 fingers taped for a further week, then come back and see him again. 

Protect your hands! Not being able to play guitar for a month really sucks. 

I sometimes pick up the guitar and just play using the left index finger. It's better than nothing.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Maybe it's a chance to tune to a chord and pick up a slide??


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Hypothetical question...

How do guitar and bass players keep up their callouses when they have to stop playing for some reason? Doesn't have to be due to an injury. Could be a 3-month round-the-world trip, or simply a busy work season. Anything that keeps you away from the fretboard for an extended period.

recommendations? Strategies?


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Krazy Glue, so I've heard. sigiifa

I often go for a few weeks without picking up a guitar, so I go through the building/peeling of calouses several times a year.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

NB_Terry said:


> Thanks guys. I went to the surgeon today and he taped my middle finger to the injured ring finger then put it in a cast.
> 
> He told me to wear the cast for 1 more week, then I should keep my 2 fingers taped for a further week, then come back and see him again.
> 
> ...


Ouch. Hope it heals OK. Time to play some slide.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I hope ALL of you recover from these various injuries to the optimal extent possible. As a retired physiotherapist, I can understand what you are going through. 

Th hand is an extremely complicated and delicate mechanism. It is capable of many, many precision movements (as all guitar players know) while also being able to exert a variety of quite forceful gripping and pinching forces.

As mentioned before, try to be consistent with the exercises/activities that you have been advised to do and be reasonably gentle in your approach to the injury as the healing progresses. Hand injuries can take quite a long time to heal, which can be very frustrating.

Cheers

Dave


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

The doctor says I can remove the cast and just have my ring (broken) finger taped to my middle finger for another week, then I'll go to him for a checkup.

I'm gently playing guitar now. Funny that I can play scales pretty easily but playing simple C, G or D chords is almost impossible. My ring finger sort of splays away rather than down at the fretboard. I stop playing as soon as there's any pain. 

Through all of this, I think the ring finger and index finger on the fretting hand are the most important fingers. The ring finger seems to bend the most notes too, so perhaps it should be the strongest.


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## Krelf (Jul 3, 2012)

Glad things are on the mend Terry. My suggestion to you is ask the doctor about physio. As a guitar player, the agility of your finger is much more a priority for you than for the average citizen.The long term benefits can make it highly worthwhile. If you are not covered for it, consider paying for one session, learn the exercises and proceed on your own.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Krelf said:


> Glad things are on the mend Terry. My suggestion to you is ask the doctor about physio. As a guitar player, the agility of your finger is much more a priority for you than for the average citizen.The long term benefits can make it highly worthwhile. If you are not covered for it, consider paying for one session, learn the exercises and proceed on your own.


Krelf...No offence intended, but mobility and strengthening exercises need to be monitored, re-evaluated regularly and altered/progressed as indicated. There will also be other modalities (beyond exercise) for treatment that a therapist would/could utilize.

However, as a (retired) physiotherapist, I am very pleased to see that you are promoting my profession. Thank you.

Cheers

Dave


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks for the advice everyone. 

Won't guitar playing be a good physio program? That and squeezing a ball? Is there much more to it?

I've been playing guitar a bit, but I stop at the first sign of any pain.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

NB_Terry said:


> Is there much more to it?


Short answer: Yes...a lot more.

Dave


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

greco said:


> Short answer: Yes...a lot more.
> 
> Dave


Such as? kkjq


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Here is an article that will be of interest:

http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/14681850/metacarpal-fracture-physioadvisor.htm

*I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU DO ANY OF THE EXERCISES IN THIS (LINKED) ARTICLE*

*You will require a thorough assessment by a physiotherapist *(possibly/likely including a discussion with your physician) and an individual treatment plan. 

The mobility, strength and functional status of your hand is regularly measured/monitored and the treatment plan is gradually altered/adjusted as indicated by your progress (or lack of), pain (if present), the long term goals (for daily living activities, occupational requirements, hobbies ...such as playing the guitar, etc.). 

This is a brief outline.

Talk to your physician about this.

Dave


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks Dave!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

NB_Terry said:


> Thanks Dave!


You are very welcome.

I hope I have been able to help, even if it is only in some small way.

Dave


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Good luck! I have found physiotherapy to be the greatest help, but do what they tell you, religiously. Dave's got good advice here.

The ring finger on my fretting hand is my worst, it doesn't bend well at the last knuckle, and it's susceptible to arthritic pain. It's also been broken (along with a couple of other fingers) when I was young. 

I think of it this way: playing guitar is like sports/athletics for the small muscles of the hands and arms. You can't play if you're not healthy and in good shape. This is why conditioning exercises are valuable, everything from fingering exercises (yes, including scales) to strengthening exercises of the kind a physiotherapist will recommend. It's also why my massage therapist is so valuable to me. These are things amateur and pro athletes do for their bodies, why not musicians?

Peace, Mooh.


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