roj, I know a number of Rolfers (becoming more commonly known as Structural Integration), and I doubt any of them would suggest that Rolfing is an alternative to doctor prescribed Physical Therapy. Rather most would say the two complement one another, as they are two very different modes of therapy - one does not accomplish what the other can, and vice versa.
Having been through the complete Structural Integration series many years ago, as well as being someone who uses a Rolfer to work on me from time to time currently, I can certainly vouch for the benefits of such work, however I think it’s dangerous to suggest Rolfing as an alternative to Physical Therapy.
Hi Jim. I had a fairly large ganglion cyst on my right wrist which I probably got from a climbing or weight training related injury. I eventually had it surgically removed because it would hurt whenever I bumped it, and I thought it was unsightly. The micro-surgery was done on an outpatient basis, followed by a soft cast for a couple of weeks, and then some physical therapy to regain my range of motion. I do have a small scar and a small area of numbness around the scar, but other than that, it was a complete success.
Jim-
-Sweetie pie had one atop one hand, excised in quick, precise surgery through a small incision. Recovery followed with mild (& temporary) use limitation. She wasn’t fazed by it.
There was a similar thread on this list about 6 months ago; you might search the archives under RSI, repetitive stress injury, or carpal tunnel. One response in that thread recommended the dvd “Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Yourself” by Michael Young, which I purchased since I was having pain in my arm tendons at the time. Here’s a link to Michael Young’s website:
His dvd talks about the physical aspects of the injury and gives some exercises to do, which I did for several months and found very helpful. They’re related to the stretches that Sporting Pitchfork gives in the post above, they work the same muscles, though in a more aggressive manner. The dvd is self produced and it’s a bit pricey, but it’s been useful for me. Young recommends a book in his dvd program, Jim and Phil Wharton’s “Stretch Book, Active-Isolated Stretching” from Three Rivers Press. That book gives some great stretches to do for the neck, shoulders and upper back, which for me were just as needed for my repetitive use injury therapy as the arm and hand related movements. I’ve been glad I found the previous post on the C&F, and just thought I’d add my experiences with the info I learned then. Stretching for a few minutes both morning and night every day for me has been the trick to avoiding the pain I’d been having. At this point I can’t say the injury has disappeared, just that I’m not in pain now and am more aware of what I need to do for my body. This weekend I hung out with an old friend who just turned 50 and plays guitar on cruise ships full time, performing 4 hours a day for 5 months straight. He does lots of yoga, watches what he eats, and doesn’t drink. He’s never had any RSI problems. It made me think… though giving up Guinness… jeez, I don’t think I could go that far!
I developed DeQuervain’s Tendonitis (same as Carpal Tunnel, only a different tendon) from lupus & flute playing. It got so bad I couldn’t even lift a mug, let alone play a flute. A combination of cortisone injection, brace & magnetic bracelet helped immensely. Oh, & Vicodin, can’t forget that one! I’ve been relatively pain free for a year now.
You may want to consider doing a google search for flute crutch. A crutch will make you change your grip which may help… I had bad cramping in left thumb (base) and fashioned a crutch for my flute & now I can play for long time.
