old cowboy - Posted - 10/07/2020:  13:04:54

I have been diagnosed with nerve damage in my neck on the same side where my fiddle sets. Could it be caused by my fiddle? Has anyone heard of such a thing?

TuneWeaver - Posted - 10/07/2020:  13:07:41

John, what is your age? How do you hold your fiddle?  Have you had discomfort while playing..Have you had injuries? arthritis? yada, yada? What does your doctor say about possible causes?

Edited by - TuneWeaver on 10/07/2020 13:11:43

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 10/07/2020:  13:20:01

I have never known anybody with it, but I can imagine an injury if too much clinching on the chinrest. I've been told to use just gravity weight of your head. Posture shouldn't be "scrunched" up. Most fiddle injuries are with left arm/hand.

I'd ask doc; describe use of shoulder rest or lack of one. Maybe even ask a luthier; perhaps somebody on here can advise...

Good luck--cowboys need full use of scanning around for rank mama cows

boxbow - Posted - 10/07/2020:  13:39:35

I can't speak to the "nerve damage" part other than to say that with repeated abuse over enough time, it's got to become a possibility. I've had to work out some neck pain that was certainly aggravated by excessive clamping force with my jaw and shoulder. Getting my head not to clamp down wasn't bad but keeping my shoulder from hitching way up was a real long term struggle. For about a year I had to stretch my neck throughout the day. Now I don't play every day and I have virtually no neck pain unless I've been overdoing other activities. I'm pretty sure part of my issue was from long term effects of a couple non-fiddling injuries.

Woodcutter - Posted - 10/07/2020:  14:02:03

At my age neck pain is a pretty frequent occurence, although I'm not sure whether it's fiddle-related, nerve damage, arthritis, or whatever. Doesn't really matter to me. In any event, if I'm sore while playing I simply look for a way to alleviate the pain. Many old-timers hold the fiddle well below the shoulder --- it could be so they can hear it better BUT it may be because it's more comfortable to them. You may want to try that for awhile.

old cowboy - Posted - 10/07/2020:  14:22:11

I'm 77 yrs old . Doc says it is nerve inflammation. I have severe pain in my mouth and throat. Doc says it is relative new diagnosis and the only treatment is anti seizure meds that have severe side effects . I have been taking them for 4 wks. Can't stand the side effects any longer. You have to wean yourself off the drugs very slowly because of the withdraw effects. My throat literally feels like I have drank acid. almost unbearable at times. I have been thru all kinds of tests Have stopped playing as of today. Haven't talked to Doc yet about fiddle. Am trying some self treatment things I found on line. feeling better except for the lousy meds. Been weaning off for the past few days.

Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 10/07/2020:  14:32:10

I feel bad for you. Might have to go more with a chest or arm-cradle hold or something.

Sounds kinda like shingles to me, but doc would already know that. Good luck...

soppinthegravy - Posted - 10/07/2020:  14:58:51

Maybe these search result will help: scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=...amp;btnG=

quote:

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Originally posted by old cowboy

I have been diagnosed with nerve damage in my neck on the same side where my fiddle sets. Could it be caused by my fiddle? Has anyone heard of such a thing?

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WyoBob - Posted - 10/07/2020:  15:51:03

John,  My wife developed a severe neck pain several years ago.  She doesn't play any instrument and the doctor had no idea what would cause her problems.   She ended up going to a physical therapist who put her on a program of various "moves" that helped her quite a bit.  It looks pretty strange when she's doing them and it's hard to believe what she's doing would do any good at all.  But ---- it does.   The most fun thing is that, she likes to do them when I'm playing my banjo (and more recently, my fiddle).   She uses the timing of the tunes to count the time in various positions.  

I'm a big believer in physical therapy and the results of that therapy that I did led me to take up the banjo 8 years ago.  I fell, shattered my left wrist which, due to the damage, had to be held together with an external fixture.   Four screws screwed into my forearm and hand attached with an external apparatus.  I was one of the "lucky" 2-5% of folks who developed the nerve disorder, CRPS.

With CRPS, if you don't regain use of the affected extremity by undergoing extensive P.T. immediately, you can loose the use of the extremity forever.   CRPS used to be called "RSD" and, in olden times, it was referred to as the "suicide disease".  It's on the top of the "pain scale", topping child birth.   My P.T., Martha the "goddess of pain", is responsible for my being able to play the banjo and now the fiddle.   She told me she never had a patient work as hard as I did.  I had tears streaming down my cheek during many sessions.  I said, "Martha, get on a CRPS website and see what can happen"  It scared the dickens out of me.

I underwent a year of P.T. and continued to do a lot of the exercises for several years after that, at home.  It took me two months of therapy before I could tie my shoes.   I slept in a Lazy Boy for 2 1/2 months as I couldn't stand to have bed covers touch my left hand.  (Lazy Boys aren't nearly as comfortable as they're advertised after spending 2 1/2 months in them).  When it looked like I might have an actual, functioning left hand/wrist/arm, I decided at age 65 to buy my first musical instrument, a banjo.  It took me a year before I could make a clean "C" chord on the banjo.  Now, at age 73, I'm playing my banjo with some really good old time musicians playing  "full speed ahead" on the banjo.   Something I never, ever envisioned doing, that's for sure and one of the greatest joys of my life.  Last year, I bought my first fiddle and, though I haven't played the fiddle with my old time group (yet), I've played along with recordings I've made of our many sessions and with my "fiddle buddy" who's learning the banjo.  He plays banjo and I play the fiddle.  Great fun which amazes me every time we play.

Sorry, I "rambled" on, as usual.   I would suggest that, if you aren't doing as well as you'd like, that you might consider going to another doctor.  I can't help but think (and wish for you) that you might find something that will work for you.   Nerve damage takes a long time to overcome.   It would be great if you could find a combination of position, shoulder rest, chin rest, etc. that will help you get back on track.  Maybe you could take up learning the banjo so as to eliminate things that might aggravate the problems you're having with the fiddle?

Good luck partner.  

old cowboy - Posted - 10/08/2020:  07:16:06

Found some videos by Truman Price. He plays with fiddle in crook of his arm. Going to give it a try. Got an appt. with my dentist next week. He thinks it is connected with my dentures! Who knows?

maxwellhouse - Posted - 10/28/2020:  12:36:02

I have/had a habit of strong clenching of the fiddle with my jaw...one night I had a pretty severe neck pain event, which led to numbing in the fingers and an eventual operation on my spine at the neck. I have a severe form of arthritis which is the culprit, but I think my posture and style accentuated the problem.

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 10/28/2020:  14:10:36

I think if you want to get off the meds you could try a good chiropractor...notice I said "good," and how you find one might take some looking around. We used to have a friend (still do but he's so far away we never really see him) who went to chiropractic school and he could do a lot of good for people with pinched nerves and chronic pains and stuff...lots of times they'll give you exercises too to try to rebalance where the body has gotten off track.



We used to take our older dog to a horse/dog chiropractor around here close by, and he really gave her her life back...so it ain't all in somebody's head... she could jump around and didn't need pain meds and acted good...we could tell when she needed another visit by how she was acting. Everybody in the guy's waiting room on doggie days always talked about how he got their dogs their lives back. I think if you can find a good one they can help a lot of situations...plus, a good one will tell you when s/he cannot help the situation.

Edited by - groundhogpeggy on 10/28/2020 14:11:33