Fellow Drumheads,
Thanks for all the insight and support on this board. It's been a nutty several months, but finally have an answer to my bizarre left wrist spasm, but not the answer I was looking for.
After a visit with an orthopedist, originally thinking it was a tweaked ligament in my wrist that was causing the spasm, I had xrays and tests that came up negative for any ligament and bone sprains. Then on to a neurologist and several hours of a nerve conduction test (oh what fun that was, getting needled in the nerves from neck to wrist). No pinched nerve, no ligament or bone sprain, but focal dystonia in the hand.
Cause unknown (unless I've been practicing too hard) but in my layman's understanding, it's chemcials in my noggin sending signal misfires to the muscles in my wrist. Happens on tasks like holding a drumstick or hitting it on the drumhead. My wrist bends inward and my hand goes into death grip position. Plain crazy.
Botox is the only treatment from what this doc tells me, but dicey at best. Besides, the idea of shooting up just to play an instrument doesn't sit well with me. My only glimmer of hope is learning what Terreon Gully is doing here. For whatever reason (and probably God only knows), I can do rimshots with my left hand without it spasming all over the place.
Sorry for the long winded update. Really discouraging dealing with this. But if anyone happens to know of someone with this condition, or has any insight into to it, I'm all ears! In the meantime, I'll work on my rimshots.
BR,
Parker
Thanks for all the insight and support on this board. It's been a nutty several months, but finally have an answer to my bizarre left wrist spasm, but not the answer I was looking for.
After a visit with an orthopedist, originally thinking it was a tweaked ligament in my wrist that was causing the spasm, I had xrays and tests that came up negative for any ligament and bone sprains. Then on to a neurologist and several hours of a nerve conduction test (oh what fun that was, getting needled in the nerves from neck to wrist). No pinched nerve, no ligament or bone sprain, but focal dystonia in the hand.
Cause unknown (unless I've been practicing too hard) but in my layman's understanding, it's chemcials in my noggin sending signal misfires to the muscles in my wrist. Happens on tasks like holding a drumstick or hitting it on the drumhead. My wrist bends inward and my hand goes into death grip position. Plain crazy.
Botox is the only treatment from what this doc tells me, but dicey at best. Besides, the idea of shooting up just to play an instrument doesn't sit well with me. My only glimmer of hope is learning what Terreon Gully is doing here. For whatever reason (and probably God only knows), I can do rimshots with my left hand without it spasming all over the place.
Sorry for the long winded update. Really discouraging dealing with this. But if anyone happens to know of someone with this condition, or has any insight into to it, I'm all ears! In the meantime, I'll work on my rimshots.
BR,
Parker