The Steel Guitar Forum

For about 1 1/2 years now my speed (it wasn't much to start with) has decreased and I noticed that it took about one set to loosen up. Now I have a Ganglion Cyst on the inside of the wrist. I have been told that all(?) that practicing and playing probably caused it.

Question: 1. How many of you have had this problem?
2. How long can I parlay the surgery scar into excuses????

3. How in the world could a "Week End Warrior" do enough to get a Ganglion Cyst??

Bobby,
I have been dealing with these for the past 30 years.
First off-I would reccomend NOT getting surgery, I had it and the only thing it did was kept me from playing for a long time.
I get them on my left wrist, and I deal with it this way:
When it gets to the point where my fingers start tingling from it pinching a nerve, I SLAM my wrist into a door jam. You need to make the cyst the point of contact. It hurts like hell, but it breaks it up and then my body absorbs it. It only hurts for a day or so after that then I'm back to normal.

These things are caused by a rupture in the membrane that surrounds the tendons in your wrist. When it ruptures, the lubricating fluid inside leaks out and hardens. The only thing surgery will do is remove the lump, it does nothing for the cause.

I hope this helps you

Jay

I had one awhile back. I massaged it periodically throughout the day and after a few days it was gone. They used to be called "bible bumps" because the old folk remedy was to smack em' with a bible. A dictionary or any substantial book would work for that method. A great and very knowledgeable friend of mine that is a healing arts professional advises against these type of smacking or slamming techniques as there are many small bones in the wrist.

I had one removed by a Doctor, he used a syringe and sucked it out. 5 minuts,no pain, no biggie. JP<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jim Peters on 28 October 2006 at 03:48 PM.]</p></FONT>

My girlfriend had/has one of those on her wrist - and by looking at her experiences, Jay is right on the money:
First she had a doctor suck the fluid out; that thing came back after a few months.
Then she had it surgically removed - it came back a few months later.
She once accidentally smacked it with a heavy suitcase - it disappeared, but came back later.

Her doctor said that there's a hereditary tendency to get these things - those ganglions are indeed caused by overstressing certain tissues in your joints, and with some people removing them surgically, or just puncturing them and sucking out the liquid helps; but if you're genetically disposed towards getting one, they will always reappear after a short time...

I'd like to also thank everyone that gave their input on these "little devils". I had one on the first joint between the 1st and second fingers of my right hand. It got to the point I did have it removed by an orthopedic surgeon. It took about three weeks before the dr. said it was OK to start working that finger.

Geo

Gee, what you can learn on the Forum!!!
Thanks guys! I decided not to "slam" it........I put my thumb on it a pressed hard....it must have been ready to break..this thing was as bigger than a marble and hurt all the time......the pressure from the thumb hurt like &^%#$%^$# but it just went away.
I had never heard of these things.....and at my age.
Now I dont have a "bump" or a scar to use as an excuse for inability but I will think of something.
Again, thanks for all the info!!!!!!!!

Funny this came up because I was talking to our fiddle player last night after noticing he had one and he mentioned wacking it with a bible.

I had one on the top of my right wrist joint which would swell up and cause discomfort. I took my thumb and pressed very hard working it until one day it just disappeared. It hasn't come back in a long time.

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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Dick Wood on 29 October 2006 at 09:38 AM.]</p></FONT>

Dick, I know a good vet. I'll send him over there and have him work on. He's good when he sober. We'll have him check other things for you too.
We need to get together and break in that new geetar of yourin. Put a few little nicks and spills on it to break it in right.

Ted, I appreciate you're looking out for me.The next time I'm driving down your street,I'll being looking out for you too.

Maybe we can get together this coming weekend since I am not playing anywhere.

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Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night.

Bobby believe it or not I had one on my wrist for about 10 years. I was to the point of having it removed and figured what do I have to loose. I layed my wrist flat on the floor and had my wife drop a bible on it.Within 5 days it was totally gone. 12 years later to this day there has been no signs of it comming back.

I used a big dictionary to get rid of one that I had, but now I do have faith.

Funny to see that word again...I've had them since I was about 18. After you 'smack' them once or twice, (the Doctor smacked it first with what looked like a tablespoon), so I refused to pay him again so I did it myself. But the point is that after you do smack it then you can eaisly keep it crushed by just pushing on it with your thumb. It works for me and I haven't had one in decades as I watch for them and do push there every so often...mostly on my left wrist.
Don E.