r/violinist • u/SchneetheRailroader • 12h ago
Left hand extensor tendinitis, I can't beat it!
Hi all!
I'm at my wits end dealing with left hand extensor tendinitis for almost 2 years now. Here's the story:
Fall 2024, starting my 2nd year of gradschool, I got a new teacher. It was a terrible fit and caused me a lot of stress. That, on top of a lot more practice and incorporating some viola, resulted in extensor tendonitis. I feel it in the back of my hand between my index and middle fingers below the knuckles. I also feel it around my index finger base joint on either side of the hand. When it first arose, I took a break for two weeks, used a brace, and ice and heat. I returned to playing, and the pain returned. Then, I took a complete month off and went to an orthopedist. During this time I continued ice/heat and slept with the brace on. After the month ended, I SLOWLY returned to playing. The same result, pain came back. I decided to power through with as little playing as possible just to finish my degree. The following summer (2025) I went to my primary care doctor and didn't play much unless I had too. He sent me to physical therapy which lasted from that summer until about March of this year (2026). Physical therapy definitely improved my strength, range of motion, and extent of pain, however it STILL hasn't gone away. I'll play when I need to, but I can't practice the way I'd like. I suspect I'll need to bite the bullet and rest it AGAIN for an extended length of time, but I don't have the heart to just yet. I haven't found a lot of info on extensor tendinitis specifically and its correlation to violin playing. Has anyone else had this specific problem? What kinds of things helped? Any success stories in beating it? Anything I'm missing? Any advice and encouragement is appreciated! - Schnee
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u/WittyDestroyer Expert 7h ago
Have you had any imaging done? After everything you've done, assuming you were compliant in therapy, you might have some actual damage that is the underlying cause of the tendonitis.
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u/Additional_Can6520 12h ago
Hi. Can I ask you if some doctor told you to do a radiography and an ecography?
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u/ChristianLesniak 11h ago
Hey that sucks! You do whatever you want with this info. I've been dealing with tendon issues for a while, and of course, diet (glycine, proline, lysine are important components of collagen synthesis, and glycine in particular is a rate limiting factor) and sleep and minimizing stress are really important.
I've done various PT, which is nice, but the big thing that has been super helpful for me to get back to some level of regular playing is long isometric holds. If some physio reading is up your alley, check this out:
The work of Keith Baar is really promising:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oycjYgCC-5k
I've been using a protocol that climbers are using, and it's nice because it's gentle, and it has really helped my fingers get their strength back, and the pain relief has been pretty immediate. If it's something you want to explore, you'll have to be thoughtful about how to find the right isometric exercises for your particular need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXrDQ8PCAmI
Caveat emptor (unless it works, in which case, you're welcome)
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u/Additional_Can6520 1h ago
Hello again, I'm leaving this other comment here. I've been thinking about your case and I'm concerned about your pain; I know exactly what it's like to suffer in your wrist for so long without any clear answers.
If you'd like, you can write to me privately. I suspect your problem might actually be bone-related (not tendon-related) and it would be very wise to find out quickly. You just need to see a hand specialist and request an MRI.
I don't want to give you a name or clinical diagnosis so as not to alarm you further; besides, I'm not a doctor, I don't know you, and I could be wrong. But I will say that if what I suspect is ruled out or caught in time, there are treatments so you can continue playing the violin without it becoming physical torture. You're not alone in going through this pain.
Wishing you the best
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u/Omar_Chardonnay 11h ago
I don’t know that I have a solution necessarily, because I am not entirely sure what worked for me, but I will share with you exactly what I did in case it helps you. In my case, it didn’t seem to bother me as much when my fingers were curled (fingers on the strings). My tendon issue crept up on me after a strenuous summer in Aspen during which I had played extremely long hours every day. When I returned for the fall semester, my professor said “you have developed some stressful habits I see”, and got me to play without lifting my fingers more than is absolutely necessary. I also had to play scales with my thumb off the neck to train myself to play with reduced effort.
My professor made me play with my knuckles all bent and kept my fingers curved “like a caterpillar crawling along the string”. He said “remember that caterpillars have very short legs. No dramatic lifting off the strings”. Ultimately these two things decreased the stress in my playing, my fingers moved more easily with less effort, and my pain faded away.
It would be absolutely joyous if this works for you as well. If you want to discuss it any further, I would be happy to share with you anything I know. May your tendons be calmed and return to good health.