I rushed to get tendon surgery, and i’m regretting it so bad

hello all

i posted here some months back about my tendon problems in my wrist. i had received diagnoses of both De Quervain’s and Intersection syndromes.

i’m a guitar player. this all started from overuse related to that.
my band has been gearing up to drop our first release and start playing. and i’m holding them back. it’s so frustrating

maybe i should have maybe i shouldn’t have, but in mid november i got surgery on two places in my left wrist. i wanted to try the TMS approach, but i guess i just wasn’t convinced. a lot of the info on tendinitis/de queevains here is so wishy-washy. i had read some things about DQV being structural that scared me. and i was worried there was a tear or something. i just wanted to play again.

now it’s nearly february and i’m in a lot of pain still. it doesn’t help i’ve gone overboard with my rehab, playing guitar a lot again. the surgeon had told me “everything is good underneath” so i guess i interpreted that as a green light to do whatever i wanted. in the end that made it even worse. now i’ve been getting a ton of clicking and popping the last week or so. that’s not supposed to be there!!

in retrospect i’m convinced it was all TMS to begin with, but i read so many forum posts of musicians ruining their wrists that i became convinced i needed to repair it.

i don’t know what to do. i’m scared i’ve made it all worse by going through with this. like the surgery and botched rehab will lead to long term disability or permanent damage . i guess i thought it would make it all better.

i don’t have any questions really, i’m just frustrated i just want to play guitar again

 

Hi wastinglight,

Welcome to the TMS forums, glad you've found us! It is true that chronic tendonitis including DQV are TMS. Give yourself space around the surgery- you didn't know it was TMS at that time, and it was your best option that you knew of. Lots of folks on here have had a back surgery or something that in retrospect was treating TMS and they have since healed from their TMS pain.

The good news is that your body is strong and good at healing from surgery too! Your body should heal up within a few months after the surgery, and if your MD has given you the green light, follow their lead in terms of post-surgical activity- doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. It doesn't sound like your rehab was botched...lots of people have wrists that click and pop (including myself), these are benign sensations.

You're on the right track with TMS healing from your continued pain...and your wrist is not ruined from having surgery! Go easy on yourself. You'll be able to play guitar again as you heal.

Have you started any structured programs yet?

 

If there was a structural problem before, then you have been repaired. If there wasn't, then I don't see any real harm done either, as the surgeon was trying to help you to play guitar. The body is resilient and even if it was an unnecessary surgery, you'll heal just fine. I haven't had any of the things you describe, but do play guitar and have heard of so many guitar "shredders" overdoing it or thinking they've injured themselves with improper technique or over-practicing. Even before I knew about TMS I thought this sounded unusual. I could understand soreness, but an actual injury? Do you enjoy playing guitar or has it become an obligation and a worry?

 

i love it so much. but in a sense it is worrying me, because of obligations i feel to this band. i don’t want us to miss our opportunities, or lose my chance entirely

 

Yep, that's how widespread TMS is.

 

ortho surgical nurse here - don't beat yourself up. Do be sure you have given the wrist time to heal. I would check in with your physical therapist & surgeon. I am not familiar w healing times for that surgery, but you mentioned maybe you had gone overboard a bit on using the wrist.
I too struggled to believe, well I did believe rationally about TMS cure; but I was not a person like in some of the books who was quickly pain free. I have done a lot of mediation work, psychotherapy, and I have very little pain. When it does start the Tell Me About Your Pain podcast on somatic tracking really works well.
Good luck, you will get better I am glad we all have this forum for support.