Tomo Fujita Guitar Wisdom

Thank you Scott for sharing your health issue. I am woshing your comfort and fast recovery. Health thing is my priority than anything else. I would like to live long and being healthy. I imitated what Mike Chang from Instagram. I do his 12 exercises.

Tomo

Thank you, everyone, Sammi and Tomo. I went to the chiropractor to get my body adjusted just now, and I'm feeling better. My hips were out of alignment. One leg shorter than the other. LOL. I am going to get a series of adjustments to keep the spine aligned properly. Going back tomorrow for another adjustment. Keep going!!!

Healing prayers Scott. Hang in there.

Tomo, Thank you for the tip exercises.

I refuse to give this a like. Feel better Scott!

Thank you Kurt for encouragement and sharing your experiences and all here. I am wishing your comfort and fast discovery!

Tomo

Thanks, Linda. I appreciate your understanding and encouragement so much. You are totally right! Perseverance is key. What a great excuse to buy another guitar, right? I don't think I could get that request by my wife though. LOL. I do quite a few of those things you suggest. I have a footrest, a new chair with ergo cushion. I checked with my chiropractor that playing guitar should not exacerbate my injury at all, thank goodness, just can't over do it, you know.

Thank you, George! I am grateful for you all.

All good ideas, especially the walking. Motion is the lotion!

Thanks, Sunil! I appreciate all the great advice! Sounds like you've really been through the wringer. Glad you're better now.

The chiropractor took x-rays of my spine from neck to hips. I have several issues that need correcting. Found out that I have some curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Tomorrow, they're doing an adjustment, then some decompression. I'm on the schedule twice a week for the next four months! That pinched nerve is weakening my fretting hand a bit. Slowly getting better, but it will take some time. Not giving up!

Thank you for sharing Scott, that makes me feel better. I hope the therapy works so you feel better!

Shilpa has some curvature too, it effects everything. She likes to stretch a lot, do yoga, and run. Says it helps. Seems like it always goes back to muscle strength.

Slower is good, like guitar.
Be kind to yourself my friend.
I am not giving up with you.

Linda, you are right, "the motion is the lotion!"

Love that notion. :)

That means so much, my friend. Thank you.

I would not do any hand exercises.
There is nothing wrong with your hand.

If you act on feedback that is not accurate (pinched nerve) you could damage your hand.

I would consult with a medical doctor;
get the MRI to figure out how to proceed.

Spending time in a cold pool to redistribute weight around the nerve, or icing the back with legs elevated helped me a lot.
Not sure about a hot tub, cold is better to reduce inflammation. I would ask someone about alternating between hot and cold treatment. If you have a ruptured disk the gel inside could settle to put more pressure on the nerves so it's important to know what you're dealing with I think.

"Relax the Back" is a local (west coast i think) chain of stores, but it has a triangular folding cushion that helped a lot. https://relaxtheback.com/products/contoursleep-back-wedge

Something like this and ice, 20 min on, 20 off. Firm mattress.

It's a lot to deal with especially with the pain. One step at a time man.

Luckily, I don't have a ruptured disk, but I have a lot of compression that's causing the nerve pinching. The chiropractor said to use ice on my back, only 30 minutes at a time, so that the brain doesn't send signals to prepare for hypothermia. I'll check out that link for sure. Thank you.

Thank you for this comment Tomo.

Generally, it is deeply comforting to me
that your approach to guitar seems to be the same as your approach to health and living day to day.

Thank you, Tomo, for your kind considerations. I am working on these areas. My chiropractor is also giving me specific exercises to do in a program early next week. But I am determined to keep practicing and playing guitar. Chromatic Scale is more of a challenge now because of the weakness in my pinky and ring fingers, but it is good because I am slowing back down again and balancing the pressure better with those fingers. Still getting some buzz when I use my pinky on the Blues Solo Etude, but I am determined to keep going. Thank you for your wonderful kindness and support in this challenge.

Thank you Sunil! I think health and guitar is a lot things in common. If you only focus on "pain" part... it is similar to focus on performance or any one topic. If you have a solid foundation, that makes your playing smooth. Same way, a big picture of health will give you healthy life style and more comfort. Modern life style is fun to live but somehow we need to add something (Walking, workout, stretching etc)

Tomo

You're very welcome Scott! So great to hear that. Don't worry about guitar playing now. Your health is priority! You can do a lot of listening and thinking.

Tomo

That is so true Tomo!

In my family, my dad had back problems starting in his 40's after he slid down some steps they used to rollup to the airplane (he was an engineer for the airlines)

My little sister had multiple ruptured disks early 20s after college, she grew up dancing (bharatnathyum, classical south indian dance. they are stomping they're feet a lot. She has always been very active.

I had problems when I returned to school, late 30's. Shilpa and I both went back, in cities 400 miles apart. I did all the moving, wrecked my hands, and later slipped down some outdoor stairs. I was not playing consistently by then but I did not play for a decade after that.

But before my dad came to the US (in 1961) fhere was no mention of backpain because my dad's mom was a dairy farmer in Kerala, southern India. She raised 8 boys and one daughter alone (grandfather passed when my dad was 5), quite an active lifestyle.

No back issues on my mom's side. They were academics, engineers, medical doctors, teachers. So I think there are some genetics involved.

Overcast today in the bay area, some respite from the heat wave last week.
Listened to Led Zeppelin II, Doing it to Death, JB's. Going for a long walk today.
Hoping everyone stays safe over the weekend and beyond.

Thank you, Hugo!