Russ, when you reach that point, buy a sailboat. Worked for me.

Good luck,

Gary

Since I last posted, I had my hands x-rayed. Thankfully only mild age-appropriate arthritis. I then went for neuropathy testing (nerves malfunctioning?)for both hands and feet and got a clean bill of health there so my doctor decided that an MRI was not needed

But I still get aching in my hands if I practice over an hour. But.....my instinct is telling me it's NOT the piano that's hurting my fingers...it's the computer keyboard. But working in music nowadays calls for a lot of music related computer usage.

And, also, now I developed a trigger finger on the left hand little finger. The same one that comes down heavily on the piano keyboard when you're playing "stride" and the same one that comes down heavily on the Control key on the lower left of the computer keyboard.

Not sure what the next step is I have so many other things happening at the same time.

Mark

A few years ago I was offered a great job at a Casino, five nights a week, three hours a night, for $1500. a week. Only thing is I had to play their grand piano, actually just background music in a lobby. I borrowed a digital piano with fully-weighted action and practiced for a week.
By the end of the third day, it was apparent that I couldn't do it. My hands ached all the time, fingers hurt and were stiff, wrists hurt, etc. I had to call and cancel the upcoming job.
Arrangers don't hurt my hands, but even now I can't play those with heavy actions, and it is counterproductive to my playing style anyway. I need fast action with which it is easy to activate the sounds. The Korg PA4X is about the heaviest I can handle, and it isn't very heavy. I can even envision having to go to a PSR-like action at some point in the future, but by then, it will be just for fun anyway.
The point is, if I were a piano player, I wouldn't be able to work!
I find Naproxen (Aleve) helps me, so I take one occasionally when I'm hurting. It seems certain changes in weather trigger the arthritis or whatever it is.

DITTO