Interview Victor Wooten Focal Dystonia Treatment 

Actually brought tears to my eyes. I'm a huge Victor fan and didn't know he had this to. As a fellow bass guitar player, I was diagnosed with dystonia and had the exact same experience as Victor about 15 years ago. I was suicidal and depressed. Years later, after selling all my gear, I saw a Michael j. Fox interview talking about how when he plays ice hockey, his Parkinsons symptoms disappear. A light went off in my head that this must be turned on and off somehow by emotion. Through relax focused retraining and total lack of fear of the dystonia anymore, I took my power back. I now play 99% with no issue at all. The subconscious mind is powerful and just needs to be reprogrammed. Victor is an amazing player and even greater man.

Victor Wooten is a down to earth, kind Gentleman, with a big heart. My group of friends and me had the chance to meet him a couple of days ago (Saturday January 20th), in Berkeley California, where he performed with his brothers. T’was a jaw dropping show. After blowing our minds with an amazing performance, the staff of the venue wanted us lingering fans to exit the building so they could close it. The venue’s staff were a bit overly firm with us. Victor took note of this, politely said something to the staff, walked right pass them, and came outside to greet us all and talk to us, INDIVIDUALLY, while it was cold and raining on us late at night. What a great human being!!!

Wow! I switched to bass from banjo this year because of my symptoms and now my symptoms are presenting in my right index finger on bass. Ive been in denial just saying my fingers are out of shape. Reading Wikipedia I find out my lifelong music hero Victor battles this too so I Google it and find this video. Huge glimmer of hope right when I needed it. I hate this condition so much. 😞

Victor Wooten is one of the greatest musicians of our lifetime. He has a talent that has no peer in the lane he operates. Having experienced his live performance at the peak of his powers, it left a mark on me (and millions of others) that was was so life changing, the memory of it will stay with me until the end of my days. But somehow, as improbable as it sounds, he manages to be a better person than he is a musician, an astounding fact. To know he is experiencing dystonia, and the interference it causes to his musicianship, is heart wrenching in the extreme. Yet his grace and positivity manages to keep my own feelings of despair for him in check. I wish him nothing but the best.

I didn't know Victor suffered from this too! it stopped me from playing banjo 33 years ago but back then no one knew FD existed. recently I've discovered a way to play again and its given me back something that was taken away that really meant a lot to me! thank you for posting this!

my absolute favorite bassist great person all around never a harsh word from him even during hard times. i did notice his playing being different from super human to almost normal still the greatest .

Wonderful interview and I completely agree. Senior Clinician Musician's Wellness of North America. Bless you both!

This really helped ease my concern for Victor, and really showed his courage and honesty. I also really appreciated how much this discussion showed the importance of attention: Not only the attention of the therapist, but how therapeutic working with the patient's own attention is.

This interview brought tears to my eyes. To hear a Bass God? Openly share with us that he is a man and suffers like human musicians do and feel makes me hopeful to overcome my own short comings.

20 years with wrist,right hand cramps/disorder and just recently i saw that has been identified as focal dystonia. Brain MRIs, multiple medical exams but no doctor was able to give me an advice or even recognize what happens. Psychological reasons, was their usual excuse for my symptoms. Thank you for the infos and amazing YT channel!! Im grabbing my guitar again..

The great Victor Wooten! What an amazing conversation - so much to take away from this exchange!

Thanx to both of you for this, specially the end and the positive attitude towards it !

Thank you so much for these uploads, Ruth! i will be contacting you in a few weeks.

Powerful interview. Thanks.

So inspiring. I believe I’m developing something and it helps to hear that I am not alone

Thank you so much for helping Victor.

Thank you for this & l'm glad people are getting help ! l've contended with this since 2003/4 & also had no idea what was going on until about 3 years ago. Joshua Morton, l also switched instruments. l'll try & comment again (more constructively) once l've consolidated my thoughts. Courage & best wishes to Victor & all who are dealing with this. Ruth, thank you for all you are doing.

thank you so much for this testimony. It brings me hope curing my own dystonia I've been living with for 7 years now. Another litlle light on my way to recovery. thank you

This was very very informative and it's given me a good understanding on what's been going with my hands for the last 8 years.

Thanks for sharing. I enjoy Mr. Wooten’s music and this insight really speaks to his work ethic and professionalism.

Thank you so much! This is so enlightening.

It was a heart warming respectfull coversation. I wish both of you all the bests!

This is amazing and really insightful, she cannot seem to be quiet though lol just letting him talk instead of consistently ‘ummm’ ‘yes’ ‘ummm’ ‘yes yes’ 😫😫😫

Nice video,Tnx for this Mam.I am a big fan of Victor.I have focal Dystonia too and still making music God bless you!

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Great interview. I have been fighting focal dystonia for almost two years. Need help

Ruth and Vic…thanks❤️

Gracias,muy esperanzador

i just now, after 10 years of this condition gradually taking over my left hand, have a name to put on it (my ring finger & pinky are curling as I'm typing). This is going to be difficult for me to correct. I've NEVER been a relaxed player. To learn to relax & play is going to be tough. Long road ahead. But I do have hope, now..after seeing this! My dystonia manifests itself in the exact same way as Victor's. I hope I can get to a point where it's not so annoying/frustrating...

Bravo Victor, in addition to play bass very well, you're part of the few anglo-saxons artists who are able to speak without saying in each sentence: you know..., i mean... Only for that: Respect! I've heard many other interviews from you, and you never use these words. I wonder if you don't have a language defect, i've never heard anyone like you! TOTAL RESPECT my friend!

Victor your amazing

Victor...one of best bass player world wide indeed

Can you think of worst thing to get for a person like Mr. Wooten. God bless bro

Wow, the slap king himself! Damn , this guy is awesome! I hope you make a full recovery sir and get back to doing whatever is in your heart on your beautiful bass. To hell with F/D

Hello Ruth, I didn't know Victor also had this disorder. He is such a phenomenal musician. I sent you an email, Roger

Didn't know I have dystonia until watching this. It's been 5 years now and have gotten worst since. I cannot play my guitar and bass the way I played it before and about to throw in the towel. I'll buy the doctor's book to see if it I can find a resolution.

FD on classical guitarrists usually happens on right (picking hand if right handed) , left hand dystonia (guitar neck) is rarer , this is the one i got in 2005 and i still have it but much less pronunciated , its the same ring finger curls down and is a pain to do ascending scales , i cant play like before because it makes it worse , i have to play completely different and more relaxed to lessen the symptoms

I'm also a bass player, Brazilian. A few years ago I was diagnosed with focal dystonia - it manifests in my right hand. Since then I've tried to readapt myself to keep playing, but I had to change my way of making music. I was very frustrated, today I am depressed. Dystonia limited my technique in a desperate way. Lately it has gotten worse again. I do not know what to do. I've tried treatments, I've glued my fingers together with duct tape, with rubber bands. I am currently pure frustration.

I have same thing w skratching

This was great advice. I have it in both ring fingers. Lifelong guitarist. Looks like I’m the real deal, now. 😅

i have exactly the same sintomns of victor, even if i'm an amateur bass player, i feel a great frustration since i cannot pleay anymore like the past and i cannot live without music, how contact you? main problem is that i did many neorological test and all negative, no one coul explain it and now it has a name, but how cure that, is possible to contact you?

Scott, Wooten, Webster too. What if the reason is the desynchronization? Focal dystonia is a neurological disease. The signal from the brain does not reach the hands properly. These famous musicians play complex music and they all do our “favorite” exercises for desynchronizing the left and right hands, fingers and all. What if this dystonia is caused by a ripping off “natural” signal chains from the brain to/between the hands? What do you guys think about this idea?

Salam

Hello, I am a huge fan of Victor. I am also a fan of Paul Stamets who is a world famous mycologist. I am hopeful for the research Paul and others have done on the possibilities of treating focal dystonia and other neurological conditions with mushrooms. I think lion's mane was one of the most beneficial species being studied. I wonder if the music as language as taught by Victor could have a distant connection with the language of nature referred to by Paul. Peace and blessings

❤🎵🙏🏿💯

I really wanted to watch Victor, but the lady humming after every other word he says is intolerable. I’m very sorry that Victor is suffering from this. From what I could get through in the video sounds like he has found something that’s working for him. Good luck.

How can I contact this lady?

Im a dj I can't put my hand on the record turntable

i have focal distonya for 3 year how can you help me and how canhelp m me ...i cant play and music is my life ...plz help me

I am a Korean player who has focal dystonia. I understood the content of the video to some extent, but I didn't fully understand it. Can you tell me what's most important to cure this disease? I'm so desperate. I beg you.

Mmmm

insufferable interruptions im sorry

I’ve stopped playing guitar 15 years ago as its impossible to play with this condition. The Great Wooten -what can I say.