Forearm Carpal Tunnel Playing In Sitting Position

[mrjim123]

I bought a new G&L Tribute L-2000 a week ago. I have been learning new songs from CDs, so I've been mostly sitting down while playing.

About an hour ago I was playing (sitting down) and I noticed my technique was going to hell. I finally figured out that the inside of my right (picking hand) forearm was getting numb from resting it on the bass. It still hurts and feels a little numb, classic carpal tunnel, I would say.

I am playing live with an acoustic guitarist and percussionist this weekend. Both sit while playing, so I kind of hate to play standing up.

So, I'm looking for some way to alleviate the pressure while playing sitting down. This never happened with my old bass (Gibson Ripper) - bigger body, so a different pressure point I guess.

Any ideas?

(Also posted in Basses forum - any rules on cross posting?)

[JimmyM]

Get a tall stool that allows you to hang your bass rather than rest it on your lap.

[Mr. Pickles]

This is kind of from "left field"...but, if your carpal tunnel worsens...

Ever try a Chapman Stick? Virtually no stress on the foreamrs, wrists, hands, or fingers. I've known players with serious injuries who play them without pain or hinderence.

I know it's a totally different beast. Just sayin'

[HaVIC5]

Have you ever tried lifting your shoulder up towards more of a 90 degree angle to your torso? This is part of Todd Johnson's "floating thumb" technique, because it lifts pressure off your forearm and wrist on the body of your bass, and instead transfers the weight of the arm to the shoulder. This can be very fatiguing at first, but I for one can attest to never having any right hand pain because of carpal tunnel while doing this. It also can help insure a straight wrist, which greatly helps avoiding an RSI.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pickles

This is kind of from "left field"...but, if your carpal tunnel worsens...

Ever try a Chapman Stick? Virtually no stress on the foreamrs, wrists, hands, or fingers. I've known players with serious injuries who play them without pain or hinderence.

I know it's a totally different beast. Just sayin'

Sorry, man, but that's a stupid idea. Changing your instrument and fundamental approach to music making because of something faulty in your technique? It makes no sense.

[Bassorama57]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Get a tall stool that allows you to hang your bass rather than rest it on your lap.

Good safety tip. Is your bass resting on your right thigh or hanging between your legs on the strap? (Eg, the stylized rendition of my daughter in the avatar is demonstrating poor technique.) I'd also speculate that what you have is more of a temporary palsy than carpal - caused by pinching off nerves/blood flow (on the 'knife edge' of the instrument body) rather than repetitive stress to the nerve tunnel.

[Mr. Pickles]

Originally Posted by HaVIC5

Sorry, man, but that's a stupid idea. Changing your instrument and fundamental approach to music making because of something faulty in your technique? It makes no sense.

True that. However, if you read my post, you would see that I was referencing players with serious damage to their hands and wrists. Hopefully, it will never come to that for the OP. But if it does, as I said, I'm just sayin'...

[tat2jim]

You've probably compressed the median nerve.
Change your hand position.

Jim
Bass Player and LMT.