Lump on my wrist - should I be concerned?

[jaywa]

I have developed some sort of bump right under the skin on the top of my left wrist. It's about 1/4 inch across and located almost dead center between the two main bones and about one inch up the wrist from where my palm starts. If I wore a watch (which I don't) the face would be right over it.

I don't know how long it's been there but my wife actually noticed it before I did, a couple of weeks ago. You can see it through the skin but it does not hurt when bumped or pressed, nor does it seem to be affecting the motion of my wrist at all. I showed it to my dad (a retired doctor), and he suspects it is a bone spur since it does not move with the surrounding muscles and tendons. I'm wondering about that since I thought bone spurs usually hurt and this does not. He didn't seem real concerned about it and thinks I should just let it go unless it starts hurting or changing shape or size.

FWIW I am 42, male, in good health. I have been playing almost 28 years (on and off), and currently average 20-30 hours of playing a month (gigs and rehearsals), although I am coming off a recent stretch of several weeks where I was playing about 3 hours almost every night in a pit orchestra. I play with fairly conventional left hand technique and wear my P-Bass at such a height that my belt buckle hits almost right in the middle of the body. I usually play standing except for the recent orchestra gig I mentioned above.

Has anyone else developed something like this? Should I get this thing checked out? I want to be pro active about this but the last thing I want is anyone messing with my wrist unless it is absolutely necessary.

Thanks in advance.

[debassr]

You should at least get a quick xray.

[Dogbertday]

if you're worried about it i'd go in and get an x-ray... don't fool around with your health

[BadB]

Well, I guess telling your doctor about it is kind of moot, since you showed your dad. I have a bump on my elbow. Mom (nurse) said it's a calcium cyst, and she'd be happy to smash it with a book for me. Every so often it disappears. Presumably I have bumped it hard enough to break it up. If you are concerned, you should have an x-ray.

[whacker]

It's probably what's called a "ganglion cyst," which I've had in a slightly different location on my wrist, more than once. Usually occurs when you work the area too hard, and goes away when you ease up. Go to WebMD and look it up, or Google it. Visiting your family doctor wouldn't be a bad idea, especially if it's sore.

[crazyguy832]

It's a calcium build-up. Friend had it. Went away when I accidentally hit it with a thermos.



Seriously, though, no biggie. Talk to your doc.

[Hoppes]

I developed a bump in my hand, but it was very short after i started to play bass. It turns out it was a extra index finger muscle. Since you have been playing for so long it must be something else. If it wasnt there when you were born, then it probably shouldn't be. I would go to the doctor if it started hurting or interfering with things.

[debassr]

Originally Posted by Dogbertday

if you're worried about it i'd go in and get an x-ray... don't fool around with your health

Um, didn't I just say that? I mean it's not like I said it on page 2 of a 10 page thread with 400 posts either - I literally said it in the post directly before you. lol

[t2i8m4]

Sounds like a ganglion cyst. Also known as a "Bible Bump" or "Gideons Disease" I developed one after a wrist injury from football. Its called a bible bump because they used to hit the cyst with a heavy book like a bible. It worked for mine but I wouldn't recommend this. It can damage the tissues around it and can be quite painful. Just talk to your doctor about getting it removed.

[manbass]

I have one off and on...ganglion cyst for sure. Does completely go away with less playing. It is a build up of fluid caught in a tendon sheath just below the Transverse carpal ligament...check it:

http://www.ktvu.com/2006/0209/6867303.jpg

I'll be clear on this....listen up....

I never had one until I started playing the spider warm up excercise from this forum last year...I'm 48.

NTTAWWT! but be careful...the spider can bite if you be aggressive with it.

-D

I had one of those for about a year, until one day i was standing around and bored, and i started pushing on it.

All of a sudden it sort of squelched and i felt it move in both directions up and down my arm! Very peculiar. It hasn't come back since.

[need4mospd]

I've got the same type of bump and I'm going to the doctor(hand specialist) tomorrow to check it out. It didn't hurt at first, but it's starting to get in the way now.

I'd get it checked out if you've got decent insurance, or even if you don't. There's always a chance it could be something other than a harmless little bump.

[eotpr]

I don't mess with bumps. Something is growing inside of there. I would get it checked.

[tonedeaf]

Like others in this thread, I had a similar condition to the OP and it did turn out to be a ganglionic cyst. It hurt but not to the point of losing function or seriously impeding my playing. I finally went to an orthopedic surgeon and he confirmed that it was a ganglionic cyst, and told me they generally go away over a period of several months. I fell on my wrist playing basketball one night, and the thing popped (that hurt kind of a lot for a couple of hours) and disappeared. It's starting to reappear now, but it's smaller and so far doesn't hurt at all.

[Senor SQUID]

I have one on my wrist too no worries it is probably a Ganglion cyst. Leave it alone bro

[Matthew Bryson]

Originally Posted by jaywa

...it does not hurt when bumped or pressed, nor does it seem to be affecting the motion of my wrist at all. I showed it to my dad (a retired doctor), and he suspects it is a bone spur since it does not move with the surrounding muscles and tendons. I'm wondering about that since I thought bone spurs usually hurt and this does not. He didn't seem real concerned about it and thinks I should just let it go unless it starts hurting or changing shape or size.

I think that you should listen to your dad, being that he is actually an MD and has actually seen and touched the bump in question here... we're just a bunch of bass players on the interwebs that can't see what your talking about. Unless you don't think your father is/was a good doctor, or you don't trust him for some reason, listen to Dad!

[livingstone]

Originally Posted by Matthew Bryson

I think that you should listen to your dad...

+1

I'll bet he already knows the difference between a bone spur and a ganglion cyst.

[DougD]

Originally Posted by Matthew Bryson

I think that you should listen to your dad, being that he is actually an MD and has actually seen and touched the bump in question here... we're just a bunch of bass players on the interwebs that can't see what your talking about. Unless you don't think your father is/was a good doctor, or you don't trust him for some reason, listen to Dad!

+1 Listen to dad, ALWAYS listen to dad Father knows best
For your info tho, a cyst in your wrist will hurt when you bend or bump it. I've had 3 removed and have another growing Hopefully when I get this one removed it'll stay gone

[debassr]

This thread is making me queasy.