Uh oh!

[iamthebassplayr]

Ok, so I've used the search function and sieved through the threads to no avail.

I'm having some pain in my fretting hand on the pinky side. I've been playing for about 2 years now, and I just turned 18 in May. I use 4 fingers for 4 frets, my thumb is straight , usually just below the middle of the back of the neck, my wrist isn't bent anything more 45 degrees from in a straight line with my arm.

When I fret with my pinky, or when not playing apply -any- pressure to the circled area in the first photo(just even leaning on my hand to get up), I get some pretty bad pains on both the palm side and back side of my hand in the circled areas in the second picture.





Sometimes it isn't there, but lately its been getting to the point where all I have to do is go to push in a chair and it hurts T-T


Any ideas on what it could be? its on the pinky side, so it isn't Carpal, right? Any ideas? I've been icing it all over, but it doesn't really seem to alleviate the pain at all...

Thanks guys.

[mutedeity]

It could be a number of things. I wouldn't necessarily rule out carpal tunnel syndrome though. Given that I am not a doctor and can't examine you I wouldn't make any kind of diagnosis and I would recommend you take any diagnosis given by others on here with at least a grain of salt.

I would look very carefully at the position of your wrist if you are over extending it it could be the cause of pain or injury, your wrist should be only slightly flexed. Your wrist shouldn't be flexed sideways at all either. If the pain is mainly when you are playing then it is a pretty good bet that it has to do with your technique though. If you can, take some photos of how you are holding the bass in several positions on the neck.

Other than that my advice is that before you go taking any suggestions for medication or other remedies, consult a doctor if this is bad enough.

[iamthebassplayr]

Yeah, I would consult a doctor in the end likely, its just I am going to Wisconsin on Friday and will be gone for a couple of weeks and and won't be able to get into the Doctor's before my flight.

I don't really move my wrist side to side (like a paint brush motion?) at all that I know of (I will keep looking though).

And it does not hurt specifically while I am playing, I get more pain when I am not and I lean my palm against something, but pain is also there if I fret with my pinky occasionally...

Here are some pics of my fretting hand

[mutedeity]

Based on the pictures I can't see anything that looks specifically awkward that would do damage. Your wrist looks fine to me. The only thing I might suggest is that you centre your thumb in relation to your other fingers a little more and also to make sure you aren't applying too much pressure with your thumb. If anything the last picture looks to me like you are maybe applying too much pressure in that respect.

I would probably get it looked at just to be safe. Do make sure you mention that you play bass though to your physician and whatever you do don't play through pain in the mean time. Good luck.

[iamthebassplayr]

Thanks for the advice with my thumb, I will work on lightening up my touch with my left hand, and when I can I will get to the doctor's and be sure to tell him I play bass.

Thanks again!

[Blonde Bassist]

I highly recommend the Dr. Kertz book Bassist's Guide to injury management, prevention, and better health I found it quite useful because I'm going through a rehabilitation period after repeatadly dislocating my right shoulder and subsiquently needing surgery to stabilise it. I would definately say go to a doctor if your concerned about it, and takeany other advice with a pinch of salt, different solutions work for everyone, and no two injuriews are the same so its difficult to say what is needed.

Check out the book though because there is definately some useful advice in there, might not be specific to you exact injury, but theres certainly good stuff to think about.

Hope some of that helps, just try not to hurt yourself too much, one main thing to think is that if it hurts to play, then something isn't quite right, and might not be wise to be playing with the pain. If you were a vocalist with a sore throat, pr frrom loosing your voice I'd say don't sing, and don't speak if you can avoid it. I suppose you can take that as some advice.

Hope it gets better.

*edit* sorry, was gunna put a linkl to the book, http://www.drkertz.com/bassistguide.html

[Dr. Feelgood]

+1 on Blonde Bassist


It sounds to me like that part of your hand is cramped. Judging by the photos, your pinkie has to do a lot more work than the other fingers because your arm is angled to the point that your index is flat against the fingerboard.

Try twisting your arm in such a way that the fingerboard and your forearm create more of a T shape, rather than a V shape. Maybe hitch your bass up a little bit to allow this. That should alleviate some of the pressure being exerted on your pinky muscles!

Hope this helps... If not, go see a doctor!

[Cernael]

This may seem like a strange question, but it isn't:

How does the pain feel? Like a cramp? Like hitting the funny bone? Tingling, burning, other?

Does it hurt if you...how to explain this...
Lay the pinky on the edge of the table, so the area you circled isn't touched. The press the pinky down, so you use the muscle without actually moving the finger (much). Does that hurt?

[iamthebassplayr]

It doesn't feel like a cramp... its weird pain... its not shooting really or sudden, unless I surprise myself and lean against it wrong.. I guess it just kinda feels like something really really really cold all along those muscles...

But I am sure there is a better way to explain it and I can't =O.

And when I lay my finger tips on the end of the table and push it doesn't hurt unless I push very hard.

Thanks guys, I am going to check out that book for sure!

[Ewo]

Originally Posted by Kevin Myers

Thanks for the advice with my thumb, I will work on lightening up my touch with my left hand, and when I can I will get to the doctor's and be sure to tell him I play bass.

Thanks again!

(Props on your chosen instrument!) I've got an MTD KZ5, so I'm familiar with the asym neck shape. Got a suggestion about your hand position.

From the pix it seems that the last joints of your fingers and thumb are flat, and the thumb points toward your first finger. You might try rounding your fingers and thumb more, almost as if you were gripping a baseball. IOW, your fingertips and thumb are pointing toward each other (through the neck).

And except when you're doing a thumb-pivot move to reach more frets, you might think in terms of keeping your thumb about opposite your middle finger.

Maybe you'll find that stresses your hand muscles less.

[Cernael]

Originally Posted by Kevin Myers

It doesn't feel like a cramp... its weird pain... its not shooting really or sudden, unless I surprise myself and lean against it wrong.. I guess it just kinda feels like something really really really cold all along those muscles...

But I am sure there is a better way to explain it and I can't =O.

And when I lay my finger tips on the end of the table and push it doesn't hurt unless I push very hard.

Thanks guys, I am going to check out that book for sure!

Yeah. My guess is, you've got a nerve pinched over the part where it hurts to press.

Got another test for you, though; do the same as before, but try to move the pinky to the side instead of towards the palm (think the Vulcan sign from Stak Trek; stretch the pinky as far away from the thumb as you can, and press it back with the other hand). IF this triggers it, try pinching the very edge of the hand, roughly in the middle of the area of pain (and try moving the pinch around a bit, these things can be hard to find some times).

If it's the nerve, as I think it is, your doctor should know what to do. If it's a muscular trigger point, as in the second paragraph, doctors may not be aware of those; a naprapath/osteopath/chiropractor, or possibly a well educated massage therapist, should know what to do.