Worst cramp I ever had

[FenderJak]

So I was playing a show last night, and about 2 and a half songs in, my thumb and pointer finger started cramping on my right hand. This isn't unusual because I play our stuff mostly with a pick and pick pretty hard at times, but it got to the point where I was struggling to hold the pick in my fingers. I even tried switching to plucking but it seemed as if I lost all strength in my right hand. Is this just a really bad cramp or possibly something more?

[El-Bob]

sounds like you should see a doctor. i'm not an experienced bassist or medical expert by any means, but my common sense is telling me that if you're experiencing an unusual amount of cramping something must be wrong.

[darkfinger]

El-Bob is right, you should probably make an appointment to see your doctor.

However, was it a high profile gig? or was there anything about the show that made you more tense than usual?
I have noticed that from time to time, when playing a high tension show, I play much stiffer than usual at first and my plucking hand cramps up pretty bad, (I play finger style) and for the first few songs I really have to struggle to loosen up.

Next time you practice see if the pain comes back...if it`s there and you`re relaxed then you could be looking at something like carpal tunnel. However if you were just stressed and tense at the show then there probably won`t be any pain.

I hope this helps.