Wrist pain - Read me!

[Krowser]

Sorry to make another thread about this but I really want to share this and if I stick it at the end of a 10 page thread, no one will read it.

I work in a call center, so allll day long, I sit at a computer and I type.

I had a crappy posture and no wrist support.

To top that off, I play bass, A lot. At least an hour a day. I play chords and metal riffs so my wrists take a lot of strain.

This behavior could only last so long. In october, I noticed that my wrists started to hurt, nothing bad, but before long it became very bad, to the point that I was genuinly scared of not being able to play bass ever again.

Today, I'm okay.

Step 1: Get an ergonomic chair and wrist supports.
Step 2: Strech your forearms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUyMNyrOHJQ
Step 3: Once you're used to stretching, you need to build muscle on top of your tendons so that they stop taking the hit. Muscles can take a lot of abuse before having problems.
Three times a week, I do 3 sets of 15 wrist curls with 12 pound weights. You don't want or need something heavy. You just want to train your wrists to run a marathon, so to speak.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...WristCurl.html

I also do the curl the opposite way, with the palm facing downwards.

I went from unable to play to almost back to 100%.

Do this!

[camiloochoa]

good to read that, i had a similar problem, and also i´m fully recovered right now.

stretching is REALLY important, even if you don´t have a problem in your wrists/arms.

also doing some kind of exercise is good for your bass playing (running, swimming) because we use the whole body, not just the arms.

you can also use a powerball to exercise your arms/wrists/shoulders, it is good because it is a non impact exercise (works trough muscle resistance) that is better suited in early steps of recovery.

[YeahDoIt]

I keep a spring hand grip exerciser in the car. When I'm waiting in my car I exercise my hand/arm with it.

[ohskigod]

the spring hand thingy is good, there is a machine at my gym that you basically squeeze with 2 hands (you add weight by putting plate weight on it) nifty and so simple too, has strengthened my wrists alot. I was originally doing that training for other reasons but found it helps leaps and bouds for bassplaying as well. gotta say, wrist strength seems to be a big component, at least for me

[Gaetano Paul]

Wow,
Thanks for the thread! I need it. I feel better just from doing those stretches once on the video.
I need wrist supports, any good suggestions?
When do you were them?
When playing, or sleeping?
If its during sleep then I really need to go out now, its 1:19am and grab some before I go to bed.