Any bassists with injured wrists?

[haujobb]

I developed RSI about 6 months ago, I used to play bass for hours every day, I play an hour a day tops now

[The Antipop]

osteo arthritis... blipping sucks.

[Squidfinger]

This book may help.




www.drkertz.com

[Minger]

My wrists have been starting to hurt recently - I gotta stop usin th ecomptuer so much.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Squidfinger

This book may help.

I don't think it would help people like the orginal poster - you need somebody standing in front of you, who can see what you're doing wrong and what is likely to cause injury - i.e. a good teacher, who knows about correct technique and the reasons for it!!

A book can't see what you're doing wrong, a book can't make small corrections based on what it sees, etc. etc. ...

[Cúl-Báire]

Ohhh... I do!!!

In fact it was the reason I started playing Bass, and also the reason I sold my old bass oddly enough.

I injured my wrist very badly in a mountain bike accident last year, at first the damage seemed minimal, but the long term damage was much worse. Basicly I fell heavily on my wrist after flipping and smashing my wrist on a boulder before landing flat on my back.

This caused the hyper extension of my wrist, and the fracturing my scafoid, and distal radius. Along with the muscle damage from the hyper extension. Well months past, but still not really better muscle wise. I can't pickup anything heavy with my left hand, if it's too heavy, I cant feel how tight I am holding it... I can't bend my wrist as I used to either, infact mobility is about 50% of what it used to be.


I can play bass, though I can feel it if I am doing something not right. My hand cramps like hell. Similar thing with the bike, I had to change my complete setup, bars, stems etc...

Certainly a good instructor will help, maybe even take your bass to a physotheripist / sports medicine specialist as well- Listen to your body, what your wrist is doing... RSI is ok, and treatable / curable make sure you dont get Carple Tunnel though.

[steveksux]

I used to have wrist pain, left wrist. I raised the bass up into more of a jazz position so I didn't have to bend the wrist as much.

Not suggesting that would help you, your situation could be different. Just wanted to point out it may be something simple, don't lose hope.

I like the suggestion of taking the bass to a doc, show him how you play, he know how the wrist works. First thing is figure out what exactly is causing it. Then you can try stuff LIKELY to fix it, instead of trying random stuff out that may just as likely make it worse.

One more thing, if ligaments are involved, they heal slow, so you'll have to be patient to let it heal, and be aware that overuse injuries like this take time to show up.

Its like testing in slow motion. Good things take a while to feel better, bad things take a long time to hurt.

Randy

[daofktr]

mine isn't as bad as y'all, but...i can't seem to get a comfy pos. for my gt7. when i stand to play, my left hand gets half numb, and turns to rubber...prolly because of the neckdiving tendency, and having to hold the thing up with my left while i play.
tried a higher pos, worse. lower is better, but now i'm playing a 4banger, and it's way easier on me...
will have to sit to play the 7, i guess, until i can afford to try different strapping systems.

aging blows.

[Tom Crofts]

I've recently been having problems with my wrists. If I have the bass 'low' ie bottom of the body just above belt my left wrist cramps up fairly quickly and I find it uncomfortable to play. If I raise the bass much higher I get pain in my right wrist as it seems to bend down too much. I think the problem is due to my thumbs, the joint bends backwards as well (like Jaco's) and I find I can't keep correct technique for my left hand because it kind of... folds up, my thumb bends backwards and rests against the underside of the neck rather than directly opposite my fingers and the muscles/tendons in the back of my hand cramp up. There really isn't anything I can do about this. Anyone got any ideas?

[Philbiker]

I went to a prominent music medicine specialist many years ago (who was published in Guitar Player magazine and many other places - a leader in his field) when I had wrist problems. I was in a regular gigging bar band at the time and was starting a career in computers and my wrist was smarting under the pressure.

He had me bring my bass to the appointment.

Here are the two biggest helpful tips I learned.

* If you're using a pick, stop, and start playing with your fingers.

* If you're using a case, stop, and get a gigbag with a shoulder strap.

[Squidfinger]

Originally Posted by Philbiker

* If you're using a pick, stop, and start playing with your fingers.

Why is picking worse for your wrist?

[haujobb]

I didn't get RSI from playing bass, I was a data entry keyer for a large rebate firm and was injured from typing on the computer 8 hours a day for nine months. Now I'm fired, Comp won't call me, at first it effected my whole life, now it's not to bad but if I do anything with my wrists for a long time , I regret it the next day.

Honestly though, it's gonna take a hell of alot more than that to get me to stop playing bass...

[Philbiker]

Originally Posted by Squidfinger

Why is picking worse for your wrist?

Just look at the mechanics of playing with a pick and fingers.

[Jonki]

Originally Posted by Squidfinger

Why is picking worse for your wrist?

because you move your wrist when striking a string, when using your fingers, the wrist doesnt move at all