HELP constant wrist pain doctors cant figure it out

Presto2112 · #1 11-14-2012, 11:10 PM

Hey guys,
My wrist constantly hurts like it's hard to move around. It feels stiff and is resistant in some places and doctors cant figure it out. I have had xrays and MRI's and nothing shows up. My left wrist is perfectly fine. It feels like it will lock up. Im only a teenager and I feel like i have a 60 year old man's wrist haha. HELP

Hotblack · #2 11-14-2012, 11:14 PM

Is this only when playing bass?

Presto2112 · #3 11-14-2012, 11:18 PM

all the time, it's worse after I play though

Snarf · #4 11-14-2012, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Presto2112

Hey guys,
My wrist constantly hurts like it's hard to move around. It feels stiff and is resistant in some places and doctors cant figure it out. I have had xrays and MRI's and nothing shows up. My left wrist is perfectly fine. It feels like it will lock up. Im only a teenager and I feel like i have a 60 year old man's wrist haha. HELP

Does it feel like a bone issue, muscle issue, or nerve issue?

SLaPiNFuNK · #5 11-14-2012, 11:19 PM

You hold your bass too high and your wrist is at an angle when you are playing most likely... When your wrist is angled over like that your tendons rub against the inside and cause pain. I figured this out when I was very young (13/14) because I developed a ganglion cyst from it. They wanted to do surgery I said no way... Went to a DR that specialized in musicians and athletes... He watched me play my bass and immediately knew what the problem was...

After adjusting my playing habits the problem went away on its own...

You want your right wrist to be like this:

Hotblack · #6 11-14-2012, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Presto2112

all the time, it's worse after I play though

If it's all the time, you need to talk to some more doctors. You could also talk to a nutritionist or someone that might have some insight into problems caused by foods/drink.
Any problem with other joints?

Presto2112 · #7 11-14-2012, 11:30 PM

my wrist is like in the picture, i press down on the spot and it feels like a tendon, but when i rotate it it feels like a bone is in a weird spot.

Presto2112 · #8 11-14-2012, 11:31 PM

i dont play agressively like Geddy, been growing out my fingernails and ive been working on his one finger technique as well, but this can't be it since its been like this for a while

Hotblack · #9 11-14-2012, 11:32 PM

Side note: be sure that you are not putting your wrist in an awkward position when you're sleeping. I had some hand troubles a few years ago, and I realized that I was placing my hand under my head in an awkward way when I slept. Changed it. Hand problem went away.

Presto2112 · #10 11-14-2012, 11:33 PM

I meant I DO play with alot of atttack like geddy

Presto2112 · #11 11-14-2012, 11:33 PM

I do put my hand under my pillow... maybe thats it

Presto2112 · #12 11-14-2012, 11:36 PM

totally unrelated but does anyone know where to get a badass I? I know theyre vintage and rare(er) and pop up on ebay sometimes.

Snarf · #13 11-14-2012, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Presto2112

I do put my hand under my pillow... maybe thats it

I used to do that too. About a year or so ago, I got horrible pain in my left hand and wrist. A neurologist found that it was emanating from my shoulder into my elbow. Bad sleeping posture combined with bad double bass technique (was trying to get more leverage on a house bass with really heavy strings for a month, every day, for 5 hours). Keep your arms as straight as possible whenever you can, especially sleeping. See if that helps.

sratas · #14 11-15-2012, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Presto2112

Hey guys,
My wrist constantly hurts like it's hard to move around. It feels stiff and is resistant in some places and doctors cant figure it out. I have had xrays and MRI's and nothing shows up. My left wrist is perfectly fine. It feels like it will lock up. Im only a teenager and I feel like i have a 60 year old man's wrist haha. HELP

I have not read all the posts...
I'm a medical doctor, neurologist, and specialized in neurophysiology.
If you want to get in contact with me, send me a PM or, better, a video with a wide explanation of all the symptoms and situations that you feel linked to your case, with a close look at the wrist and the playing habits. If you cannot do a video, send me the explanation and a picture of your playing position with bass, your instrument and your arms.
It's very hard to give a wise medical advice without getting into physical contact with the patient, but if you want, we can try and see if we can understand things a little bit more...
I do not trust the tele-medicine approach and I can not guarantee a sure diagnosis but, with all the limits, we can try.

Munjibunga · #15 11-15-2012, 12:36 AM

TalkBass is the best place to turn when the doctors are stumped.

Immigrant · #16 11-15-2012, 06:45 AM

You're a teenager, presumably right handed, and your right wrist hurts. That's totally normal.

Are you sure there isn't any activities you may be participating in that you wouldn't be comfortable telling your doctor (or THIS online forum) about?

**the mojo hobo** · #17 11-15-2012, 06:48 AM

How much time do you spend on the computer? I could be the result of bad posture while mousing.

AaronMB · #18 11-15-2012, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the mojo hobo

How much time do you spend on the computer? It could be the result of bad posture while mousing.

Indeed, especially when combined with other negative influences (bass technique, diet, etc?)... Nothing sets off my RSI/CTS symptoms worse than bad mousing.

Internet Police · #19 11-15-2012, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Immigrant

You're a teenager, presumably right handed, and your right wrist hurts. That's totally normal.

Are you sure there isn't any activities you may be participating in that you wouldn't be comfortable telling your doctor (or THIS online forum) about?

I was wondering when that would come...

OP should stop jerking it so often. Problem solved.

Silas Stingy · #20 11-15-2012, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotblack

Side note: be sure that you are not putting your wrist in an awkward position when you're sleeping. I had some hand troubles a few years ago, and I realized that I was placing my hand under my head in an awkward way when I slept. Changed it. Hand problem went away.

How strange, I had the same problem with my fretting hand, worked out that it wasn't my playing causing the problem but the way I was sleeping. I disappeared after a couple of weeks of stretching and correcting sleeping position.

To the OP, you may need to relax that right hand more when playing, plenty of vids on youtube to help.