Need help for carpal tunnel syndrome.

[Nuno A.]

I know there were already some threads about carpal tunnel and i already read them, but my question is: did some of you who have carpal tunnel found some stuff that can relieve the symptoms?
my right hand is getting worst, i have numbness everyday now, while in the past i had it only ocasionally and for a couple of days only... the doctors want to go for the laparoscopic surgery procedure as they think is the best for a musician since the regular surgery needs way more time to recover and the scar is way bigger. i cant stop to play at the moment since i have many shows in may and june and i really need to play them in order to pay my bills, so, is there any specific exercise, trick you can recommend me? im not very fond of taking pain killers since i have a genetic disease(hemocromathosis- an iron overload disease) that already damaged my liver, so i really would like to avoid pills.
Ice doesnt work as it used to, so, any suggestions are welcome, also, did anyone tried other medical procedures with success? acupuncture? something? thanks in advance

Nuno

[christ andronis]

Nuno, I've had the surgery and it was quite successful. Having said that, I think I would try and exhaust every possible non-invasive option before considering it again. My teacher has suggested alternating hot-hot and icy cold soaking of the wrists and hands. The key is to do it every day for at least 30 minutes. I've heard very good things about accupuncture as well so maybe a combination of those sorts of treatments will help lessen the symptoms. Believe me, I know what you are going through and i wish you the best in whatever treatment you choose. Just ignoring it will not make it go away.

[Jake deVilliers]

I have kept it in check with deep tissue massage and acupuncture but it doesn't work for everybody. I am down to just massage every month and doing well.

My massage therapist had to have the surgery.

Jake

[mrwink]

Have you tried to find a teacher who might be able to help you adjust your technique so that it's less of a stress on your wrists?

I had CT several years back due to a job in construction when I was roping concrete blocks up onto 3-story roofs... it got better/went away after I moved on to another line of work.

When I switched from guitar to bass I noticed that the CT was becoming a problem again. I found a great teacher - she helped me with hand position stuff that allows me to play without any ct pain issues.

I think she has some info on her web site if you wanna check it out:
http://www.carolkaye.com - it's been a while since I've been to the site so can't really direct you as to specifically where to look.

Good luck - that stuff really sucks!

[Ed Fuqua]

NUNO - my girlfriend had early stages CTS, she never got to the point of constant numbness, just intermittent tingling and weakness. She has done acupuncture, herbs that got it to an OK point. She's been doing tai chi and nei kung for the last 10 years and she says THAT'S the thing that has done the most good.

[MT Spaces]

Nuno, I wonder if you saw this thread in the "Jazz Technique" forum:

Serious pain?

There may be some useful info there. Good Luck and Take Care. I can relate ..... I have some of the same things going on .

[neal davis]

+1 with ed, try not to get the surgury done, all of these things can be fixed naturally, I had bad problems with CT and started going to a massage therapist and accupuncture and it really helped, I've kept them strong by swimming everyday and doing tai chi. good luck

[Steve Clark]

I am not playing DB but I do have a mild sensation in my wrist that is new. My Chiro is sure its not CT and we are working on stretching and massage. She says she can feel scar tissue that we are tying to break down.

I have noticed that when I type on a keyboard my right wrist is bent badly so I am being careful with that. As well as keeping my wrist as straigh as possible on EB a la Gary Willis.

I bought one of those Dyna Flex Power Ball to stenghten my arms along with going to the gym regularly.

It may be a cumulative issue but I was playing on a blues gig and doing a steady 16th note groove for a long time and I did feel pain. I also played a sub gig with very quick swing tempos around the same time and feel that I may have done some damage then. So its backing off on playing, stretching and playing less when I do play.

[ee-san]

I strongly second the advice of adjusting your technique. All of the treatment options may help somewhat but something in the complex motion of playing is continually aggravating the wrist. So, one needs to work with a coach or teacher to parse the diffierent variables that may need adjusting. The major variables are repetition, position, and force. Repetition often can't be changed as the nature of the music dictates the density and speed of repetition. Thus, more attention needs to be given to changing position and reducing force. Awkard positions (e.g., odd or acute wrist angles) place a lot of pressure on the carpal tunnel and inflame the tendons, leading to swelling, nerve entrapment, and pain. Working with a coach to change arco or plucking style can reduce the awkward positions. One might even consider changing to another bow (e.g., from French to German or vice versa). Force can be reduced by playing in a more relaxed manner, using arm and body positions more efficiently, changing strings and setup, etc. Again, a coach would be a great help in this regard.

Surgery success rates are not great so I suggest avoiding surgery until other options have been explored thoroughly.

[TimoMetzemakers]

I don't suffer from any RSI (yet---knock on wood!), but several musician friends of mine have reported very good results with Sharon Butler's stretches. I think the book is called "Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" or something like that.

Timo

[Uncletoad]

I've posted several times on this before.

I have done the following. All combined have kept it fairly stable.

1. Alexander Technique
2. Acupuncture every couple months.
3. Massage a couple times a month as I can work it in.
4. Osteopathic Manipulation
5. Regular use of Carpal Tunnel Braces at night while sleeping to keep from hyperextension.
6. Occasional use of Antiinflamatories.

Of them all Alexander is by far the best thing to do to prevent the conditions where Carpal Tunnel can occur.

[Nuno A.]

Thank you so much for the suggestions, i didnt find an Alexander technique doctor close to me, but ill keep searching, i will try to find a doctor for Acupuncture and i'll try a couple of times and see if it will work, i really want to try all the possibilities before doing the surgery, thanks again and i'll keep you guys posted .


Nuno

[Eric Hochberg]

The Butler book is very helpful and I also like "Playing Less Hurt" by Janet Horvath, a symphony cellist. I've been dealing with RSI, wrists and forearms, for about a year now and have found accupuncture and deep massage with ultra sound from a chiropractor helpful. I also lowered the strings on my basses and have been giving the Rabbath endpin a try (it seems to take some of the stress off of the hands and arms). I'm also taking Feldenkrais classes taught by a bassist (the jury is out on this so far). I think playing "smarter" to lessen the physical stress and getting enough rest time can't be emphasized enough. Good Luck!

[Akami]

I've had it to the point of permanent day/night pain levels back in the 80's & 90's and managed to get rid of it by slowly taking care about how I played.

It still comes back from time to time, but generally from typing and I try to watch my typing position which gets rid of it.

My ex however just finished getting her right hand done and already had her left done a few years back.

She seems happy, but I would try hard to identify and rectify cause before going to surgery.

[G-force]

Originally Posted by Nuno A.

Thank you so much for the suggestions, i didnt find an Alexander technique doctor close to me, but ill keep searching, i will try to find a doctor for Acupuncture and i'll try a couple of times and see if it will work, i really want to try all the possibilities before doing the surgery, thanks again and i'll keep you guys posted .


Nuno

Nuno, Look up a Feldenkrais teacher. This method is just as good as Alexander. Switerland is overrun with Feldenkrais teachers and I am pretty sure that many insurance plans in Switzerland cover it.
try to find a teacher whois also a fysiotherapist and I'm sure you'll get the help you need. It takes some patience but it's worth it.
You can PM me if you have more questions.
G

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by Nuno A.

Thank you so much for the suggestions, i didnt find an Alexander technique doctor close to me

We're teachers, not doctors.
Are you near Zurich? Basel?

[Nuno A.]

Originally Posted by Don Higdon

We're teachers, not doctors.
Are you near Zurich? Basel?

No Don, i know there are several in Zurich and Basel, but i live in Lugano, in the south part, on the Italian speaking Kanton, 30 mn from the Italian border, and sorry for the "doctors"

Nuno

[BenderR]

Just a couple of added thoughts. One week ago today (to the minute) I was in the recovery room after being operated on by an orthopaedic surgeon. I've had minor tendon related problems in my left arm for years, but nothing I couldn't manage by massaging deeply on my left forearm just below the elbow. Then, about two years ago I started to find that playing even a 34" scale elctric bass was causing me pain almost instantaneously. Playing a DB was pretty much out of the question. I switched to a 30" scale bass (on the advice of a medical professional that also played bass) and kept plugging along. (Actually, a Fender Mustang bass is a pretty decent sounding electric in spite of its size. It sounds somewhat like a P-Bass.)

Last summer I experienced sharp pains in my left shoulder and immediately thought "rotator cuff". I tried some of the more passive approaches, rest, moderate exercise and anti-inflamatory medication, but the problem seemed to persist as a mild chronic pain with flare-ups, usually related to reaching above my head.

Finally, this spring it got bad enough that I sought out an orthopaedic surgeon and he did an x-ray, then scheduled an MRI. Upon seeing the results he suggeted surgery to reliefve impingement caused by bone spurs and repair the tendon. When I woke up from surgery I found that my left arm was in a sling but not strapped to my torso. I had won the shoulder surgery lottery . . . my tendons were fine! All they had to do is remove some bone spurs (probably related to an injury that occured in the '80s) and almost instantly the strength returned to my left hand.

I do mean almost instantly too. I actually played my Mustang bass 12 hours after the operation and within a few days I was able to play a 34" scale bass with comfort. Just for the sake of comparison, before the surgery I was doing good to last one measure on a 34" bass and a DB was no longer even in my thought process. I don't know if I'll ever be able to handle a full scale DB again but even the progress I've made in the last week has placed some interesting electric uprights within my reach. Even an NS Design Bass Cello would be a huge step in the right direction and at least I'd have an instrument that can be bowed.

I only mention all of this to bring out one single point, there are other conditions besides CTS that can cause problems. In my case surgery, and only surgery did the trick. I've seen the photos of the inside of the joint and prior to surgery everything was scrunched together like sardines. Other than some residual soreness where they stuck the arthtoscope in and a bit of rawness where they actually trimmed the bone I am experiencing no pain and have regained much of my range of motion.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by Nuno A.

but i live in Lugano, in the south part, on the Italian speaking Kanton, 30 mn from the Italian border

Nuno

If you must suffer, you're doing it in a beautiful place. One of our stops was Villa Castagnola au Lac while touring the lakes - Lugano, Geneva, and Como.

[Nuno A.]

Originally Posted by Don Higdon

If you must suffer, you're doing it in a beautiful place. One of our stops was Villa Castagnola au Lac while touring the lakes - Lugano, Geneva, and Como.

Thats a beautiful hotel Don, its for sure one of the nicest around Lugano, next time you come near by, let me know... we can go out for some fondue and wine

Nuno