Wrist pain

[Jordi Carrasco]

Hi everyone!
I'm am having problems with my wrist. I have played since I was only 9 years old and have never had any specific pains or muscle inflammations.

This summer I went on a Swedish traditional-music jam and played for about 5 five hours or so, I did a lot of arco playing and I overstrained my wrist(right arm). After that I had a break and didn't play or about one or two weeks and started practising very slowly after the break. Then my wrist got into it's usual shape!

But since a couple of weeks I have occasionally felt the pain coming back and now its constant

The pain is not in any particular muscle as I feel it. It its more it is burning or sometimes feeling cold. The pain have since 2 days been concentrated too a 2 cm spot on the side of my wrist.

Have anyone had any similar problems? Does anyone know what I should do?

I feel completely disabled when I can't play!


/swedish double bass student

[Jake deVilliers]

It sounds as though you need to see a massage therapist. He/she will restore the alignment of the bones and the blood flow through your wrist.

I had a similar problem and it took a massage therapist 1/2 an hour to fix after I'd spent 9 months getting X-rays and appointments with surgeons.

Good Luck!

[Andrew McGregor]

And if you can't find a good massage therapist, try an osteopath. As a last resort, more or less, try acupuncture, or at least a Chinese system physician (for this kind of problem, manipulation is far preferable to needles, but needles can work... there is a Chinese manipulation system that many acupuncturists also do).

[David Potts]

Also be conscious of Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) which used to be known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) which seems to happen when the lubrication of the ligaments passing through your wrist (via the Carpel Tunnel) is interfered with and inflamation sets in. Perhaps you have just torn something and time and rest will heal. The old adage is "if pain persists see your doctor." If you do have a tear injury make sure you manage the return to full playing carefully or you will re-injure and( perhaps in more serious cases than yours) may be trying to heal over scar tissue and be in ongoing pain.

Do you pronate your Right wrist much or use big wrist movements at each end of the bow stroke? I try to almost square up my bow hold and relax everything so that the hand is a logical straight extension of my arm much of the time (just as it would be hanging loose by my side). I share only enough required bow movement in the hand between relaxed fingers/thumb and wrist with only enough strength to maintain shapes. This also helps me closely control timing and coordination between hands to avoid blurring sounds together.

Good luck and take care!!

DP

[Jordi Carrasco]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

It sounds as though you need to see a massage therapist. He/she will restore the alignment of the bones and the blood flow through your wrist.

I had a similar problem and it took a massage therapist 1/2 an hour to fix after I'd spent 9 months getting X-rays and appointments with surgeons.

If two hours with a massage therapist can solve my problems I barely understand why I´m whining! I will go and see one of those and also talk with my teacher and other experienced bassists. I will keep posting in this tread and tell you how it goes! Thanks a lot for all the help! You´r great!

THanks also to david potts! I dont really understand your medical talkI will try to translate it the following days,
Im swedish you know

Once again thanks!!!!:

[David Potts]

Hi Jordi,

I would suggest taking your problem to a physiotherapist. Any physio or doctor will understand the words I used like OOS, RSI and Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.

The muscles that open and close your hand and bend your wrist mostly start near your elbow and finish as "strings" called ligaments that go through or around your wrist. When these are injured or inflamed you might feel the pain you described.

I used to be Health and Safety representative in my orchestra, the Sydney Symphony, as well as bass player. I am since 2002 semi-retired.

DP

[Jordi Carrasco]

I have carefully started to play again and my wrist feels alot better after that. My wrist doesent hurt now and I am back att full practice. My wrist still hurts a just little bit on ocation so I will go to a physiotherapist as soon as I can.

Thanks for the help!

[hdiddy]

Search the forum for CTS... there's alot of good info including a book on CTS related stretches and a book that goes with it (I forget the name). It's good preventative stuff.