Carpal Tunnel & tendonitis

[lanceg100]

Dear friends:

I have returned to the bass at age 51 after not playing for many years. About fifteen years ago, I developed carpal tunnel and tendonitis in both arms from a job I had at the time.

As I returned to playing the bass recently, I found I still had a good ear, and my chops came back pretty fast. However, my old injuries are manisfesting. This really has bummed me out.

I really want to play again, and got myself a good teacher.

Has anyone else dealt with this? and have you been able to overcome this or play through it? If so, how- yoga, accupuncture, rehab, what has worked?

I will be very grateful if anyone has helpful suggestions.

Thanks,

Blessings,

Lance

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I have been told that the lower one hangs their bass, the more it aggravates those conditions. The Beatles may have been 'high up' guitar players, but they were unknowingly very ergonomically ahead of their time.

 

[RedLeg]

welcome back. I can relate. I switched to floating thumb with a wrist brace (right hand bugs me). I also lightened my pull on the right hand, which eased up my death grip with my left (my fretless is verry happy about that). Lighter right hand with a hi gain pre amp level gives me a fat sound without diggin in; it also added the benefit of playing with greater dynamics and control! I also use a pick every now and then for the faster repeated 8th note lines.

 

[oldno7]

Have both conditions in both hands, I have played like this for 10+years, both hands numb and fingers numb, i just toughed it out. The wrist bands, arm staps were no help for me but might give some relief. Have had the right hand carpol done and was playing after two weeks if feel great now, it took about 9 months to get 100% ... want to get the left done just waithing for the insurance... dont know if this can help you but i have lost 30lbs in the past monts and has made the hand left hand feel better!

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

I struggle with this also. I'm 35 and I've been struggling with CTS in my right hand for about 3 years.

Things that have helped me:

Wearing a wrist brace at night
Taking Advil when the symptoms are bad
Wrapping a cold pack around my wrist for 15 minutes (do NOT use heat, which causes tissue to swell even more)
Doing stretching exercises designed for CTS
Taking frequent breaks during practice

Don't forget to use proper form so your right wrist is not forced into a sharp angle.

 

[jmain]

Good advice in this thread. I'll second or thrid a few things, since I've dealt with varying levels of discomfort for years.

I had it bad in my left because my bass was TOO high back in the early 90s. I also used to practice way too much without at least a headphone amp.

My right wrist gives me fits now. You know what has made the most difference for me? At work, I now use my left hand for my computer mouse. Otherwise, I get a bad "pinch" that won't go away.

The exercises and stretching, along with warming up before you play or practice. Always try to warm up even if just picking it up for a few minutes.

Definitely don't bring a knife to a gun fight. Have enough power to push through if you have to, without playing harder. I go direct for my Sunday gigs, and I always make sure I play comfortable light during soundcheck.

 

[fourstringdrums]

I'm 30 and I had CTS surgery on both hands in 2007. It didn't work, and it got so bad I had to stop working all together and go on SSDI permanently (I have Cerebral Palsy that limits my working anyway but the CTS was the last straw).

I play drums primarily and it doesn't bother me. The doctor actually thinks it helps in a strange way. I stopped playing bass a few times and always came back to it, and at this point I think I'm dealing with it better than I used to be able to though I'm not sure why. Besides hand stretches I don't do much else besides trying to keep active to keep symptoms at bay. Typing really bothers me, but playing not so much. I think that because they were both fine motor movements that it wouldn't be the case, but I think that because bass playing isn't as rapid or continuous, and it also involves strength that that makes it easier for me.

Not sure if that helped..

 

[BassGreaser]

I was getting major pain in my right hand's plucking fingering (pain shooting up my whole right fore-arm and wrist to the point where I almost couldn't move those two fingers third song into a 12 song set) a few years ago. I used to play my bass mid/high and last year I tried playing it lower to straighen out my right wrist angle and it has help (at least for you) a ton

 

[alicebc]

A few months ago I began to have hand problems after trying to learn to play an upright bass. (Learning on a difficult to play bass without a preamp!) ANyway, I researched my symptoms and learned that one of them was Trigger Finger. Googling that I discovered a website selling a FlexTend glove that rehabs this condition as well as others. Bass players actually have written testimonials about it. I am in the process of the rehab exercises (very easy!) and definitely see and feel improvement. I also bought myself an easier to play upright bass - a Clevinger EUB -- and am taking lessons to learn proper technique.

 

[lanceg100]

Dear friends, thank you for all your great advice! One thing that helped me right away is strapping my bass up higher, as Coolhanddjjl suggested. I still feels some symptoms which probably are from old injuries and from mousing on my computer at work. But I am going to try other suggestions mentioned here, too. Thanks!

 

[FunkyMcNasty]

I have been having some tendentious is my left wrist. The tendon that controls the thumb and goes down the inside of the wrist and have done a few things to fix it. First is stretching it out about 5 times a day. Also I lowered my action and am making myself play lighter with my left hand. I was pressing on the strings way too hard. I also am making an honest effort to fret the string just above each fret which makes it easier to push down (I should have been doing that all along). Mine is not pain free yet but I have way more good days than before. Most days now I don't even think about it.

 

[Lo-E]

Many great suggestions here.

The tendonitis, if carefully dealt with, should go away and not return.

Wearing the bass up high is key (which you are already doing).
Light stretching before and after you play - don't overdo it.
Stop playing when it starts to hurt. Take a break and start again.
Ice.
Wearing an arm brace helps.
Lighter guage and/or lower tension strings help a lot.
Shorter-scale basses help a bit (not that much, really).
Using UB fingering (1,2,4 - Simandl fingering) can help ease the stretches in the low positions.
A nice, low, easy action is a big plus, too.

Tendonitis should, under these conditions, clear up in about a month and a half.

CT is a whole other story, but many of the above will help that, too.
Also, keeping a straight wrist (both hands).

Good luck, and I hope your discomfort easses up!
E

 

[FunkyMcNasty]

As for strapping your bass higher just take your left arm and bend it at the elbow. Then with hold your hand out with your palm up and your fingers loose while holding all the weight of your hand with your bicep and shoulder. While keeping your wrist straight have someone else set the neck in your hand. Where it fits naturally is where it should be for you. That is also something else I looked into. I was also keeping my thumb straight up and down on the back of the neck in line with my middle finger. But when I did the above mentioned "natural position" my thumb laid sideways parallel with the strings. So I was stressing it by keeping it up and down like I had been taught. Now I let it rest where it falls. My playing was not effected at all. I just have to keep reminding myself to use the natural position of my body. Hope my rambling helps some.

 

[pbass2]

Acupuncture and massage have helped me out with tendonitis issues. I personally would avoid any kind of invasive surgery at all costs. These things are essentially inflammation-based as I understand it, so going in and cutting just doesn't compute for me. I had a bad Achilles tendon issue and I went to a conventional western doc, who put me in "the boot" and then said we'd have to cut if it didn't improve. After 2 weeks of that I tossed the boot, went to an acupuncturist/therapeutic massage person and in 3 visits I was back to normal, and it never returned.

Here's a little simple technique that surprisingly has really been working for me, that I learned from a Chinese doctor: eating raw ginger, and I mean ALOT of raw ginger. It is a very powerful natural anti-inflammatory. No side-effects (except good ones, like improved circulation, digestion, etc.) I eat some pre and post workout at the gym, or any time things start stiffening up.

I think variation in movement is critical too, and plenty of exercise and stretching(or drumming like FourString!).

 

[Clark Dark]

I recently strained the tendon in my right wrist by attempting to remove my rack from atop my cabs and not standing close enough to said rack. Now there's swelling in and around my wrist and forget about slapping the bass. Thinking it will clear up in time I haven't seen my doc (yet) but stretching sounds like a good suggestion. Any thoughts about heat vs. cold in a therapeutic way ?

 

[JimmyM]

I have been told that the lower one hangs their bass, the more it aggravates those conditions. The Beatles may have been 'high up' guitar players, but they were unknowingly very ergonomically ahead of their time.

i don't know if i believe that. i wear my bass pretty low and i have excellent technique and never get any pains at all. more important than height is technique imho. now wearing it super low like jimmy page isn't good, but honestly, if i wear it too high, i get more pain than wearing it lower.

lance, more important than height is technique. get with a good teacher who knows sound ergonomic techniques. study good jazz players and their techniques. also very important is warming up on easy stuff before trying to rip. and a regimen of healthy eating, exercise, and regular visits to an orthopedist are essential imho.

 

[swspiers]

I've been rehabing my arms and wrists for the past year and a half. I had not been able to play since I got a series of injuries in 1996.

A lot of things have helped, most of which are mentioned in this thread so far.

Proper stretching, using a much lighter touch, lowering my action and paying attention to my general health has really helped. I also take regular lessons from a very good teacher, who really assists me with my technique.

But the really effective, and probably controversial, thing I've discovered is MSM and DMSO.

DO NOT TAKE MY ADVICE ON THIS! I'm not a doctor, therapist or anything other than a fellow bass player with carpal tunnel and tendonosis. But I did do a lot of research, and it has been extremely effective for me. Within 2 weeks, I'm playing without pain or numbness.

DMSO has a bad side effect- very bad breath and body odor. My wife let me know in no uncertain terms

MSM is a metabolite of DMSO, and does not produce the stench.

Again, I'm not a physician. You should see one. And do some research on DMSO/MSM.

Good luck!