Hurt my wrist while playing - what to do?

[micguy]

I injured my wrist 19 years ago - it was lifting weights, but similar sounding symptoms. The injury included damage to the Carpal Tunnel area, though it was a one time thing, not repetitive stress as in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I lost a decade of playing (kinda thought I was completely done) due to that - I had to completely relearn how to play after the layoff. See a doctor. If they don't do an xray and (likely) an MRI, they're just guessing - you need a real answer, not conjecture.

I'm not giving you medical advice - I'm telling you to go get some from a doctor who gives a rip.

 

[saabfender]

You're strangling the neck. It's already dead so there's no need for all that.

When you get better, start off by using your thumb as little as possible. Pretend as though your thumb has no power to oppose the other fingers. You need to tune into how much force is actually needed to fret a note and exert just barely more than that.

You'll also want to take this opportunity to get your action way down so that it punishes hard playing with noise.

If you didn't find a receptive ear from your doctor, fuggetaboudit. It's part of the price for universal health care (not escalating trivial matters - there are actually sick and injured people who really need attention and resources), but you knew that already. It's a sprain and you're not going to get an MRI no matter how much you bleat and complain. Americans overpay for health care because they insist on medicalizing everything. Childbirth here costs as much as nicer new car.

 

[geesharp]

How do we know it is a sprain ?

To quote the OP :

"I felt a sharp pain in my wrist and heard a little crunch, I could feel a little pop too. It hurt like hell, so I gave it a rest. Thought I was ok to play today, but hadn't played for long before the same thing happened, and now my whole arm hurts from the elbow and down."

He injured himself while playing bass...do you think he's broken his wrist from playing bass?? Human body is much stronger than that.

 

[pcake]

He injured himself while playing bass...do you think he's broken his wrist from playing bass?? Human body is much stronger than that.

not necessarily.

the OP could have developed carpal, which often requires surgery for full recovery, or he could have overextended the ligaments and tendons around his wrist, which can require extensive rest and can lead to other things including tendonitis, which i've had in my right wrist for over a decade despite a long layoff from playing.

for that matter, he could have torn a muscle or ligament - i felt a "pop" when i tore a muscle. it required about 3 months of rest and another couple months of PT to recover, and there was scar tissue left afterward so it was never quite as strong.

 

[geesharp]

not necessarily.

the OP could have developed carpal, which often requires surgery for full recovery, or he could have overextended the ligaments and tendons around his wrist, which can require extensive rest and can lead to other things including tendonitis, which i've had in my right wrist for over a decade despite a long layoff from playing.

for that matter, he could have torn a muscle or ligament - i felt a "pop" when i tore a muscle. it required about 3 months of rest and another couple months of PT to recover, and there was scar tissue left afterward so it was never quite as strong.

That's possible, that's why I said it's wrist sprain.

If he tore a ligament in his wrist, it will take longer to heal...and as I said, go to a doctor if he needs to, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. If he doesn't go to a doctor (he did) then immobilize it, rest it, and warm it (no ice after 24 hours).
After it's healed he will need to exercise the wrist to strenghten it.

 

[pcake]

That's possible, that's why I said it's wrist sprain.

If he tore a ligament in his wrist, it will take longer to heal...and as I said, go to a doctor if he needs to, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. If he doesn't go to a doctor (he did) then immobilize it, rest it, and warm it (no ice after 24 hours).
After it's healed he will need to exercise the wrist to strenghten it.

that's one view. but tearing a ligament can require surgery and the knowledge of how to exercise and how much? most people including myself overdo it and can cause re-injury.

 

[Pewter camaro]

You are in Denmark so I say go see a qualified Medical professional.

If you were in America I'd say sue the company that made the bass and the store you bought it in. Jk

 

[geesharp]

that's one view. but tearing a ligament can require surgery and the knowledge of how to exercise and how much? most people including myself overdo it and can cause re-injury.

That's true, and that would be a good time to go see a physical therapist.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Well, my doctor doesn't want to look at it. Says it sounds like tendonitis or arthritis and that I should quit playing. Of course no one here is a doctor, but I am sure I am not the first to have had some kind of pain or injury from playing, and experience is valuable too.

Anyway, I have had someone check out my playing. I squeeze too hard, apparently! Not sure if that is what is causing the trouble, but I guess it could be. That is going to be tricky to unlearn. But right now I guess I am going to have to take a break and see if rest helps, and then try to learn to be more gentle when I play.

I'm sorry you are having trouble. I am a doctor by day (sports MD) and bassist by night. And I'd say your doctor is not taking your interests and well-being to heart. He should re-read his Hippocratic oath. I don't know if he is incompetent, which has been alleged, versus uncaring or too busy to provide the care his patients need, but you deserve better. You don't need to be a specialist to tell the difference between arthritis and tendinitis/tendinopathy, although you do have to care enough to at least take a look and try to make an accurate diagnosis. Or get help from a specialist if you can't figure it out.

There are some things that can tear in the hand and wrist that need to be dealt with promptly to avoid permanent injury.

How difficult would it be to see a sports medicine, orthopedic, or hand specialist? It should never hurt to play if you are uninjured and using good technique. Some painful conditions are ok to work through, some are not, and a good diagnosis is the way to tell the difference. The main difference between a sports medicine doc and others is that we try to figure out a way to get you to your highest level of function, rather than telling you to just stop. One of my pet peeves is docs who just tell people to stop doing things that they enjoy rather than trying to help them recover and heal, or accommodate the condition with things like rehabilitation, bracing, changes in technique, etc. Yes, some injuries are career-ending, but most are not.

I hope you are able to see someone who has the expertise and willingness to help you with this. I'd agree with rest from painful activities as suggested, until you can get it properly diagnosed and treated. Good luck!

 

[Gorn]

Your doctor is an ass. Go to another one.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Your doctor is an ass. Go to another one.

Gorn, well put. You are a master of succinct. I think the Dude would consider you into the whole brevity thing.

 

[fearceol]

He injured himself while playing bass...do you think he's broken his wrist from playing bass?? Human body is much stronger than that.

Yes, he injured himself playing bass. That's all we DO know for certain. My point is that as his problem has not yet been definitively diagnosed everyone is merely guessing. IMO non qualified people giving medical advice based on a hunch/guess is...to say the least...counter productive.

 

[Gorn]

Gorn, well put. You are a master of succinct. I think the Dude would consider you into the whole brevity thing.

I work in insurance and deal with a lot of doctors from every possible specialty and there are idiots and asses in every profession regardless of their titles or experience.

 

[BEADG63]

This will be a fairly long post but relevant: I'm a gigging bassist 1 or 2 times/month. Around 2 weeks ago after a gig, awakened with a clicking and pain in my left wrist. Was taken aback, but pain diminished as day wore on. Next day, same thing. By the following weekend, pain was much less, but still there and played the show. Next morning was a different story - no more clicking, but severe pain, which lasted all week. Was able to finagle an appt. to see my doc. She looked at it and said "whoa, your wrist is really swollen!" Sent me down for xray and ultrasound. X-ray comes back that it's fractured (didn't fall, didn't bump it, no injury). Got in to see ortho specialist next morning to have a cast applied, who tells me wrist is not broken, but I have acute tendonitis, brought on by possible De Quarvains Tenosynovitis. So, thankfully, no fracture, but I can't play for 3 to 4 weeks until healed. Ice, motrin and a wrist brace were the Rx, which I am doing and will do from this point hence. Once there is no pain, I can begin some simple and light stretches to try to avoid this type of injury in the future.
I am not new to the instrument; been playing for 40+ years, so this may be a cumulative effect from years of bad(?) technique and don't want this to recur. Obviously OP has had a similar occurrence. Anyone else have an issue like this, and how did you overcome it?

 

[guts]

Well, my doctor doesn't want to look at it. Says it sounds like tendonitis or arthritis and that I should quit playing. Of course no one here is a doctor, but I am sure I am not the first to have had some kind of pain or injury from playing, and experience is valuable too.

Anyway, I have had someone check out my playing. I squeeze too hard, apparently! Not sure if that is what is causing the trouble, but I guess it could be. That is going to be tricky to unlearn. But right now I guess I am going to have to take a break and see if rest helps, and then try to learn to be more gentle when I play.

That's is a terrible doctor. There are ways to deal with doctors like that.

You should either go to a different doctor who is not terrible, or force your doctor to order tests.

You must demand that they treat your injury, and if they refuse you must demand that they note their refusal in your chart which will become a permanent record of your doctor's inaction. They don't like to do that, so they'll probably just run the tests when you say this.

In the mean time, rest your arm. Use the other hand. Don't touch the bass for a while.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

See medical pro and get a medical diagnosis.

There are many "sounds" joints can make, and your wrist joint is a complicated one, check out the link

As a rule we can play bass, we were never designed to play bass, but we can cope with the physicality of it, as we can do with many modern issues...think typing for example.

So when you type the physical mechanics are the same a playing guitar, but your brain will let you work out the worth of the use.
By that i mean moving your fingers to type on a keyboard is the same physical use as playing, but you may see one as being more creative than the other.
So what tells you that your moving fingers are typing or playing bass?

In general use your hands can cope with many day to day activities, but if you have an injury, or weakness, then higher use of your hands may expose it,
If you never played bass, then maybe you would never suffer the symptoms you show now.
But is playing bass the cause, or is playing bass exposing the symptoms?

In the end you need to know the real reason behind your symptoms, and only then can you put in place a real remedy to help you heal and overcome it.

So seek medical advice and tell them what you do with your hand use, tell them that in playing you have a higher hand use than normal, so that they understand that your use is not a day to day use.

When Popping Joints Are a Problem