Yeah,
My wife is a nurse and my son spent the night at the holiday in express!
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Ouch, thumb issues
- Thread starter bigdaddybass12
- Start date
My wife is a nurse and my son spent the night at the holiday in express!
When was your bass setup last? That may be an issue?? Sounds like neck "death grip" to me. My cousin complained about his thumb for a along time. I watched him play one night and it looked like he was trying to choke the neck. He said a buddy had set his bass up. He brought it over. It was terrible! I'd start there (suggestion is all) and see if that might help. If a doctor is what you wish to do, give it a try.
Tell us where you live. If you’re near Boston, I can recommend a great hand guy. I’m sure other members can too.
Thanks for suggesting that. Bass has nice low action. Ernie ball regular slinky’s. I wonder if a jazz width neck wound help. I don’t like the odd jazz body shape. May have to zip by GC. Well, maybe I shouldn’t.
I wouldn’t get a cortisone shot under almost any circumstance. They don’t fix the problem, they mask the symptoms so you go right on aggregating the injury, you just don’t know it until the shot wears off.
“Cortisone injections work by reducing inflammation and pain in injured tendons. However, they can also suppress the body's natural healing process, which can lead to:
“Cortisone injections work by reducing inflammation and pain in injured tendons. However, they can also suppress the body's natural healing process, which can lead to:
- Weakening of the tendon: Cortisone can inhibit the production of collagen, the protein that gives tendons their strength.
- Increased risk of rupture: Weakened tendons are more prone to tearing.
- Delayed healing: Cortisone can interfere with the body's ability to repair damaged tendons. “
- Delayed healing: Cortisone can interfere with the body's ability to repair damaged tendons. “
I got a single cortisone shot for trigger finger in my left hand little finger - free on the NHS (UK)
Fixed it within 48 hours and has never returned - that was ten years ago.
So it depends on the severity, position of the tendon node and a whole heap of other factors that can only be determined
by a qualified hand surgeon.
I certainly wouldn't dismiss anything until I'd had a consultation with a medical professional.
There may be things in addition to playing that are causing the problem. For example, something as simple as the way you sit at a computer keyboard, the angle of your left wrist when you're typing, if you're resting your wrist on a surface when you type, and so on. Even the position(s) your hand and fingers are in when you're sleeping. If the pain's there when you wake up and it's worse than when you went to bed, that's something you should investigate.
On the wrong-angle-when-typing thing, that was part of my problem. I fixed it by removing the arms of my work chair. It forced me to address my laptop keyboard at the proper angle.
I agree 100%. "Playing in position" can up your grade in music school but it can be overdone. When in doubt, comfort should always trump "correctness", as long as the notes are being played to specification. For any given song, I may alternate between closed hand and open hand dozens of times.
Thanks ! I found a nearby hand specialist I will go see if it does not improve.
I've been dealing with fretting hand thumb issues, specifically De Quervain's tenosynovitis and repetitive strain injury in my fretting hand thumb/wrist/forearm since March of 2024, and the journey continues.
I do recommend seeing a hand specialist or hand surgeon to pinpoint exactly what's going on in your particular case as different diagnoses may have different approaches, but for me personally I've had two cortisone injections (1st helpful until it wasn't, 2nd didn't do anything) and have just started with occupational/hand therapy this week.
General things that have helped me personally are bracing (with a brace that includes immobilization of the thumb), working on technique/learning to play with a light touch (20 years too late), switching from my preferred p-bass necks to skinner necked basses (just got my first jazz bass today!), heat towards the beginning of the day and ice towards the end, and as much rest for the thumb as possible (that's the hardest).
I do recommend seeing a hand specialist or hand surgeon to pinpoint exactly what's going on in your particular case as different diagnoses may have different approaches, but for me personally I've had two cortisone injections (1st helpful until it wasn't, 2nd didn't do anything) and have just started with occupational/hand therapy this week.
General things that have helped me personally are bracing (with a brace that includes immobilization of the thumb), working on technique/learning to play with a light touch (20 years too late), switching from my preferred p-bass necks to skinner necked basses (just got my first jazz bass today!), heat towards the beginning of the day and ice towards the end, and as much rest for the thumb as possible (that's the hardest).
Use a brace or a glove, until you see a doctor. It took 2 months to get an appointment. I had surgery on ring finger of my fretting hand, and plucking hand.. it was years ago, it's bback in my right, fretting, hand. A shot cured my left thumb.
I’m rooting for you. Scary time for sure.
The largest stretch on the bass is low F to Ab on the E string. When the hand shape gets awkward many of us strain and start clenching. Or when it gets hard to hear yourself, we start squeezing and pulling harder. I think we all are guilty of squeezing sap out of the neck at times.
Maybe try testing how little pressure is needed to fret a single note in that range of the neck. Play close to the fret and support the pinky with the other fingers. Don’t worry about the song yet, just light touch clear bass notes. Let the thumb sit where it sits naturally behind the neck. I’m always surprised when I do this.
I’m not sure the above will save you from a surgeon but worth trying. When I jack up my hands a recommitment to light touch gets me back in the game.
Good luck!
The largest stretch on the bass is low F to Ab on the E string. When the hand shape gets awkward many of us strain and start clenching. Or when it gets hard to hear yourself, we start squeezing and pulling harder. I think we all are guilty of squeezing sap out of the neck at times.
Maybe try testing how little pressure is needed to fret a single note in that range of the neck. Play close to the fret and support the pinky with the other fingers. Don’t worry about the song yet, just light touch clear bass notes. Let the thumb sit where it sits naturally behind the neck. I’m always surprised when I do this.
I’m not sure the above will save you from a surgeon but worth trying. When I jack up my hands a recommitment to light touch gets me back in the game.
Good luck!
The pressure there should be minimal to nothing - the thumb is there just to locate position. Have you tried playing without even touching the back of the neck, i.e. providing the stopping force such as it is, through the weight of your arm?
Thanks, I can play some songs without any pressure on my thumb. There are just a few songs/notes that strain my thumb. Especially notes I have to use my pinky or playing/stretching between several frets.
See a doctor. Problem could be several different things and you've got to treat the one(s) that are the actual problem. I'd recommend NOT seeing a surgeon as the first step.
My GP diagnosed my fretting thumb pain as De Quervain's tenosynovitis* and prescribed a course of oral cortisone. Tablets came on a blister-pack card, you take 8 the first day, 7 tablets the second, etc. If that didn't work, we'd take the next step.
Surgeons (of all types) have a reputation (especially among other doctors!) for tending toward surgery when less-interventionist treatments may work as well. Three times now, at intervals of maybe 8-9 years between, the oral cortisone has worked just great for me.
All the various comments about playing bass more ergonomically are valid too.
* - According to Wikipedia, De Quervain's tenosynovitis is more common among people who play stringed instruments and tailors.
My GP diagnosed my fretting thumb pain as De Quervain's tenosynovitis* and prescribed a course of oral cortisone. Tablets came on a blister-pack card, you take 8 the first day, 7 tablets the second, etc. If that didn't work, we'd take the next step.
Surgeons (of all types) have a reputation (especially among other doctors!) for tending toward surgery when less-interventionist treatments may work as well. Three times now, at intervals of maybe 8-9 years between, the oral cortisone has worked just great for me.
All the various comments about playing bass more ergonomically are valid too.
* - According to Wikipedia, De Quervain's tenosynovitis is more common among people who play stringed instruments and tailors.
Sorry,
I can’t get the images to save vertical!
Which position is correct? Is there no corre t way? I read where thumb is supposed to be behind midde finger
The second picture is the natural, low stress position. Relaxed and natural is the way to go for injury-free playing. I read lots of things about what you’re “supposed” to do too …
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To be honest, they all look OK. What you have to remember is that playing is a dynamic process - the handshapes in a static image might only exist for a fleeting moment as the music moves on. What IS important is that the hand remains relaxed and stable, even whilst moving, such that it provides a reliable 'datum' position from which fingers can accurately locate the notes without over-extending or running out of reach.
Fingers bunched and supporting each other. Move the whole hand! It's the traditional way on bass. Once I got used to it my technique opened up and actually play over a wider range of frets than I used to. Plus zero strain on thumb or fingers and automatic muting
