Wrist Troubles

If it hurts, stop playing. Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong.

I was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome almost ten years ago. The pain is manageable with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression and elevation). NSAIDs come in handy, as well as a multivitamin.

But see what the doctor says, until then, use your wrist as little as possible.

 

There's like a gazillion threads on hand/wrist/finger problems. Do a search here and in Technique. Make sure you see a qualified orthopedist.

Many problems can be avoided or corrected with proper bass setup, strap height, and playing technique

 

Yes. I have been seeing a Chiropractor friend for the past 3 months, and she has been working out YEARS worth of bad hand position / technique, and my posture and approach to the instrument on the whole, slowly unravelling repetitive motion damage / scarring on my arm's underlying muscles all the way up through my shoulders / neck etc.

It's been a real Godsend, honestly, because regardless of my own efforts to counter the pain I was experiencing, I was only "band-aid-ing" the issue and causing other issues.

Said friend is working on creating a study on musicians and these types of issues. A very good pianist friend of mine was also spared unreal pain issues related to posture via her efforts. If / when her efforts collect and get off the ground (she's not sure which medium to focus most on, be it internet / video, etc) I would be sure to refer you all to it, I feel it will be a great resource.

I wish you well in your relief.

 

I've gone through many wrist, shoulder, and neck issues. A combination of chiropractic, pt, technique, and gear changes have kept me going and for the time being pain free.
Which wrist is it? Do you have a non-posed picture of you playing that you can post. A fellow TB member saw somthing in a pic of mine that made a big difference for me. Maybe you'll have the same luck.

 

Could be any number of things. What kind of bass/ scale length are you using? I've had scale length effect both wrists. Also, with a strap, often too low will cause left wrist issues and too high can cause right wrist issues. Of course this is just IME.

 

And guess what ... it only gets better as the years creep along.
My biggest issue is arthritis in my left index finger.
Ice and Ibuprofen

 

I went to a hand clinic and found out that all of the muscles in my left arm were pretty much locked up all the time. They spent 2 months massaging and using heat/ice and teaching me special stretches before everything loosened up. Even used electric shock for a couple weeks. They had me doing a max of 20 minutes of light playing a day (because they wanted a gauge of how much the treatment was working). Absolutely no upright playing though, which isn't hard for me

It was worth the time, because I can play for more than 10 minutes now without having excruciating pain from my elbow to my wrist. Actually hours since I put light strings on my instruments and fixed my technique.

 

I have a unique issue with my wrists and I'm wondering if anyone else has the same. I don't have pain in my wrists when I play, but for the past 15-17 years my hands tend to fall asleep (pins and needles) when I play. Here are the details:

It doesn't happen every time I play, but has gradually gotten worse over the years. It's worse when I'm stressed out, and usually can be kept at bay with a decent stretching regimen. It effects both hands to various degrees and was aggravated by my new job to such a degree over the holidays last year that I took 8 or so weeks off from playing and we're back to being manageable again. My dad has the same issue, and as I've said I've done enough research over the years to know that my technique is good, know how to sleep so that my hands don't fall asleep at night (most of the time). Does anyone have a similar issue? Any long term solutions rather than just keeping it at bay?

 

I'm only a doctor if you're an attractive female , but that sounds like a blood circulation problem to me. What's your BP?

 

You drink a lot of water? Mine fall asleep when I get dehydrated or drink a lot of soda.

Go see a hand/wrist specialist though. They can work wonders.

 

I'll be honest: I suck at drinking water. I am also making a concerted effort to drink more, however. I've had a number of major life changes in the past year (new kid, going from unemployed for 2 years to part time to full time) so I'm still getting a handle on a routine. Ironically I work for a fitness company but can't seem to get motivated to get myself more in shape. I know I need to make the time but dang... how do you guys fit it all into one day?

 

Carrying a water bottle around with you all day helps a lot. I have a metal one that stays in my backpack that I carry with me everywhere. And I'm a janitor for a fairly large machine shop, so I get a pretty good workout walking back and forth across it 50+ times a weekday, and hand mopping under every machine. I end up drinking a ton of water at school because I'm always bored and looking for an excuse to get out of the classroom