General Music Chat

What are fellow axe slingers doing about the tendinitus/wrist pain problem. I do know about not putting the death grip on neck, and angle of wrist positioning. What are your stories and remedies! Catharsis please .

I went through this about a year back.
After playings for long periods of time, day after day, my left hand tended to curl into a fist.
Then it started to hurt to play.
I ignored it.
Then, it hurt like hell to play - I was really concerned that I'd screwed myself up permanantly - which can happen . . . . .
I spent quite a bit of time stretching my fingers back, which helped somewhat.
But I could barely play . . .
And, it scared the pi** out of me . . . I've GOT to play my guitars . . .
. . . I've just got to . . .
The cure can often be an extended rest-period of non-usage of the hand and wrist.
This is a problem that can often get better through non-usage.
The time period is the exact same time period as for healing a broken bone: 4 to 6 weeks of non-usage.
Yeah, that's right - up to a month and a half.
It killed me to do it.
But - 6 weeks of not playing, vs. risking a life-time with no guitar - it was a no brainer for me.
I found other music-related things to do for a month . . . lyrics, & the like . . .
I can't live without creating and playing new songs.
Hey, man, I probably know what your reaction's gonna be, "I can't stop for 6 weeks!"
And, believe me, I really DO know how you feel.
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But - that's my story - do what you want.
You might even get by with 2 or 3 weeks.
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Let me add one other thing: I don't know how concerned you are about this, or how bad your pain is (on a scale of 1 - 10), but if the pain is getting pretty bad, then: right now - and for another week, don't play any bar chords. And skip F and B, too; or go to 3 or 4 finger versions of these chords, for now . . .
Don't screw yourself up, man - you'd regret it for the next 50 years . . .
Substitute open chords for a few days - see if it gets better.
Ya gotta remember - willpower and pain-tolerance has nothing to do with this.
So - I hope it's not too bad.
Good luck, dude . . .

This is a hot topic in the Celtic Harp community (I am a player), with evidence back and forth that using the "wrong" technique will get you carpal tunnel or some other infirmity. But having played the harp since I was 34 (I am now 46) in the "wrong" way (read that self-developed) for so long without so much as an occassional shooting pain, I have to say I don't hold to the technique-first view. Basically, if it hurts to play a certain way...."technically correct" or not....you're doing something wrong. If you continue to do it, you risk possibly irreversible damage to yourself.

I know some players who use braces between gigs or even during performance. Some who take herbal remedies, or more traditional prescripted drugs. I don't know how effective they are for them.

Thank You very much sharing your experience and suggestions. They are informative, helpful, and heartfelt. I appreciate you.

There is a degree of damage that can occur past inflamation; a damage that, even when healed, leaves a permanant and debilitating effect.
Biology 105:
Tendons connect to muscles, bones, and ligaments.
Ligaments connect bone to either muscle, ot tendons, and are kind of like a hard plastic 'glue.'
When a muscle contracts, it pulls on one of 3 things:
1) another muscle
2) a ligament connected to a bone
3) a tendon conected to a ligament (which 'glues' it to a bone).
,
Tendons exert a tremendous lateral (sidewards) force on the muscles they traverse, so to prevent muscle chaffing/damage, tendons slide through 'tendon sheaths.'
.
A tendon sheath is like a garden hose with a piece of wire traveling through it, like a motorcyle brake cable.
.
If that wire(tendon) is pulled too hard for too long, it chaffs and digs into the inside wall of the garden hose/tendon sheath, and can split it.
.
If the sheath splits it allows the tendon to directly slide over the adjacent muscles.
You NEVER want that to happen. Instant crippling effect.
And - . . . possibly permanent.
And, by the way, I understand it hurts like hell . . .
Don't ignore pain - it's a warning.
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Another thing that can happen with overexertion is for one of the ligaments to rip free of the bone. This does two things:
1) It leaves a jagged, pointed spike digging into the surrounding muscles.
2) It leaves a PERMANENT gap. Whatever distance you pulled that shard of ligament - that's where it STAYS. Or it can move even more, making it worse, yet.
This injury is beyond the human body's ability to restore it to normal.
.
When your body attempts to heal this injury, it fills in that gap with new material. This new material can be bone or ligament.
It'll effectively shorten the length and path of the tendon.
And, it's a GUARANTEE that the repair will NOT work as good as the original.
.
Just listen to the pain signals. You'll know when to stop.
Another thing - if anybody out there is taking any drugs which lessen pain, be extra careful.
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Gopher - you're right on the money about wearing your instrument high, and wrist position.

Thank U Gopher and Doctor Samic! I always have positioned my axe for comfort, not coolness. Since the pain started, I have raised it even more. If U look at my profile photo U can see that even then it was up. U guys RULE!

Doctor Samic, eh?
Well, I read a lot. Also, I took a few years of Biomedical Electronic Engineering Technology, which gave me a rudimentary medical background.
Anyway - Yeah, I noticed the high guitar position. Smart.
I'm like you - I don't give a **** what other people think is cool, either.
If we all had to do stuff to meet other people's idea of 'cool,' then we'd have no time to find out who we are, eh?

What are fellow axe slingers doing about the tendinitus/wrist pain problem. I do know about not putting the death grip on neck, and angle of wrist positioning. What are your stories and remedies! Catharsis please .

At almost 60 I am still actively playing bass. I experience both carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel. I know I could get an operation for either but I would be out of commission for a few weeks. I get the best temporary relief using Blue-Emu. I cannot tell you why it works but it does, and no, I do not work for the manufacturer. It contains emu oil, aloe, MSM and glucosamine. When my wrist is hurting, I rub some in the night before and feel better in the morning. I hope this helps. Rock out.

Thanks for your suggestion Steve. Your breathren appreciate it! PETA probably dont.

Thanks for your suggestion Steve. Your breathren appreciate it! PETA probably dont.

Hope I didn't mislead you. Mine got worse. Now I take cortisone shots every four months or so. Gotta keep playing.

Steve, do you use a forearm band / brace when you play ?
This is actually a common malody amoungst us nurses due to all the handwriting in school and on the job. Rest reduces inflamation, a forearm brace that compresses the ligaments of the arm can reduce the stress at the wrist.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1743

You guys, please be aware that this little bugger can also be the culprit. Focal dystonia can be devistating to musicians. Often musicallthey, mistakenly, conclude that they have carpal tunnel. If it is focal dystonia you should stop practicing so that the brain can heal. If you do not stop practicing for a while, your brain will make a permanent imprint, causing a permanent disability. I just want you to be aware of this and I strongly suggest that you see a neurologist to rule it out. This is a rare condition, but take it seriously.

You may be right on the Dystonia. Although I have never seen it in my 14 years of Nursing with the exception of that being caused by IICP.
It would be really hard for me to even consider paying a neurology visit plus an MD to get the referal for something that is that rare. Most of these afflections are caused by overuse and a lack of understanding of the inflamatory process that causes it. Tendonitis and muscular strain are the constant companion of martial arts trainers. Marathon workouts in sports or on the fretboard are destructive unless one is properly conditioned prior to the exertion.
Your information is valid though. Good input.

You may be right on the Dystonia. Although I have never seen it in my 14 years of Nursing with the exception of that being caused by IICP.
It would be really hard for me to even consider paying a neurology visit plus an MD to get the referal for something that is that rare. Most of these afflections are caused by overuse and a lack of understanding of the inflamatory process that causes it. Tendonitis and muscular strain are the constant companion of martial arts trainers. Marathon workouts in sports or on the fretboard are destructive unless one is properly conditioned prior to the exertion.
Your information is valid though. Good input.

Here is a guitarist who has it. Focal Dystonia is rare but if it is the cause, it can be devestating. http://www.billymacmusic.com. Surf his site and see how your experience might compare to his. He said that he went from one doc to the next without a diagnosis. It was another musician that actually diagnosed him. This has actually been alarming to me that this is something that we musicians need to be aware of despite its rarity.Or perhaps it is something we should be aware of especially because of its rarity.