help with wrist pain

[thetrooper9]

i have a dull type of pain in the back of my wrist (not the palm side) its usually just my picking hand but sometimes in my fretting hand too. this is horrible for me. i was making alot of progress but now i dont practice as much because i dont want to make the pain worse. i think i got this from using the mouse too much. could lifting wights or playing xbox also cause this?

do any of you have this or know what would help me get back to playing more?

[Jasco]

Avoid repetitive motions with your wrist bent, guitar or otherwise.



OK, let the jokes fly...

[thetrooper9]

bent as in up or down?

[Kuroyume]

Both. There are tendons on both sides (Flexor and Extensor) covered by carpal tunnels (thus carpal tunnel syndrome). Constant and excessive bending of them while flexing the tendons can cause inflammation and sensitivity due to rubbing and the collapsing of the tunnel onto the tendon - then you're on your way to CTS.

 

If you are experiencing pain, stop playing, and see a doctor if it continues after a few days. You are going to need to have your playing examined by a qualified guitar instructor (one who understands the dos and don'ts of proper playing technique to avoid such injuries).

 

This is one reason why I can't understand how any electric guitar player can even make it to fame with a guitar strapped down to their knees. That type of distance requires an extreme wrist bend of the fret hand and should cause pain and lead to CTS way before fame is reached. Look at the Beatles (and other 60s bands) and you'll see how far up the guitar is (near the chest). This mimics the sitting classical style more which promotes better physical technique. They weren't dorks - they were musicians.

[1001gear]

 

 

This is not a topic for mockery. Many high level figures will actually resort to social services to avoid the issues. Signing documents and the like.

[The Burninator]

This is one reason why I can't understand how any electric guitar player can even make it to fame with a guitar strapped down to their knees. That type of distance requires an extreme wrist bend of the fret hand and should cause pain and lead to CTS way before fame is reached. Look at the Beatles (and other 60s bands) and you'll see how far up the guitar is (near the chest).

Jimmy Page?

My guess is that knee level guitarists use mostly thumb-over-neck grip so
they don't have to bend their wrists as much as they would have if they used
thumb-behind-the-neck grip.


Someone once posted hear a link to this site www.stretchnow.com.au
It has exercises for your wrists, back, shoulders and more, and information
(from what it looks like, I didn't go through all of the site's material) about
computer mice that are friendlier to your hand and stuff.

[UltimateGuitar1]

Correct hand placement with guitar playing is essential to prevent injury. Take a visual que from classical guitarists. Note how they place their hands (especially the left hand) very relaxed and natural, thumb in the center of the neck and hand looks as though it is suspended from the neck. This will seem harder in the beginning, but it is the best way to attain accuracy and speed and to minimize those hand and wrist injuries.

Also if you play with a flatpick, avoid the "death grip" on the pick. Hold it lightly and don't put strain or tension on your hand and wrist.

[jeremy_green]

Search this forum for that topic - you will find lots of threads with amazing info. Follow the advice seriously. I had a hand issue and it is no joke - its serious. Treat it accordingly

[Virgman]

i think i got this from using the mouse too much. could lifting wights or playing xbox also cause this?

 

 

Absolutely.

 

You need to rest.

 

And stop the videos games.

[Jasco]

Both. There are tendons on both sides (Flexor and Extensor) covered by carpal tunnels (thus carpal tunnel syndrome). Constant and excessive bending of them while flexing the tendons can cause inflammation and sensitivity due to rubbing and the collapsing of the tunnel onto the tendon - then you're on your way to CTS. If you are experiencing pain, stop playing, and see a doctor if it continues after a few days. You are going to need to have your playing examined by a qualified guitar instructor (one who understands the dos and don'ts of proper playing technique to avoid such injuries).

 

 

Exactly

 

 

 

This is one reason why I can't understand how any electric guitar player can even make it to fame with a guitar strapped down to their knees. That type of distance requires an extreme wrist bend of the fret hand and should cause pain and lead to CTS way before fame is reached.

 

 

 

I wear my electric guitar really low, and I don't have any problems keeping my wrists straight. As stated a few posts earlier by The Burninator, it involves thumb-over-neck left hand position.

[ModernSaloon]

Please visit the doctor ASAP.

[Virgman]

If you go to the doctor he will say:

 

1) Rest

 

2) Take NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Motrin)

 

3) Stop playing video games and using your mouse for awhile.

 

There I saved you $150.

[jeremy_green]

If you go to the doctor he will say: 1) Rest 2) Take NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Motrin) 3) Stop playing video games and using your mouse for awhile. There I saved you $150.

 

 

This is exactly what they will say, didnt cost me squat to hear it though cause i live in the frozen northern outpost known as Canada - what a hoser eh?

[thetrooper9]

i was playing video games pretty much nonstop while i was sick the last 2 months so i can stop now that im getting better. ive always played the classical style with my left hand. i think my right wrist stays straight i just move it side to side to pick the strings. i think the mouse is probably the main problem because sometimes i research gear and lots of times that ends up being 2 hours of furious mousing.

[Kuroyume]

I use a trackball on all of my computers; a Logitech TrackMan Wheel. More thumb than arm work but that's okay. The main thing, though, is that I use a wrist rest pad to keep my wrist straight and comfortable. Same for the keyboard. Same for a mouse when I was using one - a mouse pad with a wrist pad.

 

Let's just say that I program for a living which means that I'm on the computer between 6 and 12 hours a day. And I play guitar a few hours a week - more or less depending on the amount of work. No finger, wrist, or arm pain. Been doing it like this for over ten years.

 

 

anyways, after a few months the pain was gone and I began to gain my strength over time

 

 

Just remember that healing time increases as you get older (words of wisdom from an old 45y/o foggie here). Injuries that used to take a few days or a week to heal now take weeks or months. I scraped my shin badly but superficially last summer. It took about six months to heal and there are still discolorations today. I've done similar in the past and it did not take that long. Tendonitis or CTS could spell the end of playing or a great diminishment thereof as you get older.

[Virgman]

This is exactly what they will say, didnt cost me squat to hear it though cause i live in the frozen northern outpost known as Canada - what a hoser eh?

Yes, but in America the doctor drives a Porsche so he's better.

[jeremy_green]

Yes, but in America the doctor drives a Porsche so he's better.

Very true. Half of them are Canadians! That's the exact reason why they most all leave right after med school. It's a problem up here.

[girevik]

Some things bear repeating:

- Rest. If you're doing something that hurts, stop doing it.

- Take breaks. Listen to your body. Apparently many pro musicians have hand problems too - maybe because they refuse to take breaks.

- See a doctor, preferably one who specializes in sports medicine and/or orthopedics.

- I bet you ARE doing something with a bent wrist. It might very well be the way you use your mouse.

- Muscle imbalances can lead to injury - addressing them can be helpful. In the case of the hands, it's usually the flexors (muscles that you use to make a fist and grip) being stronger than the extensors (muscles that you use to open your hand and spread your fingers). Ironmind sells good hand exercisers for strengthening the extensors and keeping up your hand health. Check out their Healthy Hands Kit -cost about as much as a Boss OD pedal:
http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1428

[thetrooper9]

are you saying that repetitive motion will only hurt your wrist is if its bent?

i use a track ball mouse with the thumb wheel. i should also use a wrist pad?

i was wondering about those extensor exercisers. would that help me?

[girevik]

are you saying that repetitive motion will only hurt your wrist is if its bent? i use a track ball mouse with the thumb wheel. i should also use a wrist pad? i was wondering about those extensor exercisers. would that help me?

 

 

1. I'm not a doctor, but the odds are higher you'll hurt yourself with a bent wrist.

 

2. This one is a bit controversial (use wrist pad or not). I don't use one regularly, yet have mostly kept my hands healty.

 

3. I used the one sold at ThinkGeek.com for several months whenever I started feeling soreness in my hands or forearms. Relief came every time. The downside of that device is the rubber connectors for the rubber rings you'd put on your fingers tend to wear out fast. The Ironmind kit is more comprehensive.

[Kuroyume]

i use a track ball mouse with the thumb wheel. i should also use a wrist pad?

Definitely. It can become a habit to bend the wrist down (drape over the edge of a table if the trackball is kept too close to the edge) or up (hold your arm up, especially when using a laptop on a coffee table). It is really a matter of observation and correction of practice (same as guitar). The wrist pad helps me to keep the wrist straight passively and raises the arm just enough so that resting it on a surface doesn't incur bending.

On the keyboard, luckily for me I took typing lessons in high school so that I have a learnt style - none of that wrist whacking 'hen pecking technique'.

On a personal crusade, I find the continuous use of game controllers to be a very bad habit. I did this for a short stint and always noticed pain after long periods of playing. I no longer play computer/console games partially because of this. These game controllers are evil.

[thetrooper9]

3. I used the one sold at ThinkGeek.com for several months whenever I started feeling soreness in my hands or forearms. Relief came every time. The downside of that device is the rubber connectors for the rubber rings you'd put on your fingers tend to wear out fast. The Ironmind kit is more comprehensive.

 

 

so you think the big rubber band would be better than the glove thing?

[thetrooper9]

- Muscle imbalances can lead to injury - addressing them can be helpful. In the case of the hands, it's usually the flexors (muscles that you use to make a fist and grip) being stronger than the extensors (muscles that you use to open your hand and spread your fingers). Ironmind sells good hand exercisers for strengthening the extensors and keeping up your hand health. Check out their Healthy Hands Kit -cost about as much as a Boss OD pedal: http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1428

 

 

thanks for recommending this. I have been using it for a month now and im recovering well. I quit playing video games and im playing alot of guitar.

[Lefty's Ghost]

The drill press works great for me, here I am doing it in my underwear.

[girevik]

thanks for recommending this. I have been using it for a month now and im recovering well. I quit playing video games and im playing alot of guitar.

 

 

Glad to hear it!

 

I've had my Healthy Hands Kit for a couple of months now and just graduated to the green band.

 

I apologize for missing your earlier question. So far, the Ironmind Kit, including the band, has proven to be a better solution than the ThinkGeek device. Bands are easier to replace than the little rubber things on the ThinkGeek and also the resistance is more variable.