I Have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

[Manachild]

Lately i had been having pains in my wrists and pins and needles in my fingers, numbness, pins and needles up my foreams sometimes. and just generally feeling weak in the fingers. the first time it happened it went away after a few days and then i didnt feel it again for almost 2 weeks until friday last week when it came back and didnt seem to subside, so i went to the doctor thinking i had tendonitis. He ran some tests some of which included prodding which actually slightly flared it up worse temporarily. And we spoke about the symptoms a bit and he told me i had CTS.

Which is quite upsetting but he assured me that i was good to come in when i did and not waiting for it to get really really bad.

He also assured me that i will play guitar again. But for now i need to rest my hands and wrists etc.

He has me going to massage therapy starting tomorrow and i am on anti inflamitory (spelling) pill's.

So far i havent played guitar for about 4-5 days and its already wearing at me, guitar has become over the last year pretty core to my being and very theraputic and good for relieving stress when i feel that way.

Anyway i hope i get better soon because i want to keep rocking out

[Hozze]

Yea, CTS is a real pain.

I got it a few years back, didn't bother going to the doctor at first, nor did I stop playing guitar. After a (long) while I finally figured I had to do something about it, but by then it turned out I had already caused some slight permanent nerve damage to my hand, which the operation I had couldn't fix.

Have some slight numbness I won't get rid of now, but you get used to that too and it sure won't stop me from playing, even though I'm not quite as dexterous or fast as I used to be.

Good for you for taking care of it right away and not ignoring it like I did. Rest that hand now and you'll be happy later.

[Jp.]

Lately i had been having pains in my wrists and pins and needles in my fingers, numbness, pins and needles up my foreams sometimes. and just generally feeling weak in the fingers. the first time it happened it went away after a few days and then i didnt feel it again for almost 2 weeks until friday last week when it came back and didnt seem to subside, so i went to the doctor thinking i had tendonitis. He ran some tests some of which included prodding which actually slightly flared it up worse temporarily. And we spoke about the symptoms a bit and he told me i had CTS.

Which is quite upsetting but he assured me that i was good to come in when i did and not waiting for it to get really really bad.

He also assured me that i will play guitar again. But for now i need to rest my hands and wrists etc.

He has me going to massage therapy starting tomorrow and i am on anti inflamitory (spelling) pill's.

So far i havent played guitar for about 4-5 days and its already wearing at me, guitar has become over the last year pretty core to my being and very theraputic and good for relieving stress when i feel that way.

Anyway i hope i get better soon because i want to keep rocking out

Sounds like an awsome opportunity to take up slide guitar.

Even cooler take up the sitar ala John Butler or even some of Pete Murrays stuff.

C'mon man your an Aussie... always look on the bright side!

Besides It makes an excellent excuse for GAS "the doctor told me I cant play THAT  guitar anymore I have to get one of THESE guitars. :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Davey]

Besides It makes an excellent excuse for GAS "the doctor told me I cant play THAT  guitar anymore I have to get one of THESE guitars. :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

LMFAO!


mom.. the doc told me this guitar is bad for my wrists.. so i have to get a diferent one, that will be more therapeutical and help me recover my wrist.

[FELINEGUITARS]

Try a little Arnica Gel rubbed in the affected area - can help reduce inflammation and ease pain symptoms too

[Gary]

After ignoring wrist pain for three weeks I went to my doctor and was diagnosed with tendonitis. I can pretty much narrow down the cause to one intense practice session of major scales.

For the last two weeks I've been on anti inflamatory drugs and wearing a support bandage on my wrist most days (had to endure endless jokes from my mates about self abuse). Interestingly he told me not to stop playing altogether but to avoid long stretches and extreme wrist positions which has effectively limited me to gentle pentatonic and chromatic stuff on the top three strings.

It's almost completely better now and I'm gradually getting back into it and putting into practice all the stuff I looked up on the internet over the last month. The things that really seem to make the most difference are using as light a touch as possible (I've been surprised how light you can play and still get a clean note) and not bending the wrist more than 45 degrees.

I know CTS is different and probably a bit more serioius but hopefully it will encourage you that there is light at the end of the tunnel (apologies for the poor choice of phrase) if you follow your doctor's advice and practice good technique when you do start playing again.

[JamesHealey]

in my first year at music college i developed RSI, my hands were in so much pain, couldnt lift a cup of tea or hold a pencil.
didn't play for about 6 months also had to take anti-inflamatory drugs and massage my hands, my doctor told me i wasnt anywhere near the first musician he'd seen with RSI, but I kept studying and playing as absolute little as possible on the guitar just learning arpeggios and scales, i used gauge 8 strings tuned to Eb.. but really went to town on composition, ear training & sight reading.

after leaving it enough time to heal i developed a good warm up before playing, similar to john petrucci's method and i mean EVERY time i play i warm up.. i've not had a problem in 2 years and i use Gauge 10's in E standard now, and i don't shred as much but i can still do it.

[ToneMonkey]

Make sure that you take those anti inflamatries with food.  They sit on your stomach and rot the lining giving you ulcers.

I was on a combination of anti inflamatries and pain killers for years and although I can't spell it right, I still remember the big pink pills.  Still get dodgy guts now.

[fps_dean]

I have similiar symptoms (aching joints in my hands) but I cannot recall my hands ever going numb.  And usually when it's warm I am fine, but when it's semi cold, like maybe below 65, I can barely move my fingers (so obviously I cannot play).

[Manachild]

WoW... on saturday the doctor asked me if the therapy was helping and at the time it wasnt really, so i said no.

So over the weekend i noticed it getting better and now i dont have much pain at all, infact barely any. And my fingers only feel alittle nervy or stiff on small occasion.

I cant believe this, but this is very very good!

I've been playing guitar a little but not straining my wrists just playing slow stuff. And what can i say? its getting better!!

[38thBeatle]

Due to being off line for a while I have missed this thread but, for whatever my opinion is worth, I would avoid any prescribed  anti-inflamatory drug because they nearly all have undesirable side effects. I had them many years ago and got no relief from the problem and got terrible heart burn but at least it took my mind off the dodgy knee ! Jonathan's suggestion of Arnica gel is great-also there is Devil's Claw which is extremely effective according to Mrs 38th or even cortaflex HA. Mrs 38th had a customer in her shop who was bemoaning the anti-inflamatory she'd had and the fact that her doctor had simultaneously prescribed an antacid to counteract the inevitable side effect. I am no doctor but to me that is questionable.

[Johnny Mac]

Due to being off line for a while I have missed this thread but, for whatever my opinion is worth, I would avoid any prescribed  anti-inflamatory drug because they nearly all have undesirable side effects. I had them many years ago and got no relief from the problem and got terrible heart burn but at least it took my mind off the dodgy knee ! Jonathan's suggestion of Arnica gel is great-also there is Devil's Claw which is extremely effective according to Mrs 38th or even cortaflex HA. Mrs 38th had a customer in her shop who was bemoaning the anti-inflamatory she'd had and the fact that her doctor had simultaneously prescribed an antacid to counteract the inevitable side effect. I am no doctor but to me that is questionable.

Good advise Mr 38th! Doctors and their prescriptions eh! Lot's more people avoid 'conventional' medication these days and it's not hard to see why.

I get pains in my left hand after a lot of playing. I think it's inevitable considering the work your fingers do. I take breaks from hard stuff like legato, every 20 mins now and give my hand a good shake to get the blood flowing through them.

I hope your problem heals soon manachild. Give yourself some time.

[FELINEGUITARS]

So the secret is to play slower and avoid major scales. No wonder they call it the blues

The arnica gel does seeem to help without the side effects of the prescription medicine

Here is a link to a company that make a good one

http://www.bioforceshop.co.uk/products/herbal/arnicagel


Here is their Australian contact too:

AUSTRALIA
Bioforce Australia Pty. Ltd.
18 Wadhurst Drive
Boronia Victoria 3155
Phone: +61 398 01 67 55
FAX: +61 398 01 67 66
info@avogel.com.au

[38thBeatle]

That is the brand that Mrs 38th sells-it is the best in her view-Bioforce are really really fussy about their products.

[38thBeatle]

She is listed as a stockist too- Natural Way in Horsham-shameless plug and we have one or two Australian customers though for products that are not readily available there so you'd probably get it cheaper there.