carpal tunnel

[Frank the tank]

alright quick question. got carpal tunnel went from bad to shitty as fuck. i can hardly hold the strings down or even strecth. i cant even lift a gallon of milk if i wanted to. and yes it's the fretting hand. anyone with this problem and any solutions?

 

[Occam's Razor]

oh-oh...I don't know if you are sure that it is CP. Have you been to the doc? Otherwise, it can be some other things, but if it is really CP, it could be that you need a surgery.

You should consult a doctor definitely if you cannot hold your milk anymore! I've had something similar once, but gladly it was just overexhaustion.

 

[Zyquix]

Yeah your hand falls asleep after rigorous work (well maybe not even rigorous) with CP. If it's loose grip, that sounds like something else...arthritis?

 

[Nothinggod]

I have known quite a few people who have suffered from carpal tunnel or similar repetitive stress injuries, and many of them musicians. My best advice would be to have a doctor check it out, firstly. Secondly, if you are experiencing any kind of pain or numbness or tingling when you play, then stop what you are doing immediately. If you play through pain you are only going to make your injury worse. Symptoms of carpal tunnel can be tingling, numbness, non-localised pain, and other types of pain. Generally it is caused by repetitivie stress to the carpal area, causing inflamtation and swelling which can cause damage to the carpal ligament which in turn causes pressure on the nerve and pain. Treatments can vary from cortisone injections to surgery and all have varying success. But the most important point is to get medical advice and discontinue any actions which are causing you pain. Mostly though as far as musicians are concerned, carpal tunnel is caused by incorrect technique and cramped or awkward playing postures. I have read that there are occupational therapists for musicians too, though you might have to do some searching on the internet to find one. Once again though have it checked out by a doctor.

[edit] You might want to have a look at this site; http://www.carpaltunnel.com/

 

[Frank the tank]

well i dont know i dont know if it's carpal tunnel for sure then but i do know its fucked up. the doctor gave me some cream that works for shit. i guess ill just go back. thanks

 

[Miguel Suerte]

well i dont know i dont know if it's carpal tunnel for sure then but i do know its fucked up. the doctor gave me some cream that works for shit. i guess ill just go back. thanks

No matter what they're used for ointments tend to suck. The ointments that they have to treat Exema often don't work that well because that condition is like asthma on the outside of the body and therefore often requires something to be taken internally. Have you tried some type of hot compress on your hand? Cold won't work with anything deep tissue or muscle related. If the heat helps a little bit but not enough you could try physical therapy. If heat applied to the area and PSTH doesn't work then you might have to step it up. If it's something more serious then ask the doc if there is something you can take to treat it internally. This sounds like it could be anything from simple tendon/muscle strain to something more serious like a neurological disorder. Sorry. Hope that helps and good luck in resolving your problem so you can go back to playing.

 

[Frank the tank]

i just got an icy hot and holy shit does that feel good and im gonna ice it again later. and im still gonna play. even if i couldnt play bass anymore id do guitar or keyboards. i think for now itll be alright - its better than it was a few days ago

 

[Occam's Razor]

you should really take care...these ointments just alleviate the pain, but not necessarily solve the problem. Give your arms the time to recover in any way.