Wrist pain in frethand?

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diabolical vengeance

The Most Ancient One
Feb 12, 2002
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Underneath the Mountains of Madness
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I just joined a band a couple of weeks ago and so I'm spending a lot of time rehersing/practicing etc I notice that when I play powerchords for a while i get this pain in the top of my wrist and i find it rather worrying. I only have this pain though for powerchords, for single note riffs and other stuff I don't have this pain. Normally when i play powerchords i put my index on the root note and i just bar the other two notes with my ring finger. Could this be why?? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
 
man i am a pro guitarist and have had this pain, and now its very bad, you need to streatch like hell at least 20 min if you feel this pain, if you dont streatch you will get carneal tunnel
 
In addition, Maybe raise your guitar strap so you are not playing the guitar so low. Do some stretches. Rub aspercreme on your wrist before you start. Also, you will get used to some discomfort. It's like those muscle builders say, "No Pain, No gain." However, If it is a persistent pain, that is not good.
 
How do you guys stretch... Do do exercices on the guitar or some other ideas?
 
It sounds to me like you're playing in an unfavourable position, or maybe that you're using a lot of force when playing power chords. Try tilting the guitar up a bit to relieve your wrist and see if it gets any better.

The only times I've had pain in my hands, is when I'm playing neck-heavy guitars. Having to support the neck while doing finger acrobatics gives me the cramps.
 
just move your wrist backwards and forwards and roll it around a little. If it hurts apply ice and heat alternately. and use the aspercreme. If it still hurts all the time, go see a doctor
 
diabolical vengeance said:
I just joined a band a couple of weeks ago and so I'm spending a lot of time rehersing/practicing etc I notice that when I play powerchords for a while i get this pain in the top of my wrist and i find it rather worrying. I only have this pain though for powerchords, for single note riffs and other stuff I don't have this pain. Normally when i play powerchords i put my index on the root note and i just bar the other two notes with my ring finger. Could this be why?? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
The good news is that most likely it is NOT carpal tunnel. Other people here have given good suggestions and I have one as well. Since I imagine you are playing two to three string power chords, simply learn to make your power chords with the index and pinky as well as your index/ring. You can alternate between the two to save yourself from the repetitive motion.
I had a problem just like that, but my natural power chord fretting is index/pinky and I have fairly large hands so it caused me to get cramps. I learned to alternate between the ring and pinky and it helped considerably.
 
sounds to me like you need to go to a guitar teacher and ask him to show you instead of having us tell you.
I had pain for about a week then I kinda molded myself into not having pain so....yeah.
 
Bryant said:
...my natural power chord fretting is index/pinky...
Click to expand...
Wow, I thought I was the only one using that fretting style. =)
I have small hands, so it was a natural way of doing it for me. But somewhere down the line I started using both ring finger and pinky - especially after I started learning Jake E Lee's stuff.

'bane
 
Dont forget the guitar neck. I have big hands and my neck hand would hurt like hell after playing my King V. Only after I realized the neck was WAY too thin for my hand did I do something and all was fine then. Sold the damn thing. Now I use Wide/Fat necks and I have no problems at all.
 
I think it's a combination of not stretching, not warming up, and possibly incorrect posture or clenching the chords too tightly. Or as Iced In Flames said, it might be the particular backshape of the neck.

It doesn't take much pressure to fret out a string correctly, and I even catch myself clenching chords a little too tightly.
 
Stretch before playing, especially if you are going to do a marathon session or a gig. Stretch upper and lower arm muscles, back and shoulders. Seriously, since turning pro and while i was learning a lot of stuff i have fucked my arms once, and they took 2 weeks to get back to almost normal, scary. Then i've pulled various muscles during a gig and had to spend a week playing on painkillers and walking around with arm above my head (only comfortable position) and it took two months to get the sensation back into my right hand fore and middle finger from a trapped nerve. If I'd have warmed up this wouldn't have happened.

Also, a tip, to get circulation in the hands run them under warm water before stretching, also make grabbing motions with the fingers, clenching your fist, and doing the reverse, spreading your fingers from a clenched fist, on both hands to warm up.

You really don't want to fuck up your arms, contract tendonitis or put yourself at risk to carpal tunnel...
 
Sunbane said:
Wow, I thought I was the only one using that fretting style. =)
I have small hands, so it was a natural way of doing it for me. But somewhere down the line I started using both ring finger and pinky - especially after I started learning Jake E Lee's stuff.

'bane
Click to expand...

heh, that's how i fret as well :) Unless I have to use the pinky somewhere else...
 
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