Carpal Tunnel: A blessing in disguise?

tjmac66pc · Unread post by **tjmac66pc** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:19 pm

anyone come across any problems with their wrist from playing guitar?? I broke my wrist in middle school, and it never bothered me until i started playing guitar...now it has escalated to a full blown case of carpal tunnel, which really sucks, and is a little more painful than i expected... :roll:

anyway, in my current experience with this annoying shit, i find that it is forcing me to fret/slide much more smoothly...whereas before i could get away with sort of slapping down on the frets, now i can't cuz i have to be more 'easy-going' due to the pain it causes in my wrist... anyway, i feel like this pain is actually forcing me to relax a lot more when playing and therefore it translates into better sounding/quality music...

well, just curious as to if anyone has dealt with this problem and maybe what you're doing to get thru it...

peace

charliemike · Unread post by **charliemike** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:35 pm

I don't really know what the symptoms of carpal tunnel are ... I do have issues with my elbow and forearm/wrist from time to time that is likely related to the insane hours I spend typing at work (all goof-off related hehe).

However when it flares up it makes it tough to adequately press down with my left hand (right handed).

I do know that what I eat determines how often I get it ... if I stay away from caffeine and other foods I know I have some allergy-esque reactions to then I have significantly less issues.

mdel21 · Unread post by **mdel21** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:57 pm

I'm starting to get it. I spent 10 hours a day on the computer between home and work. It hards sometimes really bad at night.

filmdude100cms · Unread post by **filmdude100cms** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:43 pm

i think i have it too, i was OK durring school. but then now that its summer, and 90% of my time is spent either, on PC talking and playing games, or playing guitar. stiffness in my knuckles on both hands, and today my upper right arm is hurting like crazy and i cant do anythign to end it.

grock · Unread post by **grock** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:43 pm

filmdude100cms wrote:i think i have it too, i was OK durring school. but then now that its summer, and 90% of my time is spent either, on PC talking and playing games, or playing guitar. stiffness in my knuckles on both hands, and today my upper right arm is hurting like crazy and i cant do anythign to end it.

you gotta be careful man or you will really hurt yourself permanently. You may have some bad habits for both typing and playing that are going to make you have to quit both. It may be a good idea to do a little investigating of ergonomics and posture for these activities.

my wrists used to be swollen by the end of the day here at work from typing so much but i had a chat with the company ergonomics guys (it's actually quite common for people to be doing things wrong and this guys job was to walk around and correct stuff like that).

stuff like having you're monitor too low or chair to low, or resting you wrists on the desks while typing. i wish i had a link but it is worth your time to look into. even to the point of getting a guitar lesson just to go over posteur.

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:45 pm

yeah, I dont think Carpal Tunnel could ever be a blessing in disguise, if you get it, youre gonna be fucked

filmdude100cms · Unread post by **filmdude100cms** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:28 pm

plus ive been cracking my knuckles for years, cant stop, its just a habbit i dont realize ive done till ive done it. sooooo ive got still knuckles that hurt to like bend all the way. and ive said ive been having this since april, but figured my hands were just getting stronger. well its been 3 months of it now. im pretty sure i ahve it. and after ive been doing some serious playing for awhile my hands hurt like hell.

grock · Unread post by **grock** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 10:28 pm

filmdude100cms wrote:plus ive been cracking my knuckles for years, cant stop, its just a habbit i dont realize ive done till ive done it. sooooo ive got still knuckles that hurt to like bend all the way. and ive said ive been having this since april, but figured my hands were just getting stronger. well its been 3 months of it now. im pretty sure i ahve it. and after ive been doing some serious playing for awhile my hands hurt like hell.

i'm not trying to freak you out, but i'm a pretty safety consious guy, so , i'm sure you have health insurance and i would take advantage of that and make an appointment with the doctor. the sooner you do something the better. i'm serious. i had a pain in the back of my knee for like 2 years and it turned out to be a pretty serious infection that could have lost me the knee if i had kept up my stubbornness. (i'm only 23 so this isn't like old man advice)

i like tictacs · Unread post by **i like tictacs** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:12 pm

The cracking knuckles being bad for you is a total myth.

filmdude100cms · Unread post by **filmdude100cms** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:30 pm

well ive been doing it for over 8 years, and im only 14. and it is bad for you over time

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:55 pm

I have slight carpul tunnel, basicly from typing a lot and pushing carts at work. I have stretches to deal with it. For guitar, playing doesn't bother me at all.

i like tictacs · Unread post by **i like tictacs** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:56 pm

filmdude100cms wrote:well ive been doing it for over 8 years, and im only 14. and it is bad for you over time

That's a load of SHIT!!! I asked my rehab doctor when I had to get therapy for my collarbone.

DMBFan63 · Unread post by **DMBFan63** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:02 am

i like tictacs wrote:
filmdude100cms wrote:well ive been doing it for over 8 years, and im only 14. and it is bad for you over time
That's a load of SHIT!!! I asked my rehab doctor when I had to get therapy for my collarbone.

your rehab doctor is wrong then. when you crack a knuckle, it takes the air out from inbetween the joints and therefor, tightens the joint momentairily, and puts more pressure on the bone then there needs to be.. this is what i was taught and i'm almost 100% sure it's true

i like tictacs · Unread post by **i like tictacs** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:04 am

Whoever taught you is wrong!! andI think i saw it on some urban legends show. it actually alleviates the stress of the air pressure

filmdude100cms · Unread post by **filmdude100cms** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:17 am

actually hes right, when you pop your knuckeles, the sound you hear is little air bubbles in your joints that tightens them, and eventually you get arthritis, or whatever. my cousin who learned it in bio or something said that, my aunt who has bad authrites, and my other cousin shes 31 or something and has horrible joint pains. sooo basically dmbfan is right.

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Carpal Tunnel: A blessing in disguise?

Carpal Tunnel: A blessing in disguise?

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