Carpel Tunnel

Hello everybody.Sorry if i'm being to direct,but i need help!!I seem to have been struck down with a case of carpel tunnel.This CRAP is brutal to say the least.I'm seeing a chiropractor for neck & back injury.This came outta the blue last week and i dont think he understands the full consequences for a guitarist.It's killin me not to play.The strings feel like an electric fence shocking me!!Anybody have any advice? Thanks G.C.T.

A couple of my friends have had this, one that I used to be in a band with. It took him out of action for a couple of months, and then he had to slowly build it up. He had an operation, but managed to make it worse beforehand.

He figured out that (for him at least) using ice helped to numb the pain (!) and increased movement as the swelling went down. Thing is, although he managed to remove the pain it just made him damage it more.

My advice, for whatever it's worth, is to go VERY easy until you get some treatment. It is frustrating - I had tendonitis for some months a long time ago, and understand - you have to keep an eye on the whole game though. If you play now, you might risk not being able to later. Better to take a break from it, recover, and be able to play like fury again after a rest...

Sorry I can't be more encouraging dude....

I know how much wrist pain can screw up your playing, I broke mine years ago and never went to the hospital so it never healed properly. I had to find a new way to hold the neck, but I can still play as good as the next guy. Sometimes you just need to do things differently, even if it seems hopeless. I know how hard it is not to play but it's safer and better in the long run. Hope this helps somewhat.

CTS can be a horrible thing for anybody, but especially a guitarist. I feel that I am slowely developing it, but it doesn't get in the way of anything yet. The only advice I can give you is to stop playing, and give it a rest if you are in pain. "No pain, no gain" is ass opposite of how CTS works. You might also want to invest in a wrist brace that has a hard plate in it that keeps your hand and wrist in a propper position. Other than that, talk to your doctor to see what all you can do to help out. If I'm not mistaken, CTS is preventable, but not reversable once it starts. Once it starts, all you can do is prolong it until it gets too bad and you have to have surgery. Even then, there's no garantee that it won't come back. My mother had CTS surgery 3 times... once in her left, and twice in her right. I know this isn't very encouraging, but it helps to know all you can about CTS, so you know how go about dealing with it. Good luck, and I hope things get better for you! Nothing worse than having something keep you from being able to play your guitar. I broke my hand twice a while back, and it really sucked. If I'm not mistaken, our own hbkolb just had CTS surgery not too long ago. Maybe he can chime in and tell you about his experience.


Oh, and welcome to GT!! I hope you can stay around awhile and get to know us... you can't alway's judge a book by it's cover! Take care...

Thanks for the advice.I did get a brace and will try different hand positions when i can play (hopefully) without the pain.The guitar has saved my life more than once.I truly love it.The old "don't take things for granted" saying is certainly no joke,even for what seems to be the simplest or most natural things to do......G.C.T.

I had a very bad case which went on for over a year. The combo of guitar and typing really makes it hard to make progress.

I got one of these keyboards, which really helped:

http://www.infogrip.com/product_view.asp?RecordNumber=6&sbcolor=%23FF9966&option=&subcategory=&CatTxt=&optiontxt=Keyboard

yeah, ive got one of those split keyboards, they are very comfortable and easy to type on. i highly reccomend.

and real sorry about the carpal tunnel. sounds like a horrible thing to go through, i sure hope i never have it. my guitar is my greatest comfort, and i cannot fathom living without it- especially when youre in such pain. wow, man.