Any of you guys suffer from Carpal Tunnel or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?

Tokai-SA · 2012-08-06T18:47:43+00:00

It's not fun, I can tell you that. There's two kinds. Carpal Tunnel is when the Median nerve in the wrist joint is compressed and it results in your palm, thumb, first finger, middle finger and half your ring finger going numb and feeling like a permanent pins and needles. You also lose strength in the hand and fingers, try bending strings, etc. The second kind is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. This is when the Ulnar nerve is compressed in the elbow area. In this case (my case), the palm of the hand, the upper half of the ring finger and the baby finger are numb and weak. Great fun doing legato with your baby finger but you can't feel your baby finger on the strings/fretboard. ☹ Peter Hanmer had it on his right hand, his strumming hand, the only two fingers he could feel were his thumb and first finger, so he could hold the plectrum. But, he couldn't mute properly because the rest of the hand, palm were numb. After going to a bunch of expert specialists, one guy told him, "you're leaning on your elbow, you have to stop doing it". Turns out when driving Peter was resting his right elbow on the door handle, that's what was causing his problem. He stopped doing it, problem solved. I notice when I'm sitting at my PC I lean my left elbow on the desk, perhaps this is my problem, who knows, we'll see, I'm not doing it any more. Right now my unsuccessful guitar playing career is over, which is not a problem because it never started. ? Anyway, lots to read about it on the internet, medication, surgery, etc, etc.

thrasher

Eat lots of bananas and stop with what you are doing to make it worse!
Leaning with your elbow on a table? stop it, stop all those things till you can feel you are starting to heal. And it takes long.

I went through that and withing a few months im all good again.

DrGonzo

The problem with most repetitive strain injuries is that they come from occupation/work

Its generally not an option to stop what your doing!"
so thats what makes them more long term conditions.

I think the key is managing it and accepting it and each day strengthening the muscles/tendons!

BTW... Why would lousy eat lots of bananas? whats the research behind that? i ahevnt seen much info pointing towards bananas being good for inflammatory conditions..

Hasie

The problem was caused by long hours of typing at work apoarently. Playing guitar after work escalated it.

It has started improving by:
Stretching my arms and wrists before work.
Straightening my arms more regularly during work.
Applying heat to my arm, wrist and hand before playing guitar.
Playing for 30 minutes max.
Applying cold to my arm, wrist and hand after playing, with an ice pack and/or Deep Freeze Arnica Gel.
Taking Vitamin B supplements for nerve repair.
Taking Joint 360 supplements.
Cutting out caffeine - it affects your nervous system.
Strengthening the muscles with a stress ball.
Good posture while at work and when playing guitar.
Not browsing on a tab or cellphone at home - your arms bend too much at the elbows.

Hasie

So after struggling with this for a long time, I had an orthopedic surgeon check it out. It seems like the space in the cubital tunnel is not enough for the nerve to glide through freely. He is going to operate to open the tunnel up and create space for the nerve. We'll see what the outcome is.

funkadelic

I had what appears to be, from reading the tread, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Severe pain near my elbow and numbness in my left hand. I suspect it was caused from poor guitar setup and practicing too much after years of inactivity on the guitar. I was from the "practice until your fingers bleed" school so I ignored all warning signs until I couldn't play anymore.

In my case it took two trips to a specialist who gave me Cortisone injections, physiotherapy, hand exercises and a YEAR AND A HALF REST (yeah it sucked!) before I could play again. I take it easy nowadays. I do a lot of mental exercises and ear training away from the guitar so I can reduce the actual guitar playing. Oh yes and I sold all my equipment in the year and a half as I thought I'd never be able to play again...

There is hope, but you need to see a specialist and combine it with rest I suppose. I was lucky I guess...

V8

Hasie wrote So after struggling with this for a long time, I had an orthopedic surgeon check it out. It seems like the space in the cubital tunnel is not enough for the nerve to glide through freely. He is going to operate to open the tunnel up and create space for the nerve. We'll see what the outcome is.

Heish...does not sound like fun at all - hope it isn't as serious as it sounds?

Good luck Hasie, hope to hear you playing again soon!

Hasie

This was caused mostly by typing the whole day and not guitar playing.
The doctor said I'll be able to play a week after the operation.

morph

In the late 1990's I developed De Quervain's along the top of the thumb. Was direct result of guitar hanging too low and practicing too much. After all the usual Cortisone and Physio stuff I eventually had the Op. That solved the problem but also damaged the nerve along the top of the thumb such that I don't have any feeling along the surface of the skin on top of the thumb.

6 months of complete rest was also prescribed. This unfortunately is unavoidable. It does take a long time to heal. The more serious you take it here the better the long term result.

Since then, years of PC activity, bad collagen from my parents and old age have resulted in lots of tendinitis type issues in wrists joints etc. However I have managed to keep playing by managing the way I hold the guitar, and the moment I feel that sharp tinge of pain I stop, evaluate what is causing it, maybe the angle of the wrist etc and then changing it. Sometimes it is a difficult barre chord, which I substitute to an easier option. I also did lighter strings and set the guitar correctly. I can easily play a few hours a day this way, obviously taking breaks in between.

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