Topic: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

OK, for the past week or so I've been getting a lot (constant) of tingling and numbness in my left hand & forearm.  The inside of my left index finger is numb all the time, and the discomfort radiates up to my shoulder.  I've been playing a ton, and I did a google search and it sounds like I have classic symptoms of CTS which comes from repetitive motion, and that's pretty much what we guitarists do.  Anyone ever delt with this before?  From what I see, brace it at night, double up on some tylenol, rest it as much as possible to get the swelling down could do the trick.
Thoughts?

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

This is a pretty basic solution but it seems to work pretty good for me. Increase your water intake and stretch your fingers, wrist, arm, and shoulders. Do long stretches of at least 10 seconds per appendage or extremity(fingers or arms). If you find that this isn't working just slam down some beers or hard liquor and give your hurting hand a good shaking out......(Serious about the H2O and stretching!)
    I'll sometimes place a bag of frozen vegetables on my areas of discomfort. Careful not to fall asleep with veggies on your achy parts. A friend of mine had this happen to him and he now bears a permanent scar on his thigh from frost bite!!!

Give everything but up.

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

I guess it could have been worse if the frozen veggies had of been elsewhere. I'm having a bad problem with my left elbow so I know about ice packs, heating pads and the tylenol. My problems is a form of tennis elbow (and I don't play tennis) where the tendon is torn where it attaches to the bone along the outside of the elbow. Lotta pain and very slow to heal.


Nela

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

maybe too late for this reply, but I had accupuncture. One treatment and had marked improvement .I will go back again and get punctuated. marcalan

I thought ; If I had one idea,
and took it from beginning to end.
I would try another.

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

hi 25frankster ive got whitefinger ,i also had a conduction test for carpel where they send electric shocks through your hands ,i was diagnosed with carpel in both hands ,had carpel opperations to both hands and it was the worst decission i have ever made,i still get the tingling and pain and also i have lost 50%of my grip so if you can find an alternative treatment dont have the surgery...stay cool

love is life ,life is for love,keep a true heart and live life to the full....stay cool

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

SouthPaw41L wrote:

I'll sometimes place a bag of frozen vegetables on my areas of discomfort. Careful not to fall asleep with veggies on your achy parts. A friend of mine had this happen to him and he now bears a permanent scar on his thigh from frost bite!!!

try a bag of rice, wrapped in a kitchen towel,  It won't stick, and you can refreeze it over and over.

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

I think I know what part of my problem is.
Open chords, no problem.  But after a couple hours of practicing barre chords on my new electric, problems.  But I'm playing last night, and figured out (duh), that I don't have to push down nearly as hard doing barre chords on my electric.  So I started to work on technique a little--release the monster grip!  After realizing what I was doing, I couldn't believe how little pressure I need to barre on an electric.  Hopefully, this will help--got some tingling in the thumb today though...got the brace on!
And DaddyCool, I've heard the same thing.  Our keyboard player in our worship band at church has his doctorate in music, and is a professor of opra at a local college--he had surgery on both his hands due to playing so much piano over the years & he's never felt the same.  Our lead quitarist is a professional musician, and he's had the same kind of problems that I do--he said exactly what you did; ice it / brace it & deal with it.

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

NELA wrote:

I guess it could have been worse if the frozen veggies had of been elsewhere. I'm having a bad problem with my left elbow so I know about ice packs, heating pads and the tylenol. My problems is a form of tennis elbow (and I don't play tennis) where the tendon is torn where it attaches to the bone along the outside of the elbow. Lotta pain and very slow to heal.


Nela

I have had the exact problem in the past. It's tendonitis caused by repetitive motion. Some things I do in my daily routine I cannot give up( ie, playing guitar) but other things such as video games or unnecessary time on the computer can be decreased thus gradually decreasing the pain.

Give everything but up.

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

I saw quit a few cases: people suffering from Carpal Tunnel.
It is starts holding your wrist in a certain position.
Typical causes are, riding with a bike, everyday, riding 50 miles.
Another cause is THE COMPUTER. People can suffer a lot, just look at the position of your hand, putting your wrist on the table, and your fingers on the keyboard.
Reading your "symptoms", the way you describe the pain, it can be an other pathology as well.
These symptoms, tingling and numbness the discomfort radiates up to my shoulder, can also come from the neck or shoulder. THESE TWO have to be excluded, easy these days by X-RAY and ECHOGRAPHY. A lot of these symptoms are very common if you have "arthrosis" in your neck, or YOUNGER people, because of a muscular contraction (between every the vertebra, you have little muscles, and if they are subject of, again, repetitive movements or position, the contraction can "push" on your nerves, giving a tingling, and a real discomfort, with radiation to the wrist and hand. Some people suffering from "inflammation" in the ROTATOR CUFF = all muscles used to move your shoulder, caused by repetitive movements leading to almost invisible little tendon lesions. Finally carpal tunnel= one of the major nerves to use your hand, passes through a kind of bridge, in the wrist, and if that tunnel get's smaller, caused by a few problems, there is a "nerve entrapment". As told, this pain can be worse at night, it feels like your hand is "sleeping", and can go up to your elbow and shoulder/neck. SO, YOU NEED IN FACT TO EXCLUDE THE FIRST 2 POSSIBILITIES. One major device to prove it, is an electromyographic investigation, putting very fine needles in your arm, they can see if there is a problem. (compare it with electricity) . The cause=often a combination of factors. Congenital: the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others, and important: work stress; repeated use of vibrating hand tools.
In fact there is little clinical data to prove whether repetitive and forceful movements of the hand and wrist during work or leisure activities can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
DIAGNOSIS (to be 100% sure) electrodiagnostic tests as told, Ultrasound imaging can show impaired movement of the median nerve.
TREATMENT: resting the affected hand and wrist for at least 2 weeks, avoiding activities who worsen the problem. Like playing guitar: if playing guitar and you start feeling pain STOP!!
ibuprofen, feldene.., and more "aggressive= corticosteroids, in combination with lidocaine (anesthetic) can be injected directly into the wrist. Exercises like stretching and strengthening exercises can be helpful and even better under supervision by a physical therapist.If every "non aggressive" treatment fails = surgery: Carpal tunnel release is one of the most common surgical procedures and recommended if symptoms last for 6 months.
IT IS A LONG ANSWER, BUT I AM A MEDICAL DOC, so I REALLY HOPE THAT THIS ADVISE WILL HELP YOU. I worked long to give you a decent answer, and it is amazing how this appears again, since I had to stop working, almost 4 years ago.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

I bet we're the only guitar site with a doctor on staff!!!
Thanx Doc!
Frank.

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

25Frankster wrote:

I bet we're the only guitar site with a doctor on staff!!!
Thanx Doc!
Frank.

Guaranteed!! 

Most times, guys nicknamed "Doc" who hang out with musicians are known for their pharmacopia rather than being a real honest-to-goodness Doc.  How lucky are we?!

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

are you serious doc! stop playing for two weeks! that would be a catastrophe of sorts lol

Don't Cry because it is over...

    smile because it happened.    Gabriel GarcĂ­a Marquez

Re: Carpel Tunnel Syndrom

Yep, that's right, you DO see a lot of so called doc's in music world. Often those guys do have a degree, but they start to prescribe bad stuff. A CLIENT IS A CLIENT= you want MORPHINE, no problem, you pay 100$, and once you start doing this, you start a chain reaction, finally leading to suspension and loosing your license. I used to happen a lot of good friends, bands, singers, guitar players, actor's, and record companies. Until today I still don't know if my choice was good, but in fact I could combine this for 6-7 years, married, a kid, and this is again a KEY moment, old friends replaced by new. THINK ABOUT THIS: Kindergarten, School, Copllege, University, Marriage, kids, and almost every seven years, friends come and go.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]