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i got a problem

HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,134
edited June 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
i usually play sitting down...well yesterday i was at a friends house and we had to stand and while i was playing standing, my left wrist hurt so bad i couldnt play...it was like after the 2nd power chord i played and i couldnt do it

should i go to a doctor or something?
2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • JofZJofZ Posts: 1,276
    Do you warm up and stretch before you play?
    Seams silly, but it is essential to staying injury free especially as well all gete older :)
    I usually do some warm ups for 10-15 mins followed by stretching and then I am in much better shape to play for long periods of time. I cramp up fast if I don't.
    Hand and finger stretching is easy and quick and you can find tons of excerises on the net. I do the ones I learned from Kung fu, basically, I put both my hands together and move them from side to side slowly and then in circles to get blood flowing. There are tons!
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  • FNYNKEZFNYNKEZ Posts: 75
    I used to have the same problem. A lot of it has to do with the guitar you are playing and the position it is in relation to your body when you play standing up. If the neck sticks way out to the side where you have to really reach to play something like an F, it quickly becomes a pain. The further the neck is from your torso, the more the strain is on your hands. When it's closer to your middle you can leverage your upper arms more, and in the case of electrics, even use the guitars own weight to make playing bends & vibrato easier.

    Try adjusting your strap and where you position the guitar when you play so the top of the neck is closer to your torso.

    This was one reason I got rid of my Tele. No matter how I tried to adjust it, the upper frets were a pain to play standing up. Where with my Les Paul and Strat, they hang more naturally and I don't have to reach to play the upper frets.
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  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    Welcome to the world of carpal tunnel syndrome :(

    Whatever you do...DO NOT PLAY until your wrist is pain free...could be a few days...could be a few weeks.

    As uncool looking as it is (think Dave Matthews), you have to raise your guitar to get the neck into a more comfortable mechanical position for your wrist.
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  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,131
    imho, as a medical professional, it sounds like it can be a wrist or finger extensor tendonitis. the finger extensors cross the wrist and run up into the muscle belly about midway up the forearm so they can get inflamed at any point along that tendon. these can be pretty debilitating for a guitarist. i dealt with it for 10 days or so but it just got unbearable. i had to go to a MD and have physical therapy. in the meantime self treat with ice to the wrist for 15 minutes or so 2-3 times a day and you can take an over the counter anti inflammatory such as Advil. this is the most conservative approach to treating hand/wrist pain. if the symptoms persist for several days, go to a doctor. if you are getting numbness and tingling you should see an MD sooner than later because that suggests nerve involvement such as carpal tunnel.
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  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,134
    my friend has a problem with even sitting down it hurts his fingers and hand...he has to do stretches for about 30 minutes 2 times a day, if he doesnt the pain lasts for days or weeks

    see i dont have the pain after i play standing up, its playing while standing up
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore
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