My Carpal Tunnel Experience

[flamencoLVR]

I have been a finger style duffer playing my old Martin 0018G occasionally for many years. At age 77, I bought a Cordoba F7 wanting to learn some more flamenco technique. After a few minutes of fingering, the first three fingers and thumb of my left hand went numb and fingers felt like sausages. A Neurologist tested my right and left hands and diagnosed carpal tunnel disease, worse in left hand and less in the right. I had surgery on my left wrist by a Dr. Rubenstein in Yorba Linda CA, at Linda Vista Hospital,, some 11 days ago. The numbness problem is gone. Surgeon had hoped he could fix things by orthoscopic surgery but had to do conventional surgery due to the extent of inflammation. I'm still healing but expect that I'll have no problems with fretting now.

The operation was done under general anesthesia and overall prep, surgery, and recovery took some five hours. Spouse drove me home. Great surgeon and hospital care. If I hadn't had the operation, symptoms would have gotten worse and disabling for much more than guitar playing.

[wildpikr]

Wishing you a quick recovery!

[rodmbds]

First of all, hope you're better by now.

Though it's not a recent post, when I saw it I couldn't help thinking, "I wish it never happens to me"...

So, could you be kind enough to share why you got the carpal tunnel? I do have some questions:

1) did you have this condition solely from playing guitar?
2) did you play classical or folk position prior to the surgery? And now?
3) have you been able to identify the main culprit(s)? Was it twisted fretting hand or string gauge or anything else?

Thank you so much for sharing.

Again, hope you're feeling better by now.

[skinnerb]

On this last June the 21st, I had bi-lateral hand surgery. 45 years plus as a carpenter, fisherman, guitarist and general roustabout. I kept a regimen of ice and finger wiggling from day 1, for a solid three weeks then massage and that still. I was back for very short bits of guitar in 10 days. Still some pain and tenderness, ( I am carpentering still), but no more electric shocks and numbness. My surgery was endoscopic.--I wish you well on your road, good luck to us all.

[Dave T]

I was hit by carpal tunnel in both hands so severely that I gave up guitar for 18 years. It took three surgeries over a period of 7 years to completely get rid of it, that was finally in 2006, and I haven't been bothered since.

The first surgery on the right hand was by an ortho guy and he didn't do a very good job as it didn't last. Second surgery was to the left hand and I went to a hand surgeon who was excellent. When the pain returned in the right hand I went to the hand surgeon again and he fixed it correctly.

I eventually got back into finger style guitar and am playing better than I did before the carpal tunnel.

Dave