Left hand injury and rejoining the guitar world

[bickb]

Hiya,

Small introduction:

I play classical guitar.

I was having this tense feeling in my left hand for a while, but when I started playing 6 hours a day it got worse and worse. It started with a tense/tingling feeling in my hand, then pain in my pinky and after that my hand cramped up completely and I stopped playing. Finally I got the hint. And that was 4 weeks ago.

The first 2,5 weeks I just took a rest and the worst symptons like tingling, cramp and so fort dissapeared. Only the pinky pain stayed.

After 2,5 weeks I started cooling my forearm, because fme since the rest healed so quickly. The next day I felt this intense burning sensation in my forearm, went to the doctor, she checked my entire left forearm and hand and basically said I needed to take a rest.

I also discovered I have to work on my technique, posture and tension quite a bit, because I did/do everything wrong one can do wrong.

1,5 weeks later my pain in the forearm is gone, my pinky pain is basically gone(I sometimes feel a light tingling or a light pain when I press, but that's nothing compared to 4 weeks ago) and it feels like I've gotten a new hand.

Now is my question to you: How should I rejoin the guitar world? I just played a little and it didn't feel bad, but my wrist kinda gave a signal that I should take it easy after 5 minutes. It didn't hurt anymore like it did 4 weeks ago, but the wirst felt tense and all that.

(I think I have a mild version of carpal tunnel(?))

Does anyone have experience with rejoining the guitar world after a injury and if so: how? :P

As I said I used to play a lot, 3x 2 hour sessions and then playing 2 hours straight, but that's history now

Thanks in advance.

[Pitar]

6.5 weeks of abstention removed the discomfort experienced 4 weeks ago? Math or message problem.

I'm classically oriented and often encounter uncooperative hands. I never did have the speed I wanted to develop but my hands are big, muscular and constantly taxed at work. My association with classical guitar is a misfit's hope on steroids but I do enjoy what I can play.

I will soak my hands in fairly warm water to get them limber. They hurt all the time from many years of abuse but I never enter a period of disuse for reasons of healing. I work them harder when I sense them becoming problematic, even if it's something as simple as making and releasing hard fists. I have a large oak log standing vertical in my back yard, courtesy of a past hurricane, and I beat on it with a 2-pound hammer as if driving nails. I switch off between hands. It keeps the pain away, keeps upper body toning and has also developed a certain ambidexterity in my left hand. And, there are many first world and global problems completely re-wrought on the top of that log.

So, to more directly answer your question, I would not have stopped playing. I would have observed my playing and adjusted as necessary to keep on keeping on.

[SunnyDee]

If you're not sure what's wrong, rest is always a good idea. Obviously, no one here wants to give you medical advice. You never want to make anything worse. But, since you mention technique and posture, I notice in your videos that your left shoulder is always lower than your right and you do seem to have a lot of tension in your arm and hand, so checking your technique is maybe a good idea.

I also had some problems with my fretting hand a year or so ago that had me worried about carpal tunnel and such, my hand was tingling a lot and my pinky going numb, but it turned out to be trigger points in my back, just under my shoulder blade, leading to a pinched nerve from my neck to my hand. I released the trigger points rolling tennis balls over them whenever I felt numbness and it started to subside. The whole thing seemed to be caused by sleeping on a too-soft mattress (I was a renting a place in Mexico and that's what there was). When I started sleeping on a pad on the floor, it all went away. Maybe check for other tension in your back, shoulder, or neck.

[bickb]

Originally Posted by Pitar

6.5 weeks of abstention removed the discomfort experienced 4 weeks ago? Math or message problem.

I'm classically oriented and often encounter uncooperative hands. I never did have the speed I wanted to develop but my hands are big, muscular and constantly taxed at work. My association with classical guitar is a misfit's hope on steroids but I do enjoy what I can play.

I will soak my hands in fairly warm water to get them limber. They hurt all the time from many years of abuse but I never enter a period of disuse for reasons of healing. I work them harder when I sense them becoming problematic, even if it's something as simple as making and releasing hard fists. I have a large oak log standing vertical in my back yard, courtesy of a past hurricane, and I beat on it with a 2-pound hammer as if driving nails. I switch off between hands. It keeps the pain away, keeps upper body toning and has also developed a certain ambidexterity in my left hand. And, there are many first world and global problems completely re-wrought on the top of that log.

So, to more directly answer your question, I would not have stopped playing. I would have observed my playing and adjusted as necessary to keep on keeping on.

I meant after the first 2,5 weeks I went to the doctor And 1,5 weeks more and the pain was gone. Kinda oddly formulated me thinks.

Hmm. Your advice is completely the opposite as what everyone else is giving, I doubt that's the right way

[bickb]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

If you're not sure what's wrong, rest is always a good idea. Obviously, no one here wants to give you medical advice. You never want to make anything worse. But, since you mention technique and posture, I notice in your videos that your left shoulder is always lower than your right and you do seem to have a lot of tension in your arm and hand, so checking your technique is maybe a good idea.

I also had some problems with my fretting hand a year or so ago that had me worried about carpal tunnel and such, my hand was tingling a lot and my pinky going numb, but it turned out to be trigger points in my back, just under my shoulder blade, leading to a pinched nerve from my neck to my hand. I released the trigger points rolling tennis balls over them whenever I felt numbness and it started to subside. The whole thing seemed to be caused by sleeping on a too-soft mattress (I was a renting a place in Mexico and that's what there was). When I started sleeping on a pad on the floor, it all went away. Maybe check for other tension in your back, shoulder, or neck.

Yeah my technique is way off...I play with a bent wrist, also the thumb over the neck is wrong, and when I play live I lean over my guitar neck, so the tension part could be a big one.

The wrist has a stiff feeling to it as well.

How did you discover it was the trigger points? Do you massage yourself? Or a doctor?

[SunnyDee]

I was in Mexico for six months and didn't ever go to a doc, but it was bothering me all the time, every day after just a short practice, particularly working in first position where the stretch was greatest. I was trying every position, strap, chair, detuning capoing up, etc. I was in Mexico purely for guitar time, so it was pretty frustrating.

As I remember, I was researching to try to find causes and finally found that the pinched nerve/trigger points made sense, partly because the issue starting in the pinky isn't the way carpal manifests, as I understand it, that would be cubital tunnel trapping the ulnar nerve, which didn't make much sense for me. When I released the trigger points (The best way seemed to put the tennis ball against a wall and lean against it), I could feel the immediate change all the way down in my hand. It took quite a few days of working to release it anytime it tensed up again, but once I started sleeping on the floor it stopped completely. It's been well over a year now. Occasionally, I'll feel it start and know to stop and relax it, and I've always been careful to keep the neck up, a straight wrist, even shoulder, and relaxed arm as much as possible.

I think it's just worth you looking into tension that's not actually in your hand if your doc sees nothing else wrong. In any case, when you push on a trigger point, it's quite obviously sore so easy to find, and it certainly can't hurt to relax them if they're tense.

[Wildgift]

Wow, the title of this really resonated. I broke my left hand last year on the bone on the outside of my left hand, below the pinky. 6 weeks in a cast. 3 months of therapy.

My pinky healed slightly crooked. It took me a long time to get back to it. But playing actually helped me recover. The therapy was crucial. When I had my cast removed I could barely close my pinky 10%. Now it’s all the way.

Good luck with recovery.

Oh, I celebrated by trading guitars. New Rickenbacker 620 and Martin 000-18. The broken hand did not affect GAS.

[Steadfastly]

Two great guitar players, Merle Haggard and Roy Clark only played 5 hours a day, well practiced 5 hours a day. I am thinking they did not do 5 hours straight. Maybe keep it to 3 hours a day and make it maximum 1 hour at a time.

[bickb]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

I was in Mexico for six months and didn't ever go to a doc, but it was bothering me all the time, every day after just a short practice, particularly working in first position where the stretch was greatest. I was trying every position, strap, chair, detuning capoing up, etc. I was in Mexico purely for guitar time, so it was pretty frustrating.

As I remember, I was researching to try to find causes and finally found that the pinched nerve/trigger points made sense, partly because the issue starting in the pinky isn't the way carpal manifests, as I understand it, that would be cubital tunnel, the ulnar nerve, which didn't make much sense for me. When I released the trigger points (The best way seemed to put the tennis ball against a wall and lean against it), I could feel the immediate change all the way down in my hand. It took quite a few days of working to release it anytime it tensed up again, but once I started sleeping on the floor it stopped completely. It's been well over a year now. Occasionally, I'll feel it start and know to stop and relax it, and I've always been careful to keep the neck up, a straight wrist, even shoulder, and relaxed arm as much as possible.

I think it's just worth you looking into tension that's not actually in your hand if your doc sees nothing else wrong. In any case, when you push on a trigger point, it's quite obviously sore so easy to find, and it certainly can't hurt to relax them if they're tense.

Wow... I'm leaving next week for my guitar trip around zeh world(First europe tho, to see if I like it etc )

This whole injury thing comes at the worst timing EVER. I wanted to practise a lot beforehand, but now I haven't played in 4 weeks..

I've played a lot on the streets since spring started, so I know most of the pieces I'm going to play, but it still hit me in the feels, since I wanted to get a couple more Einaudi pieces in

But now I just have to focus on playing at all again.

Did you completely had to adjust the way you play? It really feels weird to straighten my wrist, keep the thumb behind and keep a straight neck(figures how bad my posture was...)

Do I have to lean 'hard' against the wall? I can feel quite some pressure points, lol. I've found one atleast on the left side of the middle part of my back, feels quite nice when I lean 'hard' against the wall witwh a tennis ball between it. Lol.

haha

[bickb]

Originally Posted by Wildgift

Wow, the title of this really resonated. I broke my left hand last year on the bone on the outside of my left hand, below the pinky. 6 weeks in a cast. 3 months of therapy.

My pinky healed slightly crooked. It took me a long time to get back to it. But playing actually helped me recover. The therapy was crucial. When I had my cast removed I could barely close my pinky 10%. Now it’s all the way.

Good luck with recovery.

Oh, I celebrated by trading guitars. New Rickenbacker 620 and Martin 000-18. The broken hand did not affect GAS.

Thank you! And good for you that you recovered, hope I can say the same in the near future

I feel like i've recovered at the moment, but I still haven't played and I;m pretty sure I have to change the way I play by A LOT, so it's going to take a lot of time, I think :o

I've never had a lesson in my life and next week is going to be my first.. No more YouTubing, haha.

[bickb]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

Two great guitar players, Merle Haggard and Roy Clark only played 5 hours a day, well practiced 5 hours a day. I am thinking they did not do 5 hours straight. Maybe keep it to 3 hours a day and make it maximum 1 hour at a time.

Exactly my thoughts..

I feel like such a baboon that I played that much. And without breaks :|

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by bickb

Do I have to lean 'hard' against the wall? I can feel quite some pressure points, lol. I've found one atleast on the left side of the middle part of my back, feels quite nice when I lean 'hard' against the wall with a tennis ball between it. Lol.

haha

Look up suggestions for releasing trigger points and see what works for you. I do it till it kinda hurts, then just hold it for maybe 8-10 seconds till it releases and stops feeling sore. In any case, trying it can't cause any harm.

My advice is try not to let the fear get you. You checked it with a doc who said it was nothing serious. Just pay attention to your body and take care of it. If it's a pinched nerve caused only by muscle tension, the problem will simply go away as soon as the nerve is no longer pinched, so just try different positions, etc, till you find what works for you and start working on improving technique one thing at a time. When I relax my arm, I find it's easier to play and I have better tone, too, so it's not as hard as it seems. If none of that works, you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

I was abroad, just me and the guitar, UK, Spain, then Mexico, for a year just to take time to learn and practice, and it was great. Have a great trip.

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Hi Rick,

I watched several of your videos to check out your posture and ergonomics, and found myself enthralled with the quality of your music - you are an excellent player! Very enjoyable!

Regarding your symptoms: they sound very much like overuse symptoms. However, I would be very hesitant to diagnose without an examination. The source of your symptoms could be from your cervical spine (neck) or further down the arm. Resting the arm was the obvious first step, and it sounds like it has helped a lot. Trying to improve your playing posture and hand positioning can help, as well as limiting your playing hours and taking frequent breaks. If you think about it, keeping your neck turned to the left for six hours per day could only lead to problems, right?

Are you from the Netherlands? I really encourage you to seek out a physical therapist. There are appropriate exercises that you can perform, even when traveling, that can help tremendously, but the specifics depend on your body. You may have muscle groups in your neck, chest, shoulders, back, or arms that need stretching, and you would probably benefit from strengthening exercises as well (this applies to most of us!). It could be as simple as doing 5 minutes of exercise every morning or a couple of stretches in between guitar sets.

Good luck with your travels - it sounds like a great adventure!

[vindibona1]

@bickB... See if you can find a chiropractor or therapist that specialize in fascial releasing. It is essentially a specialized deep tissue massage that breaks up the hard fascial tissues in muscles and tendons. While you're feeling it in your hands, it's all connected all the way back into your back and shoulders.

[bickb]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

Look up suggestions for releasing trigger points and see what works for you. I do it till it kinda hurts, then just hold it for maybe 8-10 seconds till it releases and stops feeling sore. In any case, trying it can't cause any harm.

My advice is try not to let the fear get you. You checked it with a doc who said it was nothing serious. Just pay attention to your body and take care of it. If it's a pinched nerve caused only by muscle tension, the problem will simply go away as soon as the nerve is no longer pinched, so just try different positions, etc, till you find what works for you and start working on improving technique one thing at a time. When I relax my arm, I find it's easier to play and I have better tone, too, so it's not as hard as it seems. If none of that works, you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

I was abroad, just me and the guitar, UK, Spain, then Mexico, for a year just to take time to learn and practice, and it was great. Have a great trip.

Thanks for your great tips. It has helped a lot Been fooling around with a tennis ball all afternoon :-d(this ssounds weird somehow)

Sounds like a great trip. Did you stay in hostels? And what did you practise? Classical? Did you practise on your own or with teachers/friends??

I'll be starting in Portugal and I'll be busking/whatever(perhaps apply to hotels etc, dno first I have to learn how to play again, haha)