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  1. #1

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    I am somewhat freaking out and looking for some advice. I am careful about my technique and don’t play with a bent wrist or anything and the last three days have been progressively getting worse numbness and weakness in my left hand. It came out of nowhere - I have been practicing 1 hour minimum to 4-5 maximum, sometimes more, averaging 2-3 for the past year or so with no issues and no changes in technique or guitar setups.

    Not only in terms of livelihood but also mental well being I am afraid of what will happen if this gets worse so I’m wondering if anyone has had this happen and found any non surgical solutions. I use .012 or .013 gauge strings on my guitars, usually using .012s on my L5 the most. I am considering going to .010s although I know it would make my picking technique worse because I count on the tension of the strings for certain techniques. But if it wouldn’t help then I would not try that. Any ideas?


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  3. #2

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    No idea - but I hope you'll find out what the issue is and will have it fixed soon. Better see a doctor before it gets worse...

  4. #3

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    I'd suggest seeing a doctor, sooner than later.

    I've had a neurologist diagnose carpal tunnel with a nerve conduction test.

    I've had a hand surgeon diagnose arthritis with a flouroscope.

    Which specialty does it all, I wonder?

    In the meantime, sleeping with a wrist brace may be a good idea. It keeps you from curling your wrist in odd ways when you sleep.

    It also makes a difference if all the fingers are numb. Often that isn't the case.

  5. #4

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    If it's numbness in the third and fourth fingers only, then it's cubital tunnel syndrome, aka ulnar nerve entrapment.
    See a neurologist and get diagnosed.

    If it's numbness in the the other fingers, it could be carpal tunnel syndrome. Again, see a neurologist and get diagnosed.

    My ulnar nerve entrapment was treated non-surgically, which involved hand and arm treatments involving the ulnar nerve, which extends from the elbow to the third and fourth fingers. Make certain you're not putting any pressure on your left elbow, which is where the nerve entrapment generally takes place. Don't overdue use of the third and fourth (pinky) fingers in playing or other activities.

    I had it about 20 years ago, and had to stop playing for a month. I've only had one relapse since then, and have been fine ever since.

    Carpal Tunnel syndrome involves the thumb and first two fingers, and should be treated immediately. These conditions rarely go away on their own, and you could make it worse by ignoring it.
    Don't over stress about it; both conditions are treatable.

  6. #5

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    Rio - you are a fine player. Seek medical care immediately.

  7. #6

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    Thanks for the advice guys. I will schedule an appointment. It is mainly my index finger and that part of my palm but it and the weakness are quickly radiating outwards considering how long it has been happening.


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  8. #7

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    Just take your time in finding a doctor that specializes in musician injury, or athletes. As stated above, numbness in the 3rd and 4th finger is usually nerve entrapment, whether where you have it it might be some signs of the beginning of carpal tunnel sundrome. I had both over the years, carpal tunnel when i was 21, and nerve entrapment 3 years back. Overcame the carpal tunnel (and neck problem) with rest and exercise, and the nerve entrapment with acupuncture sessions oddly enough. In the process i had to change a lot of my technique for the better, and make sure there were no tensions or unnecessary effort involved when playing. I feel very strongly against surgery or extreme solutions, and have friends that faced both, some with good, some with bad results. If you don't do crazy things like playing under pain etc., things tend to get well.

    However, serious problems don't usually occur in three days time, but over weeks or months of wrong playing habits. Might be a stressed or injured hand that just needs some rest, so let it rest for a while. I 've found out that, if you play a lot and want to keep up as the years progress (i m almost 50), you really have to stay in shape physically, and make sure there are no wrong habits in your practice and playing. It is through injuries that you learn to have an awareness of what your body can do, and what to be mindful of. And that changes as the years go by. But having known a lot of people that do dance for a living, i don't complain over injuries..

    So i wouldn't really worry for 3 days discomfort, can't be that much of a damage no matter how unsettling it is. BUT, do go see a doctor to have it checked, and to be sure you re taking the best approach to heal it.

  9. #8

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    !!!

    I wouldn't recommend looking into a doctor first for the hand numbness issue. I would look for a person online who specializes in carpal tunnel syndrome (or false carpal tunnel syndrome). A person who comes to mind is Hilma Volk. If you have time to spare you can watch her videos on Youtube, she explains almost everything when it comes to this sort of thing.. except how to treat it and prevent it.

    For that you would have to go to her website Carpal Tunnel Master – Self-Help for numb, tingling fingers and hands and spend 47$ for the private videos on how to treat it. Yeah its a shoddy looking website but mark my words this is real. I used to have the hand numbness problem (it was pretty bad I think my whole hand was numb) when I was practicing classical guitar for 10-14 hours a day. What Hilma says makes perfect sense and my numbness went away after I learned how to treat and prevent it. Besides if it doesn't work out for you (which I would seriously doubt) you have a 60 day money-back guarantee anyways so yeah

    Good luck

  10. #9

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    How close are you to NYC? Shmuel Tatz is a physical therapist with a specialty in working with musicians/artists. Body Tuning & Physical Therapy | New York Physical Therapist

    Do you wake up with numb hands? Nighttime splints FUTURO™ Night Wrist Support can provide some relief, but they're no substitute for medical attention. Best wishes for resolving your hand issue!



    PK

  11. #10

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    If you live near a symphony orchestra -- the string players will know who the good doctors are for hand problems.

  12. #11

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    I've had a number of hand and finger problems which have thankfully cleared up but my rule now is that as soon as I feel any pain I stop playing immediately and don't start again until it feels ok. If you've got gigs it makes it hard though.

  13. #12

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    Don't be shy about rest, massage, stretching, ice and heat as well. Whenever my hands hurt (usually as a result of manual labor and not guitar playing) I go through a routine of all of those. Not to say that a doctor or physical therapist couldn't help the OP, but I seriously doubt that I would get much good out of seeing someone.

  14. #13

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    Numbness in the hands and feet, can also be an indication of heart problems, as i have unfortunately found out. High Blood pressure, also. it can affect people differently,

    so have a look at dont ignore, but dont panic.

  15. #14

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    Thanks for all of the following info since I last checked in - it has all been very helpful. Rest is unfortunately not an option since I have rehearsals leading up to a gig on Thursday with a lot of music I haven’t played before. I did string up my Tele with .010s, which is easier on my hand but is ironically harder to pick because I am so used to heavier tension.

    Quote Originally Posted by Durban
    Numbness in the hands and feet, can also be an indication of heart problems, as i have unfortunately found out. High Blood pressure, also. it can affect people differently,

    so have a look at dont ignore, but dont panic.
    Thanks for mentioning this - I was in the ER last year due to oddly very high blood pressure and have made lifestyle changes since then but I will get out my blood pressure monitor to see if everything is as it should be.


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  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by rio
    Any ideas?
    See a doctor soon. You seem to be describing an acute onset condition which is advancing noticeably rapidly, which does sound like typical carpal tunnel syndrome (but it could well be, even if not typical). This may be something simple and self-limiting that time will heal, but the actual cause of the symptoms can be anywhere from your hand to your brain and there are quite a few possibilities. A careful examination of the pattern of numbness and weakness will tell the doctor a lot about where to look for the cause.

    If it is CTS- a friend I've known for over 40 years, we both started learning guitar about the same time, had lost almost all the feeling in his fingers on both hands due to carpal tunnel. He had to stop playing the guitar for several years. He had the surgery a year or so ago and has had a full recovery. This is a commonly performed procedure and outcomes are frequently excellent.

  17. #16

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    As advised, see a doctor. The human body is very complex. It could be carpal syndrome, or one of an assortment of possible issues.

    I had a serious onset of numbness in my left hand appear a month or so after being rear-ended by a distracted driver. (Only the 3rd time being slammed in the rear in several years!) After making the rounds from ER, to Primary Care Physician, to an Ortho, Neurologist, Xrays and MRI's with no improvement...Diagnosis?..."You've got arthritis...and some neuropathy...get some PT and take gabapentin daily...forever"...or see a surgeon..." Um...NO!

    Finally, a lowly Physical Therapist gave me some neck traction treatments that released a slightly pinched nerve in my neck. I still do his recommended neck exercises daily to control the left hand numbness. No surgery...yet. Still playing guitar without pain or numbness however.

    Hopefully your journey to a proper diagnosis will be quick, accurate and lead to effective treatment. We are very complex beings. I feel your pain.

  18. #17

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    My 2 cents would be:
    - Avoid self-diagnosis, or forum-diagnosis or worse still wikipedia diagnosis,… you get it wrong 99% of the time, and it’s a cause for anxiety when not for making outright mistakes. I had something like that, freaked out about CTS, and it ended up being my neck. I’ve sort of learned to deal with it since.
    - Even if your hand is probably OK, take symptoms seriously. Rest, elevation, ice and as suggested a wrist brace at night all migh help. Rest especially. Even if you can’t rest completely, you have to slow down a lot. Rest as much as you can, play little, and stop as soon as it comes back. Going down in gauges is not good enough. It’s not even all that sure that it makes a difference. Think of it this way: is the Thursday gig worth making your condition worse and potentially provoking real damage? To the extent possible, be upfront with the other persons involved about your situation.
    - See a good doctor asap.

    I really wish you a speedy and full recovery!

  19. #18

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    I feel for you, Rio. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

  20. #19

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    Hi Rio!

    I can only reeat myself, what I did on other forums, try Gary 's website;

    Do-It-Yourself Joint Pain Relief, As Easy As 1-2-3

    I hope You will get better soon!

    MrBlues