Help! Does anyone have any resources for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome?

michaeloceanmoon

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Hello UU,

recently having gotten way into Music again, thanks to the uke, I'm realizing that I have CTS and or tendonitis issues. They are pretty debilitating and bumming me out severely. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions, advice, or resources? Please... I want to play my uke, but my (left hand in particular) is reacting against a life of over use. Thanks for any help! Michael
 
In past, I have had bad tendonitis in my left wrist that is made much worse by playing and that often stopped me from playing entirely.

I find that the following help:
- stretching my wrists before and after playing
- icing the wrist to slow/stop swelling
- taking an anti-inflammatory when it's hurting/swelling
- until wrist gets stronger, avoid any chord shapes (I found that barre chords, particularly any that involved stretching the ring finger to the third or forth strings, were the worst) that cause stress/discomfort
- gentle stretching/building-muscle when not playing (I recently took up TaiChi and have found the gentle movements have greatly strengthen my wrists)

I'm not a doctor, nor do I know anything about physiotherapy, so please take these points with a grain of salt. These things worked for me but, for all I know, might make others's problems worse.
 
Hey, Michael,
Just a few months ago, after almost a year of playing, I noticed some mild to severe pain in my hands. It was worse in the morning, upon waking up. There are some things that help:
Stretch your fingers before you play.
Stop every few minutes and rest/stretch your hands, wrists, and fingers.
Rub a pain releif med like aspercreme, biofreeze, etc on your hands after playing, and at bedtime.
Soak your hands in hot water (not so hot it peels off your skin, for crying out loud!) and epsom salts if the pain gets really bad.
I'm not playing much right now, and the pain has greatly subsided. Disconcerting...
 
I've developed some sort of tendinitis in my elbow after playing a lot of music and I find that taking some sort of anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen) helps me a lot. On a longer term basis, I started to use the Handmaster, which is basically a stress ball that provides resistance both ways. http://www.handmasterplus.com/ I found that it helped to use it before/after playing although the band did break after about 4 months of use.
 
Sorry to hear that! :/ I have some shoulder issues from years of guitar playing.

First, I'd say you should (hopefully!) have an easier time of playing uke with CTS compared with guitar, mandolin, and others...
...maybe avoid high-tension strings, or tune down a step to make depressing the strings easier?

Best of luck!
 
MY chiropractor has a laser that fixed some of my neck issues, and if I can afford to get a few treatments on my tendonitis in my wrists I'll report back. I really need to as it's bad enough that it will affect my ability to get another job. I had a diagnosis of radicular neuropathy which would be serious, but it seems it was more likely bone spurs and inflammation. Pain would shoot down both arms from shoulders to fingertips and last a few minutes, then subside. I had it for about a year and then had three treatments and it was gone for a year. Then another that lasted a couple of years and I had one more long treatment a year ago and it's been gone since.

I also have had some bad bouts of inflammation in my hands along with the tendonitis, and flax seed oil was helping that as it is an antiflammatory, but it's also a blood thinner so you need to be careful if you are on coumadin, etc. I also found out that tomatoes and other nightshade plants are very reactive for some people as far as causing a flare of arthritis symptoms. I realized the day after I had a tomato saturated lasagna and had a flare that I was one of those who are sensitive.
 
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Had it. Know that it can be treated early. Some folks who have not gotten it healed up early, and just keep on irritating it, end up with a really bad case....so bad they may not be able to play again.
 
I love tomatoes! I wonder if another nightshade, marijuana, would counteract them? LOL!
I've heard that tumeric can be of value in pain relief, but I have no idea as to the dosages. And dosages are important. Does anyone have an idea about that?
 
Ah thanks for reminding me, I have a big bag of the yellow powder in with my kitchen spices and forget to take it! I love curries so should learn to make my own. The government has guidelines here. I read the page and noticed it's got the same blood thinning effect as Omegs 3s. I've heard that pot helps with pain... ;D
 
There is a very good book Conquering Carpal Tunnel and it's a good start. Even how you sleep is imiportant (some people fold their wrists and need a brace when sleeping.) I suggest you read it.
 
I too have tendonitis issues (not cts) in my left wrist which i do go to a physio for. One of the exercises i do which builds up strength is simple but has been effective for me.

I simply place my forearm down flat on a table which i sit along side to, so that my wrist and hand hang over the edge. I then hold a tin of baked beans or spaghetti hoops or tomatos (i'm sure you get the ides) then allow my hand slowly to lower over the edge of the table with the tin in hand, then when my hand has lowered i remove the tin with my other hand and then raise my hand (tin free so as not to put unnecessary pressure on the wrist) flush again with my forearm and i repeat this process for 20/30 times 3/4 times a day. obviously you start low, so even 10 times a day at the very start and build the numbers up as the wrist muscle gets stronger. (sometimes i now do 50/60)

It won't cure but will help to improve the muscle strength in the wrist and forearm.
 
One other thing to mention is that sometimes low thyroid can have CTS as a symptom. I'm on Synthroid and my joint pain gets worse (among other symptoms) when my thyroid levels go down.
 
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There is a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions. It talks of many different things which can be done without supporting the pharmacists or knife wielding physicians. Basically, one cannot run a one inch rope down a half inch hole. Would government guidelines which are often written by people who are bought and paid for by special interest groups give us misinformation? On a regular basis! Before one goes with tetrahydracananibanol as a pain supressor, one might want to find the cause and deal with that. The side effects of THC are also something to consider.
 
There is a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions. It talks of many different things which can be done without supporting the pharmacists or knife wielding physicians....Would government guidelines which are often written by people who are bought and paid for by special interest groups give us misinformation? On a regular basis! ....

One of the reasons that I like this group is that the members usually are nice, reasonable folks. But every so often we get comments like the one above slamming whole groups of people and it's a shame. Dear Cow, how about keeping your ridiculous prejudices against physicians and government employees to yourself. signed, someone who has dedicated his life to public service by being a government scientist
 
MY chiropractor has a laser that fixed some of my neck issues, and if I can afford to get a few treatments on my tendonitis in my wrists I'll report back. I really need to as it's bad enough that it will affect my ability to get another job. I had a diagnosis of radicular neuropathy which would be serious, but it seems it was more likely bone spurs and inflammation. Pain would shoot down both arms from shoulders to fingertips and last a few minutes, then subside. I had it for about a year and then had three treatments and it was gone for a year. Then another that lasted a couple of years and I had one more long treatment a year ago and it's been gone since.

I also have had some bad bouts of inflammation in my hands along with the tendonitis, and flax seed oil was helping that as it is an antiflammatory, but it's also a blood thinner so you need to be careful if you are on coumadin, etc. I also found out that tomatoes and other nightshade plants are very reactive for some people as far as causing a flare of arthritis symptoms. I realized the day after I had a tomato saturated lasagna and had a flare that I was one of those who are sensitive.

I've been taking tumeric for joint pain and inflammation as well as ginger which is also helpful. You can buy herbal supplements that contain both herbs. I'll have to keep tomatoes in mind. Thanks for the tip.
 
Hello Michael sorry to learn of your debility, I swiched to uke after partially rupturing the tendon of my pinkie overstretching on mandolin chords. I rested it for months, and had a special splint made by an excellent physiotherapist. The splint I wore during the sleeping hours for about a month. I'm fortunate to have regained about 50% power in the finger and the uke has been a godsend to me, I just play through the pain. If you have not sought professional help you really should. I hope this has been of some help to you.
 
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