recommended stretches anyone?
- Thread starter Jordana
- Start date
If the tips of your fingers are sore, that's not a big issue.
For the other discomfort you describe, you need to stop now until there is no more pain or tingly feeling elsewhere. The tingle suggests that some of your nerves have been compressed, probably b/c of your hand position. The hand has so many tiny muscles and tendons that once they're inflamed can take a long time to heal. Stop until you are completely free of pain, numbness or tingling.
You need to see your Doctor. That's the most important thing. Get a PT referral. You'll recover faster that way. This is more important that anything else in this message: see a Doctor.
I make these suggestions b/c I've experienced these issues and underwent a long period of physical therapy. I didn't heed the warning signs until it was too late and for months I could not do the things I love, one of which was playing. I was lucky and avoided surgery.
Here are some things that might help: Anti-inflammatories like Advil (if you can take them) and Tylenol if pain is debilitating (again if you can take them. Not everyone can).
Pour plenty of uncooked rice into a sock, microwave for about 20-30 seconds until it's quite warm. Put it on the affected area. This stimulates blood flow that promotes healing of the tendons you may have irritated.
I massage the affected areas with Arnica cream. I don't really know how effective the Arnica is, but the massage doe encourage blood flow for healing and the massage has value for that alone. The PT recommended it.
Stretches. Well I can only tell you what was prescribed for me, but it would be best if you saw your Doctor and got a PT referral. I extend my right arm, parallel to the floor and then gently press the the right hand up with my left. It is important that you not go so far that it hurts. Then turn your hand palm up and press the hand down, gently. Hold it for a bit. It should feel good without pain. If it hurts, you are going too far. Stop if that hurts. Repeat with the other hand.
Hold your hand out, stretch our your fingers and use the other hand to gently extend that stretch. Again, no pain please. Do this slowly. Touch all of your fingers, one by one to your thumb.
Do your stretches twice a day. Make sure they are completed before you play. Use the warm rice bag for 10 minutes before you play. Use the rice bag as often as you wish.
Take breaks during a practice session. Stand and stretch your body and hands. Then go back to play. You should never play if there is pain or numbness. It will just get worse and will extend your disability.
While you are unable to play, learn proper posture and hand position for the left and right hand while playing the ukulele. The pain the in the wrist suggests that you may be not keeping your wrist straight while you fret. It should be mostly straight almost all of the time. I may bend it a bit for some chords like an E7, but otherwise it's straight. Take a look at some of Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel's YouTube videos b/c they often discuss ways to play more gently and preserve your hand health.
Good luck stop playing for now and find some treatment.
Bluesy
For the other discomfort you describe, you need to stop now until there is no more pain or tingly feeling elsewhere. The tingle suggests that some of your nerves have been compressed, probably b/c of your hand position. The hand has so many tiny muscles and tendons that once they're inflamed can take a long time to heal. Stop until you are completely free of pain, numbness or tingling.
You need to see your Doctor. That's the most important thing. Get a PT referral. You'll recover faster that way. This is more important that anything else in this message: see a Doctor.
I make these suggestions b/c I've experienced these issues and underwent a long period of physical therapy. I didn't heed the warning signs until it was too late and for months I could not do the things I love, one of which was playing. I was lucky and avoided surgery.
Here are some things that might help: Anti-inflammatories like Advil (if you can take them) and Tylenol if pain is debilitating (again if you can take them. Not everyone can).
Pour plenty of uncooked rice into a sock, microwave for about 20-30 seconds until it's quite warm. Put it on the affected area. This stimulates blood flow that promotes healing of the tendons you may have irritated.
I massage the affected areas with Arnica cream. I don't really know how effective the Arnica is, but the massage doe encourage blood flow for healing and the massage has value for that alone. The PT recommended it.
Stretches. Well I can only tell you what was prescribed for me, but it would be best if you saw your Doctor and got a PT referral. I extend my right arm, parallel to the floor and then gently press the the right hand up with my left. It is important that you not go so far that it hurts. Then turn your hand palm up and press the hand down, gently. Hold it for a bit. It should feel good without pain. If it hurts, you are going too far. Stop if that hurts. Repeat with the other hand.
Hold your hand out, stretch our your fingers and use the other hand to gently extend that stretch. Again, no pain please. Do this slowly. Touch all of your fingers, one by one to your thumb.
Do your stretches twice a day. Make sure they are completed before you play. Use the warm rice bag for 10 minutes before you play. Use the rice bag as often as you wish.
Take breaks during a practice session. Stand and stretch your body and hands. Then go back to play. You should never play if there is pain or numbness. It will just get worse and will extend your disability.
While you are unable to play, learn proper posture and hand position for the left and right hand while playing the ukulele. The pain the in the wrist suggests that you may be not keeping your wrist straight while you fret. It should be mostly straight almost all of the time. I may bend it a bit for some chords like an E7, but otherwise it's straight. Take a look at some of Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel's YouTube videos b/c they often discuss ways to play more gently and preserve your hand health.
Good luck stop playing for now and find some treatment.
Bluesy
There is a lot of good info from Bluesy.
I would just start, though, by not playing nonstop for five hours. Take a day or two off and see if it feels normal. Then cut down on the time played and take some breaks and see if that is enough to prevent the issues that surfaced.
Sarah Maisel has some good warm up stretches that can be used afterwards too. Sorry cannot give a direct link to this. I would contact her directly if you cannot locate this info:
cheemaisel@gmail.com
I would just start, though, by not playing nonstop for five hours. Take a day or two off and see if it feels normal. Then cut down on the time played and take some breaks and see if that is enough to prevent the issues that surfaced.
Sarah Maisel has some good warm up stretches that can be used afterwards too. Sorry cannot give a direct link to this. I would contact her directly if you cannot locate this info:
cheemaisel@gmail.com
Last edited:
thank you so much for this. I've been playing for 7 years and have never experienced this before, so I think it is definitely due to the amount of time playing. The tingling is more in the tips of my fingers and the soreness is in the tendons by my wrist. I was definitely playing a lot of e7s, em7, f#, and that was likely causing the wrist bend.
Thank you for the tips of resources, the stretches, and for the cautionary tale. I will definitely break for a few days.
Brad Bordessa
Well-known member
Stretches here are just a bandaid. I'll echo that five hours is way too much if you don't do it often. If you can spare five hours for playing, I'd sacrifice one for rest in between. 2 on > 1 off > 2 on will be much more manageable for your body. Or if that's too much, go one on, one off.
Main thing is: listen to your body! Western-world folk have a hard time with this, but it's either know when to stop or pain and problems.
That said, here are the ones I've been taught: https://liveukulele.com/lessons/intermediate/warmups/.
Main thing is: listen to your body! Western-world folk have a hard time with this, but it's either know when to stop or pain and problems.
That said, here are the ones I've been taught: https://liveukulele.com/lessons/intermediate/warmups/.
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