Oh No...

[Jacksons Shred]

I'm pretty unsure what to do besides see a doctor about this issue, but maybe we have some doctors on the board..

The past couple months or so I've been playing guitar religiously, usually around 6-9 hours straight, and last night I was working on Paganini's fifth caprice for a while, and my thumb all of a sudden just locked up and started burning and got really swollen.

I iced my thumb and went to bed, and today it's not nearly as swollen (feels a tiny bit swollen), doesn't hurt, but I attempted to play guitar a tiny bit and my thumb sometimes gets these like, weird pinched nerve feeling..

From the research I did it's pretty much a case of trigger finger..

Basically..Help, what the hell should I do? Anyone else have this case and have any recommendations on how I should approach it? Anything I can do outside of seeing a doctor?

[fett]

That happened to me. It's just a cramp. Lay off playing for a bit. It hurts like hell. Doesn't it.:ROTF:

[Jacksons Shred]

That happened to me. It's just a cramp. Lay off playing for a bit. It hurts like hell. Doesn't it.:ROTF:

Yeah that thing hurts like crazy, it's random too, It's at the weirdest like, angles.

Usually 5 string major arpeggios, or anything with big stretches where my thumb has to go at some sort of an angle, it fucking hurts.

What's a bit? I don't want to screw myself over in the long run..Even if I am having guitar withdrawals

[fett]

My thumb cramped up a week or so back. While it has loosened up, I can still feel the after effects. Still a little stiff but the bad part is I am expecting it to happen again. While I don't play the hours you do, I know I need to take it easy. Chances are that is all a doctor will say.

[slayer32390]

If it is a cramp, doesn't staying hydrated help prevent cramps? I thought I heard that somewhere but I'm proably wrong best of luck with your situation

[SEEGERMANY]

Since you don't want to go to the doctor and would rather be subjected to the wisdom and expertise of the JCF Free Clinic, I will recommend that you continue ice treatments for 15 minutes with a "rest" period of 30 minutes between ice treatments. If you can take anti-inflammatorys, I recommend Advil Gel caps at the recommended dosage. And finally, put down the guitar until you no longer feel pain or have swelling.

If you called my clinic and wanted to bypass an evaluation, that's the generic advice I'd give.

[Chasbo]

I would also say that you may want to reevaluate how you hold your thumb on the guitar neck. If it is cramping then it sounds like you have a good bit of stress being placed on it. I suffered thumb pain for a long time until I stepped back a bit and relearned proper postioning for it. Just a thoght...

[kp59]

maybe if you put your thumb in a carack, the wetness might loosten it up!

just a thought.

[RacerX]

usually around 6-9 hours straight,

the wisdom and expertise of the JCF Free Clinic,

carack,

loosten