Bad wrist and cramps

[jed9]

I have been playing bass and guitar for 8 years with a break of 2 years in between. I got in a quad accident when I was sixteen (23 now) and broke my left wrist in a couple places. It seems like I can only play guitar for 15 minutes to an hour before my wrist "freezes" for 5 minutes or more and hurts like hell, more than a cramp. I have taken a couple lessons at different times to try to correct my posture, got the keep wrist strait among other suggestions, which helped a little. Bass I can play for hours because my left hand is constantly moving. Could this "freezing" and shooting pain (really fucking bad!) be just bad technique or my wrist? I am assuming a little of both. It gets really discouraging ya know. Comments/ideas?

[TVTiZtiK]

How's your technique as far as fretting? How hard are you fretting the notes? Is there a lot of tension in your hand when you're playing? Keeping the wrist straight is pretty important in my opinion.

How do you play your guitar while sitting? I'd recommend playing in a more classical position if you're not already doing so. As in you have the guitar held on your left leg which is generally supported by some sort of foot stool, with the bottom of the guitar resting on your right leg. The idea is to have the guitar in a central position on your body. It helps insure that the guitar is in a stable place and that both hands can freely move around the instrument and meet all technical demands without having to support the instrument. It's also a pretty good position to eliminate an sort of muscular tension while playing. Here's a picture of it if I did a shitty job explaining it:

http://www.learnclassicalguitar.com/images/Playing%20Position%202.jpg

I used to have problems with things like tendinitis and carpal tunnel a couple years ago myself. About a year ago I started taking guitar lessons from a classically trained instructor who revamped my technique and it fixed all my problems as far as tendinitis/carpal tunnel. Classical guitar technique is all about removing all tension in your hands/arms while playing, and making playing as effortless as possible. It's pretty surprising how little effort is actually required to fret a note. I went from being able to play 30-45 minutes before my hands were tired, to now being able to more or less being able to play for as long as I want without much in the way of my hands being tired or hurting. Guitar became so much more enjoyable when I could just worry about music instead of my hands being tired or hurting.

Regardless of your technique, relaxation is essential. The only way to really play super high speed legato-esque licks is to be relaxed while doing so. The smoothness just isn't there if you're all tense while playing. Look at some of the main "virtuosos"; Vai, Petrucci, Satriani, Gilbert, Malmsteen etc. Regardless of whatever crazy facial expressions they make, they're all very relaxed in their playing.

I'm not sure if any of that will help, as I am not sure what your particular problem is, nor how to fix it, but learning how to play relaxed (which comes with learning classical technique) worked wonders for my wrist/hands problems (not to mention it's ridiculously efficient way of playing!). Hope that helps! Good luck! Wrist problems suck ass, nothing worse than having your playing ability's hindered by wrist/hand pains. Shit sucks

[jed9]

I started doing the classical style sitting a few months ago. It helped a lot. I will look into it more. Thats a lot of good advice. I started thinking after I posted this that maybe I should switch up my style a little more and get the left hand moving up and down the board. It seems like if I focus on one part of the board too long I cant play anymore and have to run to the liquor store. Shit hurts. I would not say that I am pressing down very hard, its more keeping my wrist still. I posted the same thing on another forum and it sounds like getting my technique corrected will help a lot. Thanks again. Glad to hear you can play as much as you'd like to know.

[DonP]

When I got in my head on accident two years ago that almost killed me, luckily it was my right wrist that got smashed.

The doctors wanted to chop some muscles out of my left hand for my ankle, and I said "No F'ing way". The got them out of my stomach and calf.

[Spivonious]

Obvious comment here...but if it's still giving you that level of pain after 7 years, I'd see a doctor. Sounds like a nerve problem.

[tonemonster]

If your getting wrist cramps, just change hands. thats what I do. oh, and if you dont stop soon, your gonna go blind.

[jed9]

If your getting wrist cramps, just change hands. thats what I do. oh, and if you dont stop soon, your gonna go blind.

I know I have to shave my palms twice a day now.

Spivo- I've gotten x-rays, MRI's, accupuncture, ect. They cant find anything. I never meantioned carpal tunnel though, and doctors were looking for bone problems (I think). I am going back to look at things that dont show up in an x-ray like carpal tunnel and other nerve/muscle/other shit I don't know about.

DonP-

[DonP]

My ankle sounds like your wrist. Imagine walking on what feels like a twisted ankle everyday. It sucks but you deal with it.

If my wrist felt like my ankle, that would be fucked.

All I can say is I wish you luck.

[jed9]

thanks man. It never really bothered me that much. I have always been a bassist and never really thought about it. I got in a rhythm guitar role somehow in a friends band, and practiced with the guys for 45 minutes. Could not do it. 30 sets are going to suck ass.