Wrist Hurts like hell from Death/Thrash metal picking!

[nateb]

How come did this happen?

So many things.... lets list them.

1) I took notes like a fuck'n madman in college, My hands are huge and pencils are small. I use to hold a pencil like it was my lifeline.
2) how I slept had a big deal to do with how badly I injured myself. I woke up with my had in awkward positions and completely numb. (No, not like up my ass) <--- Gotta make a joke. I had to start sleeping with a pillow in-front of me with my arms around it in-order to stop some weird sleeping habits.
3) Years ago, I use to do a lot of meth and would blindly play for 10 hours easy.
4) Never warming up.
5) I have been on keyboard/mouse since I was a ripe age of 12. I am 37 now.

What really triggered it and put me over the pain threshold was when I moved myself into my condo. After that, my hands were in braces for 4 months. I was in denial over what I had done to myself over the years. When I went into a hand specialist and got tested, the lady practically laughed at how bad my hands were. Like a dumb Scotsman/Irishman I was just to stubborn to do anything about it. Therefor, a total of 6 weeks off of work and two carpal tunnel operations later, I am building back speed and flexibility again.

[Ace]

Stuff like this, btw

That pattern is solid 16th notes, so the rhythym is consistent. If you are trying to build right hand speed, just stick with it. Like working out, it's gonna hurt at first. I spent YEARS shredding away on my right hand, first doing Slayer songs, then Krisiun, and so on and so forth. Nowdays I can do just about anything I can think of with my right hand, any sort of picking pattern, with reaches up to the fretboard for lightning hammer-ons, downpicking, etc. at great speeds. I like playing to a drum machine at 260bpm.

[RacerX]

I woke up with my had in awkward positions and completely numb. (No, not like up my ass) <--- Gotta make a joke.

OK! Say this with an Asian accent:


"Man who go to bed with itchy butt, wake up with smelly fingah!"

[69buickman]

Yes....finally a good joke

[thetroy]

That pattern is solid 16th notes, so the rhythym is consistent. If you are trying to build right hand speed, just stick with it. Like working out, it's gonna hurt at first. I spent YEARS shredding away on my right hand, first doing Slayer songs, then Krisiun, and so on and so forth. Nowdays I can do just about anything I can think of with my right hand, any sort of picking pattern, with reaches up to the fretboard for lightning hammer-ons, downpicking, etc. at great speeds. I like playing to a drum machine at 260bpm.

Damn if you can keep up with that speed you're pretty much Shawn Lane... unless you mean only playing 8th notes

[24seven]

Looks like you don't get much sympathy from this lot...
i am icing my wrist right now, done too much other stuff over the weekend and suffer from tendinitis, it comes and goes and i should wear splints whenever i do anything but they limit me and then i think everything is fine and it isn't...
when watching you guitar players how about adjusting the guitar so it is held a bit higher instead of hanging down to your knees?! make life easier.........oh and i am ambidextrous, really a left hander FORCED to use right hand as a kid!! but i play guitar right handed...
when it gets sore rest it and gently massage to bring new blood to the area...at the moment my tendons are that sore i have a lump so am holding ice there, it is killing me!

[OzoMan]

You should practise with a metronome. Start with low tempo like 120 bpm and make sure your muscles are relaxed when you are playing the 16th notes. Raise the tempo once in a while consentrating to your right hand and its gestures. Remember the rule: maximum power, minimum movement. You should not tighten your muscles too much while playing because it is not good for your wrists.

But if you do this kind of exercises regulary your right hand technique will improve and so the pain will hopefully go away.

[xenophobe]

The only time my wrists hurt from playing is when my position isn't proper... Perhaps you have your guitar slung too low or too high... you should try repositioning your strap up a notch or down one and see if it helps...

And you should be fairly relaxed and your grip on the pick should be soft but firm.

[vultures]

Also if you play with your guitbox down low it puts lots of strain on the wrist, so raise it up a bit if you're one of those dudes

+1 I can't comprehend how someone plays fast/clearly with their guitar down really low. I have the tremolo cavity on my belly button

[Inazone]

You might want to consider one of these:

http://www.imakproducts.com/products/smart_glove.htm

It's not going to help you *while* you play, but since you are clearly a computer user, you would probably find it beneficial. I've tried all kinds of wrist rests, switching from a mouse to a trackball, and even using the mouse or trackball with my left hand, but I've had a couple bouts with tendonitis and a shoulder impingement on my right arm that nothing but Aleve or prescription anti-inflammatories would help. I got a Smart Glove last month, and the improvement was almost immediate. Hell, the gig I played last Wednesday was the first in 2-3 years that I didn't have to take Aleve to get through the set.

[wilkinsi]

Use Deep Heat Cream (on your wrists, ya filthy bastards! ).