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Q: M 16
Hey,
I practice my innstruments for about 4 hrs. a day. My guitar for an hour, my bass for 2 and my key boards for an hr. Playing music is what I love to do more than anything, but I've noticed in the past month after I practice my wrist really hurt. I get like this peorcing pain in and my arms grow numb and weaker than normal. My freinds say I may need to cut back on my playing time alot. And mabey take a break. I really don't want to I love playing music more than anything in the world. Dose some one know any way to releive these symptoms. My wrists are still hurting and the last time I played was more than 3 hrs. ago.
I'm not a doctor by any means but am personally very familiar with something known as RSI. That stands for repetitive stress injuries. One such example is carpal tunnel syndrome. These are common in people who use the same parts of their bodies on a highly repetitive basis.

Some people who get them a lot are athletes (tennis elbow), people who work on computers a lot and things like that. It only stands to reason that this could be part of the problem.

First off, I would certainly not advise you to quit your music. But at the same time, when it gets really bad it might be a good idea to take a few days off. Think of it this way, during that down time, you might be able to come up with creative new songs to play. That would still keep your focus on music.

There are some things you can do, when it not really bad, to help make you feel better. You can ice the wrist a bit. Make sure you put something between your bare skin and the ice pack. You might want to get a wrist brace as well and you can even where it when you sleep. Another thing is to do exercises for repetitive stress. Just do a Google search and you'll find a ton. Massage and chiropractic are also a good idea is you can find a provider and afford it. If not, you may be able to pick up a TENS therapy machine for cheap. Vitamin B-6 was recommend to me by a doctor for issues I have with my wrist. Last but not least, some rubs like Triflora (do not use this one if you have a sensitivity to poison ivy), Arnica, or Somba are very good.

Hope this info helps.


Thanks. I talked to my music instructor and he's gonna have me do some exercises to make sure im holding my instruments the right way. I also talked to my parents and im going to see my chiropractor. My mom has had similar symptoms and hes really helped her.

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