Wrist problems with pick..help

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Jouni

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This is really bumming me out.


I play bass in a metalband and a hard-rock type of a group, also acoustic in a folk-sort of a thing.

I play with a pick, its just easier in terms of speed, attack and precision.

But now my wrist is getting pains after and during every practice-sessions, can hardly lift a coffeemug the next morning, and it seems to get worse. Day before yesterday we had sessions with both metal-and heavyband, some three-four hours alltogether, and still can't squeeze a pick in my fingers without a pain in the wrist.

I've played for some six years, but just lately this hard, so could it be that it goes away with practice?

should I try some wristbands?.. Or just duct-tape the damn thing into a boxing-glove with a pick in it?
 
it sounds like you better lay off and let your wrist heal. if it does'nt get better soon, see a doctor. it would really suck if you were'nt able to play any more because you pushed your body too far. if it's as bad as you say, (can't hold a pick) you better go see a doctor now.
 
Playing music is not supposed to be painful. If it is, you are likely doing something wrong. The obvious guess is that you're too tense when playing and asking your muscles for too much force for too long a time. It's hard to say for sure without seeing you play, but that's the most likely cause.

This habit can be hard to change. Until you can, you should STOP PLAYING when it starts to hurt.

My suggestion would be to change SOMETHING about the way you play. If you're standing, sit down. If your instrument is down around your crotch, shorten the strap; if it's right below your chin, lengthen the strap. If you're playing with a pick, play with your fingers and/or thumb. If you find yourself thrashing at the strings like Capt. Hook, lie down on your back, close your eyes, and pretend you're playing while sleeping.
 
You could be developing tendonitis. Thats very bad. A guitarist I knew got it from playing constantly and wearing out his wrists. The only medication is rest and very very light stretching. Stay off it for 2 weeks or so. Don't kill yourself to live!
 
Keep doing what you're doing and you might be looking to hang it up. Stop playing and see a doc...NOW. I'm betting it stems from technique and posture. Could be tendonitis or carpel tunnel either way, you can do long term damage.
 
RSI, tendonitus, etc.
I've had it & when it became really bad I ended up with 14 weeks of physiotherapy 3 x per week including massage &&&&&, when those result were not fast enough for the Dr.,with cortisone injections to reduce the swelling.
REST
Change to fingers if it doesn't hurt, use lighter strings - you can compensate for tone & attack with FX, EQ & compression & as for speed you'd be surprised how quick you can become. Don't be afraid of seeming soft by bandmates - you can't be hard if it's going to cause perm damage &&& it WILL if you don't adjust NOW.
REST is the beginning & ending though - IF you don't want perm damage - sounds like you like to play & it might even pay to play. That'll all be gone if you don't TAKE A REST.
 
Hmmm....sounds pretty familiar. :eek:
I developed tendonitis in my picking hand wrist about 5 or 6 years ago. I used to play death metal at insane tempos with lots of tremelo picking. That is hell on your wrist and I would do it for hours on end.

Anyway my wrist got to where the fatigue and soreness would not go away after playing, I couldn't do much with my fingers without hurting, and I couldn't put any weight on my wrist. I went to the doctor and found out what it was. I thought it was maybe carpel tunnel, but from my symptoms they assured me it was tendonitis. They told me to lay off of playing for a while, or at least to take it VERY easy with it. I had some treatments (ultrasound and some kind of electrical impulse thing that forced medicine into my wrist) and some exercises prescribed. After a couple weeks of that it was feeling better. After a month or so it was totally gone. After that I pretty much changed my approach to playing and I stretch and warm up alot more. My wrist problems have not come back, but if I experience any kind of soreness or anything I will rest for a while.

All you can do is take breaks to rest and try not to tense up or anything. Alot of my problem came from tensing up my wrist alot.
Just know that it will not go away with practice. Don't ever play through the pain. Find a different way to play, or take a break from it so you can heal.
Above all TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. You could end up fucking up your hand for good. My doctor told me it was good that I gave it attention instead of trying to ignore it, becasue it would have gotten much worse and after a point it could be irreversible.
 
Well, luckily we got practises far as next week, so I can keep stretching it with a beermug, or a pint over the weekend. :) So, rest it is..

I think I may be a little harsh on the force.
Before the wrist, I had problems with my thumb tiring, once I had to play a gig with fingers cause after a couple of songs my thumb could't keep the pick in check. Had to get another pick after every song, played with it until it dropped and finished the song on fingers.
Needless to say that audibly simplified the basslines, and I don't want that..

Someone said I need a bigger amp :D
but it makes a difference in sound wether you play it or amp it..
When I've had to play a gig on someone elses amps the mixer shouts for me to drop volume way under the previous player..
Anyways, thumb is ok now, wrist in turn..
Hope it goes away with practice, then I'll probably dislocate my shoulder :rolleyes:

whoa, many replays during, my answer, I try to rest that wrist..
 
There will be no substitute for seeing a doc but, until then (as you've taken to heart) rest, and if/when you play, change up your posture and positioning...doing something different will help to minimize the repetative injury. If you're a "gun-slinger", shorten up the the strap.

Good luck.
 
I had the same kind of experience, but mine ended up being a Ganglion Cyst. Not dangerous, just annoying and painful. I would see a doc, because you could at least find out what avenue to take towards correction.

Pete
 
I'm actually seeing a doc shortly because my knee has acted up the recent year or so after it made a crunching sound while twisting with my weight on it. So I'll show the wrist too if isn't better by then.
But no one of you has worn any supporting wristbands or similar to help??
 
You might consider seeing a sports medicine doctor. Their attitude is more like "We'll get you fixed up before the big game," while normal doctors are more like "It hurts when you play bass? Well, stop playing bass!"

If you develop tendonitis, carpal tunnel, etc. it's going to be a pretty serious thing that will affect you the rest of your life. Go to a doctor who can show you how to deal with it. I know a guy who plunges his arms into ice water for 20 minutes at a time, to keep his tendonitis under control. He makes his living playing guitar, so he has to be able to perform.
 
Perhaps

Jouni said:
Before the wrist, I had problems with my thumb tiring, once I had to play a gig with fingers cause after a couple of songs my thumb could't keep the pick in check. Had to get another pick after every song, played with it until it dropped and finished the song on fingers.
Click to expand...

Try some sticky picks or grip picks, whatever they call them:

http://www.gripguitarpicks.com/

Maybe you are subconsously nervous about losing grip on the pick and that is causing you to tighten your hand?
 
Try playing with your fingers.
Click to expand...

he could, but then again he's in a metal band...and picks are king.

I had this problem 5 or 6 years ago, and like everyone else has said you just need to rest.

If you have to play with it hurting, the best fix is to get some athletic tape and tape your wrist tight. aside from that, rest is the only cure...

just curious, how long have you been playing? I know that after 10 years of playing bass now, I don't get fatigued nearly as easily as I used to...

relax the wrist, don't forget to cup the balls.... :D
 
blueroommusic said:
he could, but then again he's in a metal band...and picks are king.
Click to expand...

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden must not have got the memo.

Do you warm up before playing? I would venture to say that 99% of all hand injuries from guitar playing come from either not warming up or bad technique. At least that's what I see all the time: guys just pick up their guitar and wail away. Considering what little has been said on the subject in this thread so far (and just about every thread that brushes this topic in this forum), it doesn't surprise me that so many people run into such a problem.

First off, take a break from playing awhile, and bring up the wrist problem with your doctor like you said.

After some time has passed (and pending whatever the doctor tells you), pick up the guitar, start at the 12th fret and SLOWLY do descending runs down the neck. Focus on making each touch of the string as perfect as possible (but keep your tempo slow). Once you get to the last frets, go back up the neck and gradually increase speed. But DO NOT try and hit your fastest speed, end on a moderate yet comfortable speed. Do a couple more exercises like this at the same slow to moderate tempos. The key is to start at the 12th fret where the space between the frets are smaller, and keep the tempo slow.

Next, play a couple songs where you only push yourself a little bit on your playing. By this time your wrists should be ready to handle more heavy playing.

And as for speed picking, the ultimate goal is to pick with absolutely no tension in your wrists whatsoever. You should not be putting any effort in your alternate strokes. If you are, then your technique is wrong. Speed/tremelo picking involves a loose shaking of the hand back and forth (much like fast chord strumming on acoustic guitar, only you are narrowing your strums to one string). The wrist itself should be locked and your forearm should be doing all the shaking.

Stand up when you are playing. Sitting down will make things worse unless you have good technique

If you are interested, click on the link in my sig and select "The Next Song" on the myspace page. All of the main bass and guitar riffs are tremelo picked (including much of the solo). I could've played like that all day (and I did), because I warmed up, took a couple breaks here and there, and play with the correct technique.
 
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Steve Harris of Iron Maiden must not have got the memo.
Click to expand...

when was Iron Maiden's hayday again? I can't remember... ;) good bass player though...

if it's modern metal keep playing with a pick for god's sake!!!!! pick attack is crucial to metal IMO..
 
THUMB PICK TIME?
Oh, & break out the banjo and hush puppies.
 
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