This is a post for all you guitarists that may be affected by the painful disorder better known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). This can be the result of the compression of nerves in the wrist due to repetitive (motion). This can be the consequence of many daily tasks that one does over and over again (typists for example often suffer from CTS).

Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

I will attempt to concentrate on the aspects of this painful ailment as it relates to guitarists in the remainder of this article.

The guitarist uses very fine and complex muscles, tendons and ligaments when plying their gift. We tend to be overly sensitive to our every ache and pain. We tend to gravitate towards the worst case scenario when we think about the long term results from something like this. Most of us respond with inaction while dealing with symptoms of CTS. So let’s give our heads a good shake and let’s DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Here are a couple of exercises that you can do to help manage this affliction.

• (1) Massage your playing hand with your opposite hand by “kneading”the meaty part of your palm and working “outward”.
• (2) Play as much AIR GUITAR as possible. this loosens up your fingers and gets the blood going. Be sure to let your wrist move with the motion of your fingers, this will prevent your hand from cramping up.
• (3) If your hands feel tight or feel as if they are asleep, use a heating pad for about 20 minutes prior to playing. if this is not practical, run your hands under warm/hot water for about 5 minutes, rolling your fingers while the water is on. If you can’t do this,and you’re doing a gig at a restaurant, order a baked potato and hold it in your hand for a good 5 minutes or so, repeat for 15 times.
• (4) Grasp you hands together in front of you. Apply light isometric pressure and lift you arms up over your head. Bring your clasped hands down behind your head. Return them to a position in front of your torso. Stretch out to the left, then the right keeping those hands pressed gently but firmly together.

So hopefully this will help some of you who are afflicted with this horrible disease.

Keep on Jammin'(after you warmed up with some of these exercises!)