norcalpiper Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 This might be the wrong spot for this post, so apologies in advance. Something worrying has happened. I was a performing artist for 22 years and decided to give the guitar a serious try. I'd noodled all my life on one, but got super serious about 5 months ago. Having a musical background let me advance pretty quickly, so I'd been practicing some pretty mon ster shreds. Anyway, a week ago I woke up to my left hand index and ring finger and thumb tip tingling. There was some dullness in the wrist as well. I nust chalked it up to sleeping on it wrong and the affects of daily playing. Well...it has been a week, and the symptoms have lessoned, but they are still there. Is this something that sounds familiar? My wife is an RN and checked my vitals and am OK. I developed calluses months ago and have played the same strings for months. Anyone experience this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Perhaps a CTS (not the electronics company but carpal tunnel syndrome) which I have, too? The outer side of the ring finger and the little finger are not affected since these are supplied by the ulnaris nerves, not the medianus. I never developed calluses and don't need them, but know CTS very well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Definitely brain, I mean nerve damage. Capmaster is on to something. My hands are fighting me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I hate to say this, but it sounds pretty much like the stuff that I had going in the month or so before I got up at 0300 to go to the bathroom Memorial Day ... and flopped to the floor because nothing on my left side worked that morning... A stroke. My wife, also a nurse, said she'd seen it coming. I, of course, was perfectly healthy in spite of the odd tingling and numbness - and sometimes not-so-well working of the hand. The horse that never slows, never tires... I still have some numbness on the left side, left pinkie too... and am working on getting back to a more or less normal except the left hand is taking a lot longer than the leg and arm... Yeah, I'm the milod in the Gibson and Epiphone Lounge areas that has been getting super good vibes from the forum folks hoping I can get that left hand back to fretting half decently --- and the blocked carotid will get doctored into some degree of normalcy. Maybe something to think about? m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Milod, I'm sooo glad to see you back here. My best wishes to you for fully restoring your fretting abilities and everything else which may have become troublesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 m. I have a buddy who cut off a couple of fingers on his fretting hand. They are re-attached, but not yet fully functional. He's playing slide now and tearing it up. I guess you work with what you got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailjunkie Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Do you smoke? A lot? I developed Reynaud's Syndrome (spelling?)years ago as a result of smoking (and inhaling) too many cigars. Reynaud's is numbness and tingling in the extremities. I quit smoking cigars (and cigaretes) 8 years ago and the issue has subsided considerably. I still play guitar with no issues whatsoever, but I do notice the tingling in my hands when I work out. Might be something to think about. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailjunkie Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 PS, welcome back Milod! Stay healthy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 sounds like the beginnings of carpel tunnel to me. and... It's nice to have you back Milod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalpiper Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Well....certainly a wake up call. Just to be sure I went to the Doc. He took a listen to the ticker and checked my BP. 140 over 88..... High, but not dangerous. He felt my arm and went straight to the crook in my elbow between the ulna and radius and squeezed which flared the tingling immediately. Almost feeling as if i'd hit my funny bone. He released and it subsided. So its nerve pinching is part of the problem. Not sure how or why, but he knew right where to go. I have also smoked for about 20 years, and he said a 45 year old man with kind of smoking history will not usually make it past 50! He pointed out that this may also by the beginnings of vascular disease. Holy ****! I went home and immediately threw all my cigs away. I don't drink or do drugs, so my only bad habit was over then and there. This was September 1st and the addiction and withdraw are gone now. It really is amazing to be smoke free... Anyway, the tingling is gone now (maybe a little flare happens if i rest my elbow on the table orvsomething), but it is certainly 100 times better. Thanks for the input everyone. This post probably (If i havent damaged my body already too badly) probably saved my life to some degree... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalpiper Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 One more thing-since quitting, my BP is normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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