I'm sure there are others in the Fly Family who have carpal tunnel besides me. Having trouble feeling what string your plucking or what fret you're on? Well, that was me for a long time. In desperation, before surgery, I experimented and came up with a technique that works. Just for a preface here, I had a very painful nerve test some time ago for this. There are three stages of carpal tunnel: mild, moderate, and severe and four degrees of each. I was in the severe stage second degree and moving into the third. The fourth degree is having almost no feeling and function. What I am going to explain to you is what I also approached the head of surgery with at the local VA Hospital in Long Beach, Ca. Consequentially, plastic surgery contacted me and I went and did a video taped presentation of this. They are starting to implement this technique.
Here is the technique.
You will need to have a ball. This ball can roughly be the size of a tennis ball down to a handball. Neither one of these balls worked for me because they would slide sideways due to their finish surface. Get a ball that is very stiff but does have a little give to it. Also, the surface needs to be a "toothie" type of surface which does not slip sideways when under pressure while contacting a smooth solid surface. I have two that are excellent and I think these were from a kids paddleball game.
I use my kitchen counter top for this because it is taller but you can use a desktop or any substantial table. Place the ball on the chosen surface. Place your wrist down on top of this ball exactly where your wrist joint is. An inch or and inch and a quarter each way from your wrist joint will be the area of your contact with the ball. Now, apply some pretty stiff pressure down on the ball and start rolling the ball back and forth and around and around in these areas on each side of your wrist. Don't be a sissy about this. Nothing will break. Apply good stiff pressure while rolling in all directions for one minute with each wrist. Do this once or twice a day. That's all it takes if you dig into it. What you are doing is reestablishing the elastic qualities of everything below the surface. In other words, you are expanding and reconditioning your cells and the nerve/bloodflow connection. The bloodflow in your nerve sheathes and the bloodflow traveling into your hands will start to increase because you are now making your body more flexible; the way it used to be. That night or the next morning, you should feel your carpal tunnel is a little bit less. Each day, if you are applying yourself correctly, the carpal tunnel will greatly diminish. In about a week and a half, my carpal tunnel had gone down dramatically and about a week later it was just a very slight tingle at the ends of my fingers. The only thing that might bring it back somewhat is if you do strong physical workouts like I do which tend to build hand muscles up. Even though that happens a little bit, I can play just fine.
The result for me was that I almost completely eliminated my entire carpal tunnel except for a very slight tingling at just the tips of my fingers. I can now feel my frets and picking hand fingers in almost a brand new condition.
I will check back on this post in a few days to see if any questions come up.
Carpal Tunnel Relief
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
I have severe carpal tunnel and also ulnar nerve entrapment.
Looking forward to a video demonstration!
Looking forward to a video demonstration!
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
Hey Patzag. Good to hear from you.
Sorry about your ulnar nerve and carpal tunnel. I researched the ulnar nerve situation from shoulder to pinky finger and am thinking it may react positively to this "ball therapy". I did not get a copy of the video that was recorded. I wrote out the explanation closely to a step by step instruction sequence. It's just a matter of getting your wrist down on top of the ball and then, with significant downward force, roll the ball around and around and back and forth within about 2 inches each way from the wrist joint. One minute for each wrist is all it takes or even 30 seconds with some good applied force. Your ulnar nerve can stretch. Possibly you can get your inside elbow down on this ball also if pain is there too.
Pain is my friend and it teaches me everything I need to know about my body. I walk into the pain and increase it and then learn what works to eliminate it. Not many people can do this but it does work.
I know you are out of country. If you can't find a non-skid ball there that will work, PM me and I will send you my second ball pro bono. It's guaranteed to work as long as you dig into it and start stretching everything out from it's present shrunken, entrapped, and rigid condition.
The more pain the better.
Sorry about your ulnar nerve and carpal tunnel. I researched the ulnar nerve situation from shoulder to pinky finger and am thinking it may react positively to this "ball therapy". I did not get a copy of the video that was recorded. I wrote out the explanation closely to a step by step instruction sequence. It's just a matter of getting your wrist down on top of the ball and then, with significant downward force, roll the ball around and around and back and forth within about 2 inches each way from the wrist joint. One minute for each wrist is all it takes or even 30 seconds with some good applied force. Your ulnar nerve can stretch. Possibly you can get your inside elbow down on this ball also if pain is there too.
Pain is my friend and it teaches me everything I need to know about my body. I walk into the pain and increase it and then learn what works to eliminate it. Not many people can do this but it does work.
I know you are out of country. If you can't find a non-skid ball there that will work, PM me and I will send you my second ball pro bono. It's guaranteed to work as long as you dig into it and start stretching everything out from it's present shrunken, entrapped, and rigid condition.
The more pain the better.
!Attitude Determines Altitude!
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
Thank man.Soloaxer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 7:56 am Hey Patzag. Good to hear from you.
Sorry about your ulnar nerve and carpal tunnel. I researched the ulnar nerve situation from shoulder to pinky finger and am thinking it may react positively to this "ball therapy". I did not get a copy of the video that was recorded. I wrote out the explanation closely to a step by step instruction sequence. It's just a matter of getting your wrist down on top of the ball and then, with significant downward force, roll the ball around and around and back and forth within about 2 inches each way from the wrist joint. One minute for each wrist is all it takes or even 30 seconds with some good applied force. Your ulnar nerve can stretch. Possibly you can get your inside elbow down on this ball also if pain is there too.
Pain is my friend and it teaches me everything I need to know about my body. I walk into the pain and increase it and then learn what works to eliminate it. Not many people can do this but it does work.
I know you are out of country. If you can't find a non-skid ball there that will work, PM me and I will send you my second ball pro bono. It's guaranteed to work as long as you dig into it and start stretching everything out from it's present shrunken, entrapped, and rigid condition.
The more pain the better.
Appreciated.
But I can get stuff on Amazon. Send me a link to a workabl;e ball and I'll just purchase it. I Looove Pain!
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
I scored a good hit for you. https://www.amazon.com/Acupoint-Physic ... B01IL7SKUU
If they seem to slide a little on the top they are on, use some sand paper to roughen them up just a bit. you should start to feel the c/t backing off in 3 to 5 days and then it's on it's way out. Please let me know how it is working for you. The photos in the ad will show you all the arm work you can do with them also. This improved my playing a bunch!
!Attitude Determines Altitude!
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
Ordered! I'll keep you posted!Soloaxer wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 12:36 pmI scored a good hit for you. https://www.amazon.com/Acupoint-Physic ... B01IL7SKUU
If they seem to slide a little on the top they are on, use some sand paper to roughen them up just a bit. you should start to feel the c/t backing off in 3 to 5 days and then it's on it's way out. Please let me know how it is working for you. The photos in the ad will show you all the arm work you can do with them also. This improved my playing a bunch!
Thanks a lot for that tip!
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
I'm short on time right now, but read up on a Myers Cocktail. It's an i.v. infusion therapy that has done more for my bodies inflammation and general health than it has any business doing.
Re: Carpal Tunnel Relief
Thanks for the hot tip, Musikron. I will check it out.
I started this topic to help with fingers on the strings but truly the rest of the body plays into it just as much. This topic just might turn into the Fly Family Health Resource thread. Couldn't hurt.
!Attitude Determines Altitude!