# Technique, Theory, Playing Tips and Tricks > Theory, Technique, Tips and Tricks >  Does anyone else have their hand go numb?

## emitfo

My fretting hand goes numb--sometimes quite quickly and then I have to stop for awhile.  Especially with chop chords/barre chords (if they're even called that on mando) sometimes even playing single notes.  I saw a thread talking about getting their neck slimmed down...I mean the one on the mando as a way to ease that.  Anybody else go through this and how did you/do you fix it?

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## Charley wild

I don't have problems with my left hand other than just tiring as I'm pretty new at this. But I have problems with my right arm and hand which is permanent so be careful! Don't mean to scare you but something isn't right and I wouldn't push it until you find out what it is.

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## Mike Bunting

I'd speak to a doctor.

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## Rick Schmidlin

I had that problem on a few guitars and mandolin but not in with the last four years of my MF5.

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## emitfo

You think I could get insurance to pay for it, I mean it being a medical condition and all...




> I had that problem on a few guitars and mandolin but not in with the last four years of my MF5.

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## Scott Holt

Not to be an alarmist, but I agree with getting a thorough physical exam to rule out the possibility of a nerve impingement.  Sometimes with repetitive stress injury such symptoms can occur.  Get it checked out.

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## onassis

> I'd speak to a doctor.


Always a good idea. Had arm numbness back when I was swingin a hammer all day, turned out to be carpal  tunnel. My left hand used to get numb when I started playing guitar a lot, probably about 2 hrs into a jam. Haven't noticed it since I started playing mostly mando.

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## Barbara Shultz

I've got carpal tunnel syndrome, and when it flares, yes, my hand, particularly the meaty part of my thumb, goes numb.  I'd get it looked at.  

I don't play chords, just melody... maybe that's why!  I also play the octave mandolin, and when I play even the 2 finger chords on that for any length of time, my hand will get numb-ish.

The thing that makes my hand go numb the quickest, is when I'm doing something like using pruners outside.  That type of motion does me in!

Barb

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## mandozilla

I get some left hand numbness in my thumb, index and middle finger in the several days following massive jamming for several days at a festival or jam campout. 

It doesn't last and disappears after a bit of playing. It'll last off and on for 2 or 3 days usually. It's minor, not painful, and doesn't interefere with my playing. 

I've got to learn to not jam for hours and hours on end and take a break but I feel like I'm making up for lost time...stupid I know but there it is.  :Redface: 

 :Coffee:  :Popcorn:

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## Mike Snyder

I've had some the last year or so. Never performing or jamming. The darned stuff seems to only hit when I'm playing by myself. If I sit it down for two minutes it goes away. I work with doctors, so if it gets to be a problem.......I can always ask. Just like 'ol zilla, left thumb, index and maybe the ring finger a bit. Getting old is NOT for sissies!

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## mandozilla

Mike! Remember...OLD GUYS RULE!!  :Cool: 

 :Coffee:  :Popcorn:

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## Mike Bromley

> Mike! Remember...OLD GUYS RULE!!


Oh!.....I fergot..... :Laughing:  :Crying:

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## 250sc

It is my understanding that if you thumb, middle and index finger get numb it could be carpel tunnel and if it is the ring finger and pinky it is compression of the ulnar nerve.

I just had surgery to fix compression of the ulnar nerve on my wrist and elbo but it will take time to see any results.

See a doctor. You can do perminant damage to nerves.

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## mandotrout777

I've had some numbness at times in my thumb and first two fingers. Pretty sure it's carpal tunnel.  I had the neck slimmed down and it seems to have helped but I can't say it's stopped altogether (could just be wishful thinking). So far I seem to be able to play through it and it goes away after a little while.  I'll probably have it checked out eventually if it gets to be a problem.

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## Alex Orr

Weird.  I just noticed a week or so back that after my normal practice session (which is about 90 minutes) I have a slight sense of numbness in the middle of my thumb on my fretting hand.  Usually goes away within an hour or two.  Doesn't seem to happen if I sit down with the guitar for an hour or so.  No other pain to speak of.  Man, now I'm worried about possible carpal tunnel  :Frown:

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## Phillip Tigue

Mine does too, when I lay on it wrong...

Hey, seriously, I'd see someone...my left index has a tingle and sharp pain at the tip...I think I'm gonna do the same.

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## Daniel Nestlerode

I agree with the recommendation to see a doctor.  Take your mando when you go, and demonstrate for him or her.

Also, examine your posture and your fretting technique.   Mike Marshall's instructions are very good, even if they're not universal.  (Compton does not use these postures and techniques and gets around fine.) Left hand comments begin at 1:40.



Daniel

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## RobP

I find that I can get numbness in my fretting hand if I am sitting in a strange position -- like if I go out and sit in the car and practice during lunch.  You might consider checking your posture and evaluating your grip on the neck.  Also, when my action was too high I also had some numbness problems because I had to strain my fingers/hand to fret properly -- a good setup fixed that problem for me.

Good Luck

Rob

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## Bill Scott

I had surgery last October for ulnar nerve compression in the left elbow and carpel tunnel in the left hand. I suspect my problems were due to using to much pressure while fretting. If you have a death grip on the neck, or pick, your asking for trouble. The perceived extra volume is not worth it.

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## neal

Hand stretches.  You need to do hand stretches.  See a doc too.

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## Carolie

Ever been in an auto or motorcycle accident? The problem could be in your spinal cord or the nerve roots near the base of your neck. That's where the nerves that control your hands begin.

Nerves are funky things. The pain or numbness isn't always where the problem actually is.

Definitely go to your doctor, but don't let yourself get talked into carpal tunnel surgery without a second and/or third opinion. 

Perhaps your doctor could recommend a good physical therapist if needed.

Carolyn
(C3-7 Incomplete Quadriplegic)

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## Doug Edwards

> It is my understanding that if you thumb, middle and index finger get numb it could be carpel tunnel and if it is the ring finger and pinky it is compression of the ulnar nerve.
> 
> I just had surgery to fix compression of the ulnar nerve on my wrist and elbo but it will take time to see any results.
> 
> See a doctor. You can do perminant damage to nerves.


My Doctor son-in-law and my personal doctor have told me the same thing. I've dealt with it for years.  My current medication has cleared it up for now, but it's not cheap.

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## tnt2002

I've had numbness when playing guitar and mandolin, it usually is on the small through middle fingers.

I went to a Chiropractor, he does a move like you see in the movies where they grab a guy's head from behind, give it a twist and instantly kill them (totally a scary trust exercise :Disbelief: ).  But after that I'm good for a few weeks.   :Mandosmiley: 

I've brought up the possiblity of carpal tunnel or maybe nerve compression in the shoulder or elbow or wrist, but you know Chiropractors, it's all about the spine.   He says that if the nerve is irritated in the neck vertibre it is succeptable to becoming irritated further down the line.  

He's a guitar player, but I'm not totally convinced, and my go for a second opinion.  I'm just terrified about having unnessary CT surgery and having to put my guitars and mandolins aside for months. :Crying:  :Crying: 

TnT

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## 250sc

I was aprehensive before commiting to surgery too but when I asked if the symptoms would go away after the surgery I was told that they weren't sure because they didn't know the extent of the damage but they were sure that without the surgery to free the compressed nerves I would get worse. When the surgery was done the doctor commented that the nerve bundles that should be pink were white in the areas of compression. Proir to surgery I couldn't tell where my pinky was pressing so I was missing notes. Now after 4 weeks or so the intensity of the numbness is less and I'm missing fewer notes. I fugure a year from now if it isn't completly better it will at least be better than it was before surgery.

Again, See a good specialist and good luck.

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## Alex Orr

I think some of my issues with my thumb may have to do with the way I press it against the neck of the mandolin.  I've got sort've a "trick thumb" which doesn't really rotate like a lot of other peoples' thumbs.  That hooking the thumb over the neck of a guitar thing?  Pretty much impossible for me.  As a result, I wonder if I exert too much pressure on areas that should be bearing so much of the load of my fretting.

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## hank

I also am disabled with repaired spinal damage.  After multible surgeries and a lot of trial and error I have been able to keep playing as long as my posture is good.  Like Mike Marshalls "How to hold the darn mandolin" I've found either a slight forward tilt while seated or standing with little neck angle(my neck not the mandolin) can usually keep the numbness at bay.  Laying back in a chair or tilting neck angles(looking down at the fretboard, or side tilt) produce numbness the fastest for me.  My condition is extreme making the results of posture more apparent but it might be useful to others to note their posture when their numbness begins or use a mirror to spot neck tilt and other potential problems with posture.  
  So far as which fingers go numb in my case(spinal not carpel)it usually starts with my thumb and a few fingers but if I keep playing it progresses to my complete hand, thumb, fingers and palm.  Trying to ignore it and play through it only increases the damage and makes recovery time much longer after repair if the damage isn't permanent.

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## luckylarue

I use to get numbness in the back of my fretting hand then I changed my sitting/playing posture - more upright & relaxed - and the numbness went away.  Like a previous poster said, being aware of my neck/head (mine, not the mando's) position seemed to help.  Definitely go see a doc if this continues.  Good luck.

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## mandomonkey

Before you start consulting doctors remember that most of them aren't musicians and don't have a grasp on the mechanics of playing a musical instrument.  Generally they come from a philosophy  of "if it hurts don't do it."  I had some numbness for a while and I found that exercise of some sort (to improve blood flow to extremities), stretching and, amazingly, a better diet all contribute to less  difficulty.  An awkward hand position can cause a lot of problems as well as the "death grip" previously mentioned.  To a doctor with the expectation of a quick fix may not be the best idea, especially if you are uninsured.  Finally, most pros that I know deal with a little pain (not numbness though) and play their butts off anyway.

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## John Ritchhart

Depends on what I'm doing.

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## Phil Goodson

> Before you start consulting doctors remember that most of them aren't musicians and don't have a grasp on the mechanics of playing a musical instrument.  Generally they come from a philosophy  of "if it hurts don't do it." ...


The importance of seeing a physician for a problem isn't just getting the problem fixed.  The evaluation should primarily tell you whether you have a serious problem that you need to do something about quickly or whether it's just an annoyance that you can work on at your leisure.
And you might be surprised at how many physicians are closet musicians.

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## Ronny Stecher

Ive had some issues that hinder my playing. Growing old is one of them. Hard living is another. Other than the last few years Ive always worked manual labor, Everything from masons laborer, landscaper, and UG cable splicer in trenches and manholes for an electric co. Im an office guy now, but it takes it toll being a good donkey. Hee Haw.
I m 45 now and was stabbed in an altercation when I was 17, 1st the back and hip and then I grabbed the knife, it cut off the tip of my fret hand index finger and sliced thru my thumb. The thumb required 3 ½ hours of micro surgery to put the tendons and ligaments back together. The docs also peeled up some skin from my middle finger and sewed it onto my index tip and 3 weeks later snipped that off my middle finger so the skin was live while it caught onto my index finger. My thumb had to be tied off to keep it semi closed and all was supported by a semi open cast. I always will be limited and have a tingling sensation and pain in my thumb especially with prolonged barre chords, I will always suffer from this.

I recently came home from work and sat in my chair and while relaxing with my head back I coughed and it sent seemingly electric shock wave spikes down both arms right up thru my thumbs, I went to a doc and he did multiple x-rays and saw nothing but degeneration of my vertebrae. He stated how theres little sponges that separate them and nerves protrude and get collapsed with age. He stated how you shrink and inch with every 20 years of life due to this, He said theyre basically made of water and he stressed drinking water and exercise and felt that its just age, wear, & tear. He stated how important water is to our bodies and asked my drinking habits, I told him I rarely drink straight water that I pound booze and coffee and he went on a rant about both being dehydrants and how when I feel hungry its probably my body craving water and I better start changing my lifestyle if I want to grace this planet for a while longer. I bought a bike, updated my tennis rackets and drag my 14 & 15 yr olds out much more these days. Just volleys back and forth, single bounce, double bounce, dont matter, its just to sweat & run.
He said I had a degenerative disc condition in my C5 region as thats where the nerves affected reside. I went to physical therapy and had the evaluations, massages(no happy ending), electric shock treatment and got a fanatical bill that my insurance company only partly covered. Itemized billing and insurance allowable rates and Im responsible for the rest.

 I am more self conscious of late and try to amend my posture too, I have that slumping hang over the guitar seated posture and I think 30 years of bad habits play a role too. At the end of the winter I shoveled out my driveway, front, & back walkways and while cleaning out the curb tight snow shadow after putting both cars in the driveway I twisted the wrong way and blew out my back. I got carted away to the hospital and had intravenous muscle relaxers and morphine shipped in. Partially slipped disc in my lower back treated with pills and bed rest. If it didnt clear up they talked epidurals and surgery if that didnt work. Thankfully it subsided over a month.

Man it sucks getting old. I wish I lived a little smarter leading up to now, but take heed, Were more fragile than we think, Good luck.

See a doctor and do the right thing healthwise.

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## jfbrown42

> Definitely go to your doctor, but don't let yourself get talked into carpal tunnel surgery without a second and/or third opinion. 
> 
> Perhaps your doctor could recommend a good physical therapist if needed.


I agree. I have a different problem (tennis elbow from playing guitar), but going to the doctor (for diagnosis) and physical therapist (for treatment) route worked wonders for me.

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## Greg Wilson

So this is happening with me now.  It started after a really long practice session in which I was gripping the fret very tightly and pressing myself to play as fast as I could.  After watching the Mike Marshall video I think the cause is the way I am holding the neck.  When I start really speeding up my crosspicking I rest the heel of my hand firmly against the neck causing my wrist to bend backwards.  Doing this for several hours is the equivalent of using a computer mouse without a wrist support--on the road to carpal tunnel.

So I am now forcing myself to keep the wrist on my fret hand as straight as I can while playing.  I'll try to force myself not to play for a day and see what happens.  Very hard to keep my hands off that piece of wood.

Any other suggestions more than welcome.

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## John Ritchhart

I get it sometimes when using barre chords a lot. Or trickier techniques of barring two strings and alternating middle and ring or ring and little fingers on different notes. Drowsy Maggie or Devil's Dream for example.

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## 300win

Yes. I have all the "itusis", plus osteoperosis, plus I think being 54 and not 24 has alot to do with it. Mine goes numb, cramps up, I have pain on occasion deep in my freting fingers, but just grin/grimace and bear it.

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