Ever get a cramp in your FOREARM while playing?

[HamerHokie]

Third long set outdoors, humid, I guess I hadn't been hydrating enough. Right in the middle of a solo, a muscle in my forearm cramped, causing my first finger to LOCK OUT in pain at a 90 degree angle to my hand. Passing the solo to the keyboardist, I frantically massaged my forearm and finger until it straightened out, but it cramped up again several times more.

Two days later, IT STILL HURTS.

[m chops]

Try some quinine (tonic) water (with or without gin) for a couple of days.

[David B]

I did that yesterday. I was in the studio doing a repetitive riff & it tightened up on me. It was a take though.

[Caddie]

I use to get them frequently. Been told that its mainly a function of dehydration. So drink lots of water well in advance of gig time, like beginning 5-6 hours before gig time. Eliminate the alcohol & caffeine (it does not help the situation). And stretch the fingers & wrists before gig time.

It has helped me alot, although it has not entirely wiped them out.

Noonan

[Brownsound]

My fingers go numb every now and then. Also get a twinge at the elbow too.

[kurtsstuff]

My fingers go numb every now and then. Also get a twinge at the elbow too.

My hand goes numb too but I dig it cuz...when I take care of myself it feels like someone else is doing it and then.......ummm.......thats not what we're talking about huh.......nevermind....

[bobbymack]

I've battled the numbness and cramping stuff too, and I believe its carpal tunnel related. Hydration is definitely important, but I didn't get any real relief from the numbness until I found a really good massage therapist that friggin' MILKED the muscles all around the left elbow / radial nerve area...a few of her treatments (yep they hurt), and the numbness has not been a problem (thank God, it was getting really annoying and problematic).

One of the aggravating factors for me was couch noodling during the evenings. Be careful with your posture, if you sink back into the couch and have your left elbow bent so the neck and your left hand is substantially above the elbow you are going to have problems, even if you don't now. Make it easy for the blood to flow in and out of the area...

My $.02, hope it helps somebody.

[hardheartedbill]

I bent my left wrist back pretty hard scrambling off the roof earlier in the summer ( bee suppression ) and it still bugs me. I've been wearing a brace and not playing except gigs over the last week, so now it takes me forever to warm up and there a few bends that I can't do. I tried Every Breath You Take last night and that sucked bad, mucho discomfort. It sucks to have issues on the bandstand/studio, I just chalk mine up to getting old

[HamerHokie]

I bent my left wrist back pretty hard scrambling off the roof earlier in the summer ( bee suppression ) and it still bugs me. I've been wearing a brace and not playing except gigs over the last week, so now it takes me forever to warm up and there a few bends that I can't do. I tried Every Breath You Take last night and that sucked bad, mucho discomfort. It sucks to have issues on the bandstand/studio, I just chalk mine up to getting old

I had a bout of arthritis and it made my left 1st finger joints somewhat altered. As a result I can't bend it all the way into a fist, so chords like open C and open F are next to impossible. It doesn't affect soloing, thank God, and I can get around the chords issue with different voicings. But acoustic guitar becomes a burden as it relys on open C.

[tafkathundernotes]

My fingers go numb every now and then. Also get a twinge at the elbow too.

Sucks getting old.

I had some elbow trouble related to bass playing on my picking hand. There's a condition called "radial tunnel syndrome" that often gets diagnosed as tennis elbow. It's an overuse condition, from what I've read. I keep up with the water and switch to using a pick occasionally.

[tgoss]

One other thing I found that helped the numbness in my left hand was the amount of pressure I was using on the strings. I found that when I was really gettin' into things I would squeeze harder. Now I make a conscious effort to relax the grip a little and it has helped considerably.

[bobbymack]

One other thing I found that helped the numbness in my left hand was the amount of pressure I was using on the strings. I found that when I was really gettin' into things I would squeeze harder. Now I make a conscious effort to relax the grip a little and it has helped considerably.

The shorter Gibson scale guitars help too.

[Tres Aardvarks]

yeah, I've had cramps in either hand develop. Left hand is usually thanks to holdnig big spreads on a 12string bass, right hand is from me pounding on the instrument. Playing live I only seem to have two playing styles: flog and PUMMEL. I started cramping so bad at one gig that I couldn't hold onto my pic by the end of the song, finished up using my index fingernail instead.

[wgarces]

My fingers go numb every now and then. Also get a twinge at the elbow too.

My hand goes numb too but I dig it cuz...when I take care of myself it feels like someone else is doing it and then.......ummm.......thats not what we're talking about huh.......nevermind....

Try using the left one. You know...the palsy hand. That's always fun!

And if you want to get rid of the numbness, sleep on your stomach!

[wgarces]

My fingers go numb every now and then. Also get a twinge at the elbow too.

It could be something as simple as sleeping position. That can make a huge difference. That's what does it for me.

I know, I know.....Getting old sucks!

[elduave]

Lately my forearm will cramp up right when I start playing standing up and I just fight through the pain and when I come out the other side I don't have the problem anymore. It's weird. Probably a red flag...