Wrist popping

[superdan54]

I'm not sure if anyone else deals with this, but I thought I'd ask. I'm afraid something is wrong with my wrist. I usually can't go longer than 15-20 seconds before feeling slight discomfort in my right hand wrist. Once I pop the wrist by quickly making a knocking motion it's ok. Is something wrong with my technique or could there be a medical issue? I'm only 26 so I wasn't counting on my body falling apart yet. It's not excruciating or anything, more of an annoyance, and it makes it hard to practice large sections of music without taking a break to "pop".

[Mike Bromley]

I would suspect tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome or perhaps a condition known as stenosing tenosynovitis, the last of which involves nodes on tendons that get stuck in the tendon sheath much like a rusty brake cable on a bicycle would bind in its compression sheath.

A certainty is to develop the habit of doing flexing exercises on your left hand fingers and your right wrist before tackling any repetitive motions. If any of the above conditions exist, especially the latter one, ST, (sometimes called 'trigger finger'), playing cold is not good. Mandolins are somewhat of an athletic pursuit, and like athletes, we should warm up or risk injury. Don't let the musical-instrument equivalent of handcuffs imprison you at a young age!

I suffer from trigger finger and it's a real pain in the patoot, because of the warmup required. If I had bothered to do that when I was a whippersnapper, I may not have developed the condition.

Hope it points ya in the right direction.....

[superdan54]

Yikes! That's scary...

I have a medium tension Gripmaster hand exerciser. I usually use it on my left hand to build up hand strength. I'll start using it on my right hand before practicing. Are there any other hand excercises you recommend?

Also, do you think it's serious enough that I should consult a physician or just take precautionary measures as you suggested?

[Mike Bromley]

Stretching and flexing exercises are perhaps better to begin with, rather than tensing exercises, as are the case with a hand exerciser. Strength is good, yes, but limber is better, IMHO.

Begin by gently hyperextending the fingers of your left hand, by GENTLY bending each finger backwards until resistance is just felt. Do this by placing the index and second finger of your right hand on the left hand knuckle, and resting the left hand finger in the crotch formed by the right hand fingers and pushing gently. You will feel a burning sensation in the palm of the left hand almost immediately. Don't force it too much, but with each successive flex you will feel things loosening up and warming up. Alternate with forming a fist.

With the wrist, flex it in different directions and in a rotary fashion, feeling for resistance, and do so until all the stiffness is limbered up.

Taking the time to stretch will make your day a better one, I'm betting. It sure helps my cement hands.