# Unable to Bend the Fingers On My Left Hand in the Morning



## Neurotic Visions (Apr 28, 2012)

I recently began practicing a lot more than usual, averaging around 4-6 hours daily. After 2 weeks of this I started noticing that upon waking up in the morning I would be unable to bend the index finger on my left hand, but it would go away in 10 minutes or so. Each subsequent morning the duration would increase, and just this morning none of the fingers on my left hand would bend and I had to wait an hour my left hand was fully functional. Any idea what could be causing this? Could it be that my technique is poor and thus I have injured my hand? I'm 19 so I doubt that it is something like arthritis, and if I'm not mistaken carpal tunnel usually has different symptoms. I should note that before I increased my practice regimen I played casually (30 minutes a day average) for 4 years without a hitch.


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## groovemasta (Apr 28, 2012)

Do you stretch your hands and do you play in classical position?


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## Ryan-ZenGtr- (Apr 28, 2012)

Do you sleep on your hands?

Do you ever wake in the night in an uncomfortable position and have pins and needles or other strange sensations in your hands?

If your cutting off the blood flow to your hands while you sleep that could explain why it affects you only in the mornings.

No joke, it almost ended Dave Mustaine's career when he fell asleep on a couch in what he described as "putting your arm around a girl in a movie theater" position.

I've just opened the joke flood gates, haven't I?


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## TRENCHLORD (Apr 28, 2012)

Try placing your hands in the standard praying type position, and then flaring your elbows to the side and up.
Basically causing a slight stretch of the lower fore-arm and wrist muscles.
Then slowly also move the palms back away from each other while starting to press a bit through the fingtips (left and right fingertips pressing into each other gently).

Just go for a gentle uniform stretch of the whole lower fore-arm, wrist, palm,hand, and fingers.
Hold it for 10 or 20 seconds and repeat a few times.
It helps me anyway. My wrist inflamation comes more from work and weightlifting than from guitar, but I imagine this with opposite hand massage (use your right hand to squeeze and massage your left, and vice-versa), will make a marked difference in uncramping the muscles.
Also, make sure your getting enough pottasium, and popping a couple OTC pain pills (like ibroprofin) can't hurt sometimes (well that;s what THEY say huhuhh).


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## steve1 (Apr 28, 2012)

Ryan-ZenGtr- said:


> Do you sleep on your hands?
> 
> Do you ever wake in the night in an uncomfortable position and have pins and needles or other strange sensations in your hands?
> 
> ...





that is the most terrifying experience I've ever had, waking up with both arms just dead, no feeling, just flopping around helplessly. I get it every so often, luckily with no lasting problems. The feeling comes back after a few minutes but I'll ache for a few hours. I made a thread about it called Dead Man's Arms.

OP go see a doctor, you've noticed the problem getting worse, it's better to tackle these things early on


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## Neurotic Visions (Apr 28, 2012)

I try to play in the classical position but sometimes I get lazy. I have been doing a variety of wrist and finger stretches throughout the past week but it hasn't seemed to help. I'll try playing exclusively in the classical position from now on. Also I do plan on seeing a doctor asap. Thanks for the helpful comments.


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## Explorer (Apr 28, 2012)

First off, stop playing. Your initial post sounds like you made a huge jump, and that the jump is the change which caused your problem. 

You keep trying to push your way past damage (or so it appears), but you can't push past damage. You can only let your body fix the damage. If you don't, then sometimes the damage can fixed surgically... and sometimes not. 

Stop playing.

See the doctor.

Give the doctor the complete information, including the recent change in playing habits/duration.

Follow the doctor's advice.

As someone who recently went through hand surgery on both hands in the past year, I can assure you that taking a bit of time off to allow things to heal is much better than being completely unable to play.

But... your choice, and it's entirely in your hands. Keep fucking them up and ruin your ability to play for even longer, or do the smart thing and be patient.

It's up to you.

Good luck, whichever choice you make!


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## Solodini (Apr 29, 2012)

Practising in shorter bursts with more regular breaks may help but yes, see a doctor.


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## phrygian12 (Apr 29, 2012)

I hope you're not tensing up when you practice or just starting off at full force, you can really burn out your muscles that way. 

I'd follow Steve1 and Expolorer's advice, don't even touch the guitar, go see a doctor and do what he says.


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## MetalDaze (Apr 30, 2012)

When going from playing 30 mins a day to 6 hours, you need to start thinking like an athlete.

For example, it's one thing to go running on a track for 30 mins, but imagine how beat up your body would be if one day you just decided to up it to 6 hours of running straight!

Warm ups (and warm downs), stretching, and adequate rest all need to be worked into your routine.


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