Left hand numbness

Uilleann Pipes
1

My left hand is getting numb from the bag being under my arm and cutting off something that supplies blood to my hand I guess. Anyone else? Suggestions, beside loose a hundred pounds?

Speaking of which, I am overweight and am wondering how to and where to tie in a set of drones since I don’t have much of a lap. I might have to wear them like that old lady on eBay sticking straight up in the air I’m afraid. :wink: Anyone else out there in my situation?

BTW … I too am trying to relax my grip in my right hand as well.

Timmy

2

How long do you practice for each time Timmy? Playing for an hour or more at a time can cause numbness after a while. Try this for starters -

While practicing, after every ten minutes or so, let both your arms fall by your side comletely relaxed. Just let them hang there and feel their natural weight. This will allow your muscles to relax and uncontract, helping to restore blood flow. As long as you’re not getting pain as well I think this will be of benefit.

Don’t practice more than an hour at a time. If possible, do it in two lots of half an hour during the day and again at night, for example.

Hope this helps,

DavidG

3

Numbness can sometimes mean the onset of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Sit at your kitchen table (or your desk) and put your elbows on the table. Hold your forearms straight up and let hour hands dangle forwards. If after a couple of minutes your fingers begin to tingle or go to sleep, you probably have CTS.

This isn’t a sure-fire test, but if your fingers do go numb/tingle during this test a visti to a doc is at least warranted.

4

Yeah, the numbness thing has nothing to do with weight, cause I get it all the time. I have carpal tunnel, so I have to be very aware of when this kind of thing happens. I notice that it happens more often on days when my reed is very hard, so you might want to adjust the reed to make it lighter when this happens. Also, as other people have said, stop immediately and strech out. Take a break until your arm feels normal again.

J.

5

Hi Timmy,

What part of the hand in particular does the numbness effect? Does it go away when you stop playing?

Patrick.

6

Timmy,

There are many,many factors…many,many,many,many factors which can cause numbness. Carpal Tunnel is only one of them and more often than not, what people think is Carpla Tunnel in fact isn’t. This is testified to by the fact that surgery for CTS (carpal trunnwel syndrom) rarely has any long term effect. Short-term, yes, but most time it comes back again.

Unless you are waking up at night with your thumb, index and middle finger only numb or tingling, then you probably do not have CTS.

Constriction in the shoulders caused by squeezing the bag can cause numbness.

I have tinggling and numbeness every now and then after playing the pipes, funny thing is, I can play the whislte or GHB practice chanter for hours on end and not get numbess or tingling, suggesting a constriction problem due to pressing on a bag.

So your problem could very well be simply a muscular problem higher up in your shoulders. Often enough, constriction in the muscles in the shoulders which run down the arm into the hand cause exactly the same symptoms as CTS, which is why surgery for CTS can eliminate the symptoms initially, but a build up of fluids in the arm because of the should constriction only serves to make the symptoms return again.

DOn’t go to a GP - useless - they’ll only suggest CTS and make you wear a splint or have surgery.

Go to an osteopath or Remedial massage therapist. But there are RMTs and there are RMTs. I recommend going to an RMT who also specialises in things like Trigger Point Therapy etc.

In the meantime, just take it easy. It may just be a temporary thing. If it gets worse such that you have symptoms at times that you are not playing, then go to a therapist. People will cite cases such as Hamish Moore, the Scottish piper who lost the use of his middle finger (and has since learned to use his little finger instead) - but remember, he had a very tight and regular performance schedule, performing nearly every day of the week and over a number of years lost the use of his digit.

Cheers,

DavidG