# Numbness in fingertips?



## pkster8235 (Mar 31, 2008)

so ive been playing for about 8 or 9 years.. lately i have been playing a lot more (2+ hrs, off and on throughout the day). i get some numbness in my finger tips.. not when i am playing.. at other times.
i only get it in the finger tips of my left hand (the hand that i use to make my chords).. 
it's kind of like a numbness but also kind of feels like they are asleep (you know, like when your leg or foot 'falls asleep'?)

has anyone else experienced this? i am trying to find out so that i know whether or not i should get tested for diabetes or something. 

my finger tips aren't sore but they are a little deformed.. just indents from the strings and very tough and rough callouses.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Check your wrist position and tension in your hand/wrist when you play -- sounds like you might be starting off down the road to Carpal tunnel syndrome, which isn't fun. I'd go see a doc too to get checked for that if I were you. 
You don't want CTS.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

yup, what devnulljp said. could just be inflammation from repetitive use, but you dont want cts, thatll kill your playing.
ive had the numb fingertips thing several times, and once when both my hands where numb for about a month. never got it from playing tho, and for years id go on playing binges of up to 16 hrs a day.
mine was always caused by over-stressing them at work.
always went away, and since i stopped doing that kinda work its not come back.
id take it easy on the playing for a few days, and take ibuprofen.
read a good book or something.:smile:
look here- common for guitarists-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetitive_strain_injury


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Could also be stress related. See a doctor, it's the safe thing to do...and it's free.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

NB-SK said:


> Could also be stress related. See a doctor, it's the safe thing to do...and it's free.


God i love Canada:smilie_flagge17:


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

*Been there done that.*

Mine was carpal tunnel....fifteen minutes in the chair and ten days recuperation I was good as new (not that I was that good to begin with:smile Have your doc check it for you....diagnosis is easy and (almost) painless.


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## rippinglickfest (Jan 1, 2006)

*Stretch*

Make you sure you stretch out your fingers and wrists before and after playing, most guitarists DO NOT DO THIS- AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I also shake my hands from the wrists for a minute or so to get the blood flowing through them. I've never had any problems at all even when I was playing 6 to 8 hours a day in my early woodshedding years.


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## Vintage_Groove (Mar 4, 2008)

Well I just started learning bass a week ago and the fingers of my left hand have been numb everyday. But everytime I play it gets a bit more comfortable. I expect the numbness to go away as the skin gets used to the thick strings.


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