Really bad upper back/pins needles, caused by bass ;-(

[logicred]

I have played bass off and on (mostly off) for many years. I am now 40 and about a year ago I decided to get into it seriously and bought a Warwick Bubinga bass which was quite heavy. After practicing with it on my lap and at a studio each week for a few hours standing up I developed a pain in my upper back/neck/left shoulder. The pain went but left me with permanent numbness and pins and needles in the left hand, then the right hand, then the chin. This was 9 months ago and the pins and needles are still there. I then started to practice more and more and the pain is now back again and worse than before.

I have had blood tests/MRI's etc which have all come back fine. Finally a physiotherapist has taken a look and I have tendonitis and my back was out in a couple of places. My muscles on the left side are spasming down my arm, back and the shoulder. He seems to know his stuff and has said that it sounds as though the numbness/pins and needles fits in perfectly with my back ailment. He has put me right, but I have had to stop playing now for a while which has cheesed me off big time as I have just started to get into the Rockschool exams ;-( Good time to learn more theory though!

I suspect it is my sitting down position which has done it. Thinking about it I tend to "lean over" the bass to see the notes. Never really thought about it before. I sit down all day at work so I think a combination of the two have really done me some damage.

Just wanted to see if anybody else has had something similar, or practices standing up instead of sitting down, or does any other particular exercises to help their upper back?

Take care of your back folks!

[essexbasscat]

First of all, you could gather the physio's opinion about what's causing the problem, that may be illuminating. In the meanwhile,something to think about;

1) Do you think there's any connection between you starting to play a heavy(er) bass for longer periods of time than before and the onset of symptoms ?

2) You've played basses for many years, yet your post indicates problem has not emerged before now. If it were your posture (looking over the bass as you play) would that not have at least indicated something over the years ? (surely you must have had periods where you play longer sessions over the years ? did anything not happen then ?)

Any thoughts ?

[logicred]

Thanks. I hardly played at all in the past to be honest, it wasn't until just over a year ago when I suddenly started playing more seriously (joined a band so my practice went up significantly). I thought initially it was the weight of the bass on my shoulders for the 3 hours per week at practice, but now I think about it, I think it's more the hunching over the bass when sitting down (could even be both). I seem to remember the Warwick being really heavy though. Weird how the pain went away after a while though, but when I started practicing for longer periods due to the Rockschool exams the pain has come back again.

[essexbasscat]

Suspect you'll get a range of advice on this one, but there will be no real substiture for seeing you in action. A good investment may be to have a few lessons with a decent tutor

Alternatively, you could post some footage of you playing online and wait for the response. That may not be everyone's cup of tea though

Good luck and best wishes for your career

[Woodinblack]

Recently after a spate of wanting to get better and practicing a lot, I got pins and needles / numbness in my left arm. Went to a doctor at a place I know to be not good (as that is were I have had knee treatment). The guy pointed out it was that I had a trapped nerve in my neck, and if I tilted my head to the side, it would go away, which it did. He also pointed out that playing the bass sitting down wasn't a good position, and now I have noticed it is much worse sat down, so I invariably stand up now. It is actually down to using a laptop a lot over decades, one of my neck vertebrae is a bit squashed. So these things are often down to posture.

[logicred]

That's interesting, thanks for that. My physio chap explained to me where all the nerves went and showed why I was getting them in my chin. He was pressing down on two places on my back which shot pains to the places I got pins and needles. I have some exercises to do now, but I think when I am sorted I need to get my upper back stronger and practice standing up from now on.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

One thing to do ..have the bass situated so that, when you stand up and sit down , the distance is the same . Checkout how billy Sheehan explains it .
I'm in my early 50s now. I was stop/ starting and stopped at about the age of 35. Started playing in bands again at 40 until 45.
At about 42, I was in 2 bands. Normally play headless, but one of the bands I was in wanted a 'real bass', so I got a telecaster. Then I got shoulder pain// left shoulder more protruding than the other, and tennis elbow. Bear in mind, I was fit then and dpsaw an instructuctor who recommended me to a physio who de stressed my body.

Acupuncture worked, with ultrasound( gel stuff). Plus excercises with tennis balls and turning my arms and shoulders in unison. After 2-3 weeks I was healed.
Horses for courses and all that , but do think about posture mentioned above and things such as Alexander technique etc.