So...I'm selling up and having a break from playing because....

[bagsieblue]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1412887666' post='2573102']
Haven't you put hours and hours into learning to read etc ?

Seems a bit of a waste
[/quote]

I have put a LOT of time, money and effort into bass playing / learning to read / musicianship in the last couple of years.
The last month or so I've struggled to put in an hour or so a week as I "feel' I need to rest for my day job that pays the bills.

[Myke]

Fair enough

Definitely keep one bass, preferably the one you'll regret selling

Will you be sticking around here?

Oh and what's the new hobby going to be to replace your bass time/spending money?

[xilddx]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1412890679' post='2573159']
I have put a LOT of time, money and effort into bass playing / learning to read / musicianship in the last couple of years.
The last month or so I've struggled to put in an hour or so a week as I "feel' I need to rest for my day job that pays the bills.
[/quote]
Well, now you know you can do both as long as you work ergonomically and take enough breaks.

[Number6]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1412887729' post='2573104']
You and your employer are probably doing something wrong, and you need to sort it out quick. No reason you should be getting upper limb disorders from DSE work.

Tell me how your computers are set up and on what, what you do on them, and how many breaks you take.

Have you had a medical diagnosis?
[/quote]

I agree with this.....i am a DSE assessor and most stations can be set up to avoid this. It is also essential that you see your GP and maybe seek some Physio.

All the best.....Paul

[3below]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1412890679' post='2573159']
I have put a LOT of time, money and effort into bass playing / learning to read / musicianship in the last couple of years.
The last month or so I've struggled to put in an hour or so a week as I "feel' I need to rest for my day job that pays the bills.
[/quote]

In the nicest possible way, take care here. It is all too easy to be 'driven' by work. I have been down that journey and it is not good.

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1412889229' post='2573139']
It's not common sense man, it's specialised knowledge.

Your employer is in breach of their statutory duties and you have a legal duty to report any work-related ill health. There's a good reason for that. Get it sorted.
[/quote]

This, this, this.

Your employer is [b]legally obliged[/b] to help you out. Don't cripple yourself for your work. No job is worth that. Good luck.

[xgsjx]

Stopping playing. It's a hard decision to make, isn't it.
I did the same a few months back. Spent months contemplating, but nothing was getting used.
Keep a bass though, I have. You never know when in the future you might want to play again.

Oh, and look after your health.

[lojo]

Sounds like you've stumbled accross an expert in Xilddx, so I hope you can have some success following his guidance (basschaters can really make difference )

I'd say (from a completely non professional point of view but a personal one) that if you can get physically fit enough to play , that having a hobby you love is good for you mentally , I'm much less stressed and a better family man when I'm enjoying my hobbies

[karlfer]

Some proper folk giving you advice here Martyn so I won't.
I just hope you and your family are all ok, family and health are more important than plank spanking.
Good luck my friend, tha knows where I am.

[Bilbo]

Not read the whole thread but I had this problem and got an ergonomic keyboard and upright mouse and it cleared. I think the problem was, when using the PC, my wrists were bent and any bass related fatigue was never getting the time to heal. Once I got the keyboard/mouse, it was a lot gentler on my wrists and, fairly quickly, the discomfort ebbed away never to return.

[Geek99]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1412888129' post='2573111']
All correct fella's - I''m using a laptop ALL my working day (with current employers for almost 12 months).

Went to the Doctors yesterday.
Honestly speaking - I've been ignoring / managing the symptoms for at least a couple of years.
As a male - going to the Doctors is an achievement - I really had to convince him that I've been living with this for a couple of years and self managing the symptoms, it's not that I woke up earlier this week thinking "my wrists are a bit sore".

I've ordered a separate keyboard to be able to sit in a more neutral position.
[/quote]

[Geek99]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1412888129' post='2573111']
All correct fella's - I''m using a laptop ALL my working day (with current employers for almost 12 months).

Went to the Doctors yesterday.
Honestly speaking - I've been ignoring / managing the symptoms for at least a couple of years.
As a male - going to the Doctors is an achievement - I really had to convince him that I've been living with this for a couple of years and self managing the symptoms, it's not that I woke up earlier this week thinking "my wrists are a bit sore".

I've ordered a separate keyboard to be able to sit in a more neutral position.
[/quote]


Seper ate kbd won't necessarily help - what you need is a wrist rest, a marble mouse, and properly oriented desk and chair.

[DorsetBlue]

I work for a large company (you can probably guess which one shortly) and everything is Safety Safety Safety (including a charity contribution being based on reduced accident figures) although this is mainly driven by reducing accidents in the dockyards. In my company DSE is a mandated course, which has to be taken every 2 years along with annual check ups by Occupational Health. I use a laptop for work (and being a Systems Engineer, I also spend most of the day writing reports, spreadsheets etc) and have a screen raiser, external keyboard and mouse, keyboard wrist rest and mouse pad with a wrist rest also. If I was dealing with written letters and reports a lot (I don't, it mostly is electronic now), then I would also be provided with a document holder to reduce twisting to swap my view between the screen and the document.
Before I had the wrists rests, I mentioned to OH that I occasionally had numbness in my hands at the end of the day. The wrist rests arrived on my desk the next day. This is the way it should be, CTS etc is now considered a workplace injury.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1412936642' post='2573418']
Seper ate kbd won't necessarily help - what you need is a wrist rest, a marble mouse, and properly oriented desk and chair.
[/quote]

Sorry mate but that's wrong about the kbd and the marble mouse and wrist rests.

Edited October 10, 2014 by xilddx

[xilddx]

[quote name='DorsetBlue' timestamp='1412939584' post='2573456']
I work for a large company (you can probably guess which one shortly) and everything is Safety Safety Safety (including a charity contribution being based on reduced accident figures) although this is mainly driven by reducing accidents in the dockyards. In my company DSE is a mandated course, which has to be taken every 2 years along with annual check ups by Occupational Health. I use a laptop for work (and being a Systems Engineer, I also spend most of the day writing reports, spreadsheets etc) and have a screen raiser, external keyboard and mouse, keyboard wrist rest and mouse pad with a wrist rest also. If I was dealing with written letters and reports a lot (I don't, it mostly is electronic now), then I would also be provided with a document holder to reduce twisting to swap my view between the screen and the document.
Before I had the wrists rests, I mentioned to OH that I occasionally had numbness in my hands at the end of the day. The wrist rests arrived on my desk the next day. This is the way it should be, CTS etc is now considered a workplace injury.
[/quote]

It's great your company take H&S seriously, but numbness in your hands could be for any number of reasons, and a wrist rest will not help if the cause of the numbness has not been diagnosed. For instance if you have ulnar or radial deviation while typing, a wrist rest won't do sh*t.

Do you have DSE assessors?

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='bagsieblue' timestamp='1412888129' post='2573111']Went to the Doctors yesterday.[/quote]

I was tempted to say "bollox to that" but you haven't said what the Dr said.

IME I've always been offered anti-inflammatories with cortisone injections and/or operations for carpal tunnel in simlar circumstances to your own. Which do work for some, but why go through the waiting lists, pain & hassle of operations if you don't need to?
Went to my sports physio for a second opinion who after he'd finished ranting about needless operations cured it all in 2 visits. Also had RSI and numb fingers fixed by physio rather than meds/ops as has my ex who knackered her ankle while falling off a big pile of sh*t at the stables. She also had her RSI fixed by the same physio.
Get a decent physio on the job & IME there's a strong chance you won't have to give up anything. As Nige says, your employer shouldn't have a valid opinion on the matter. He's created a health issue for you - and needs to fix it, it's not a personal choice of his. Though I do appreciate that some employers will have the inclination to make life awkward for you during/after the process.

[Geek99]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1412945959' post='2573542']


Sorry mate but that's wrong about the kbd and the marble mouse and wrist rests.
[/quote]
I have had tendinitis and also thumb and wrist problems. I use a laptop all day and given a wrist rest and marble mouse they go away totally, so no, it isn't wrong

[xilddx]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1412953690' post='2573639']
I have had tendinitis and also thumb and wrist problems. I use a laptop all day and given a wrist rest and marble mouse they go away totally, so no, it isn't wrong
[/quote]

What I mean is, it's specific to your diagnosed condition. they do not constitute a panacea, wrist rests and marble mice can exacerbate certain conditions. Also, if you have not raised your laptop so the screen is at the correct height, you may risk cervical spine injuries and upper back and shoulder disorders. If you have raised it, you'll need a separate keyboard.

Edited October 10, 2014 by xilddx

[bassbiscuits]

sorry to hear about your health problems fella - hopefully giving the bass a rest will help those wrists recover a bit.

But definitely keep hold of one bass - i didn't play for a number of years between one thing or another and only had one bass stashed - but things changed and now i'm really glad i kept it.

most importantly tho, get well!

[blue]

I'm lucky, life circumstances have never positioned me to stop playing and gigging. I know that at some point I'll have to cut back, I' not getting any younger.

I would love to break out from the 4 hour bar shows to the better paying 90 minute show case gigs.

Blue

[inthedoghouse]

Please keep the gear you know you'll soon regret selling. Nobody knows what the future will bring.

I've just been made redundant after 33 years with the same organisation and now the shock has worn off the bitterness remains but now I resent all those 'wasted' years.

I agree with 3below's mail above.

Take care and let us know what you do

Edited October 10, 2014 by inthedoghouse

[blue]

There are a myriad of reasons guys decide to put playing bass guitar and working with bands on hold.

The reason, I think, that hurts the most are when guys live in tiny market areas and there are just not enough opportunities to make playing and gigging realistic.

Blue

[gadgie]

Just done all this RSI aining stuff this week at work. Big companies have to take it seriously these days. However, during the training I got the impression it was more of a CYA exercise. It was all tracked on the database so that they would have little or no comeback if I got problems in the future.
New position in the company last month which involves going to different location....hence a laptop. Got a proper mouse sorted out, but workstations in these locations are basic. Back at HQ however, got myself sorted out with docking station, twin monitors, and proper keyboard and mouse. Also an adjustable keyboard shelft thingy.
If your company are being sh*tty and not buying you a fullsize keyboard and mouse etc, then take the hit and get one yourself. Also worth consider hitting cokeconvertors for a sencond hand monitor. Gee come to think of it, I've probably got an old monitor and keyboard lying around if you pay P&P I could send it to you free. Cheap way to see if it improves your wrist problem.

[PlungerModerno]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1412954775' post='2573655']
What I mean is, it's specific to your diagnosed condition. they do not constitute a panacea, wrist rests and marble mice can exacerbate certain conditions. Also, if you have not raised your laptop so the screen is at the correct height, you may risk cervical spine injuries and upper back and shoulder disorders. If you have raised it, you'll need a separate keyboard.
[/quote]

+1

Wrist & hand injuries can be awful, but I'd rather that than similarly severe back problems.
Get a raiser for any monitors or laptops, use a book or two, chunk of wood - anything to get it close to eye level...

+1,000 to the separate keyboard & mouse... The ergonomics of laptops / notebooks are awful for anything but short term use (30 min or less).

Take care bagsieblue. Hope things improve - please let us know and we'll try to support you whatever you decide to do.

[xilddx]

[quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1412993714' post='2573995']
Just done all this RSI aining stuff this week at work. Big companies have to take it seriously these days. [b]However, during the training I got the impression it was more of a CYA exercise. It was all tracked on the database so that they would have little or no comeback if I got problems in the future.[/b]
New position in the company last month which involves going to different location....hence a laptop. Got a proper mouse sorted out, but workstations in these locations are basic. Back at HQ however, got myself sorted out with docking station, twin monitors, and proper keyboard and mouse. Also an adjustable keyboard shelft thingy.
If your company are being sh*tty and not buying you a fullsize keyboard and mouse etc, then take the hit and get one yourself. Also worth consider hitting cokeconvertors for a sencond hand monitor. Gee come to think of it, I've probably got an old monitor and keyboard lying around if you pay P&P I could send it to you free. Cheap way to see if it improves your wrist problem.
[/quote]

[u]All[/u] companies have to take health and safety seriously, and have had to for decades. There are moral, legal and economic reasons for managing health and safety at work effectively. Had this been done 50 years ago we probably wouldn't have more people dying from asbestos related diseases this year than on the roads.

Your company has to track this training. They have to demonstrate diligence and statutory compliance to auditors, local authorities, etc. There are many employees who receive H&S related training at work and still decide they don't want to follow it. This puts your employer in a difficult situation because employees have legal duties to take reasonable care of of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work, so eventually it becomes a disciplinary matter if they refuse to comply.

So, the problem is that employees often think that it's an arse covering exercise without thinking of the implications, or just through ignorance. Companies can often do more to promote a positive safety culture, because resistance from staff is just as big a problem as resistance from the organisation.