Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Would playing my piano HELP my carpal tunnel or no?

I've been feeling "mouse hand/wrist/forearm" lately, my right hand only (my mouse hand). Ugh. Anyway - do you think playing my piano MORE - which I currently don't play a lot - would help, or do you think it would actually make it worse?

Hi Sherrylyn,

Welcome to the forum!

It's all in how you do it. Playing with good ergonomic technique can help, but if you repeat similar problematic movements when you play, it certainly won't. How does it feel when you play piano, compared to using the mouse? Best is to have your technique observed by a teacher who understands injuries (as many don't).

I have found the Healthy Typing video put out by Edna Golandsky to be helpful. It shows how to apply the same ergonomic principles as Taubman piano technique to typing and mousing. I needed this in addition to Taubman piano lessons to get comfortable at the keyboard again after RSI.

Can you describe what you are feeling in more detail? Does it hurt? Where does it hurt most?

it's like pins and needles, when you sit on your feet and your foot goes to sleep. it feels like that. tingling in my fingertips, wrist, forearm... my right hand only. It does bother me pretty much all time time now but for example, over the weekend when I have NOT been on my computer 8plus hours a day, it feels better. then monday, it starts up again.

I did fall a week and a half ago, really quite badly, and I did hurt my shoulder, so my fall might be making it worse. but it WAS bothering me before I fell.... it's just worse now.

Is your mouse elevated? Like up on the desk so you have to lift your arm in the air to use it?

It might be related to what they talk about in this thread.

Go to a specialist (like a physiotherapist if your normal doctor is not up for it?).

helpful thread link, helpful info, THANKS!! I will look into these things!!

phantomFive - I HAD it elevated but that seemed to make it worse. I have been struggling to find a position that doesn't hurt - basically, everything hurts, when I'm at work on my computer. I tried having my mouse pad elevated, with wrist support gel thingy attached; that hurt, so I took it all down and am trying a flat mouse pad; that hurts too. the other day when I was at my mom's I did play for a while, and it didn't hurt, which made me wonder... hm... maybe if I play more I will be helping??

I just don't want to have to have surgery, please gosh NO SURGERY. sigh....

Resting helps. Playing most likely will make it worse. I'm having mouse related muscle issues at the moment, and have to limit playing.

It doesn't sound like carpal tunnel to me (ask a doctor to be sure). It's like RSI.

Sometimes using your muscles in a different way can make things better, to loosen, relax, and 'reset' the muscles. If playing the piano helps, then keep doing that. Sometimes I recommend people do pushups and situps, too. Be aware of your body, and if it makes things worse, then stop.

Tingling and needles is a symptom of nerve problem and Carpal tunnel is one kind. The nerves could be pinched or damaged in another place as well. A doctor can tell you. I have had Carpal Tunnel from the combination of mouse use and playing. At worst my hand was burning at night after a long computer session and that was the final wake up call. After a few weeks rest with wrist support I started alternating the mouse LH/RH and also the finger which I use to roll, reduced the computer use at home while all the time working on my playing technique. As long as I can keep my wrist level most of the time I am fine. Also I need to remember to use my arms more. Too much raísing or lowering the wrist will bring back the problems even faster than twisting, but I know the feeling now that means I need to stop and rethink what I am doing. So in a way playing can help with learning better ways to use your hands and wrists. But it can surely aggrevate the problem as well. I used the mouse with stiff wrists for decade or two and never had problems until I started playing, that's when the problems started.

Another thing to consider: maybe you are gripping the mouse too tightly, or maybe there is too much tension in your hand.

A likely way to solve this is to open the mouse settings on your computer, and turn the sensitivity way down. It should make the mouse more relaxing to control.

I am a good amateur pianist and had carpal tunnel described as severe in both hands. I had daily numbness to fingers 2-5 worse at night and if holding something in my hand for just a few moments. I had just sensory dysfunction and not motor or muscle wasting. Plus a right and left index trigger finger. So I decided to have my carpel tunnel release performed on both hands the same day. I have not looked back not even one episode of numbness or weakness. Then three weeks ago had both trigger finger release surgeries performed and now I am almost back to practicing. So i think if conservative measures have still resulted in three or more recurrences of either numbness or tenosynovitis see a hand specialist and seriously consider surgery. It is so fast and easy for recuperation.

I had carpal tunnel syndrome following many years of mousing. I fixed it by maintaining a straight wrist. Don't let the wrist bend at any angle if you can help it (either up/down or right/left). I needed a cushion under my wrist for a few years to help maintain a straight wrist when mousing.

I basically follow the same principle when playing piano and haven't had any trouble with pain or stiffness - except when I notice that I have allowed my wrist be bend!

2 cents.

Play piano with an always straight wrist? Piano playing needs that flexible wrist for leverage, relaxation and power, imo.

The wrist movements can be very small and the wrist is mostly in the relaxed but straight position. Too much bending or floppy wrists will cause me nerve injury, but straight wrists work. If yours can handle more flexing, then you have more choice.

The problem is when the tendons are moving while the wrist isn't straight. You can use your wrists so long as your fingers are pre-positioned so you don't drag the tendons thru the tunnels at the same time. You can use the tendons to re-position the fingers while the wrists are straight.

It's like the clutch cable on an old VW. It works fine as long as the tube isn't bent.

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Yes, that's a good explanation. Depends on one's physiology how prone one is for problems. I personally will try everything else before letting anyone put a knife in my wrist. So I keep my wrists level as much as possible and so far it has been working.

Sherylynn, I've had carpal tunnel now for a couple of decades, and will soon be getting surgery, as the hand surgeon told me now it's severe and I'll start to lose the use of the hand soon if I don't. One of the major symptoms of carpal tunnel is numbness from the thumb to the inside of the ring finger. If the outside of the ring finger and pinky are numb, it's called ulnar tunnel syndrome. What causes either is nerve compression, which will eventually cause the affected nerve to die (bad for you, of course). I fell on the hand I'm having problems with a few years ago, which was quite painful. I went to the family doctor, who X-rayed it and said I'm fine. Earlier this year I had a hand surgeon look at it, and the scapho-lunate ligament was completely torn, and is now worn away, so now I need a graft to repair it. Don't waste time with the family doctor or a physical therapist, go see a hand specialist; it's the only sure way you'll get it back to normal. Best wishes

I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand a few weeks ago, and highly recommend it. The pain/tingling/numbness went away immediately, and the surgery was painless.

How is your dexterity and piano-playing ability?