Fretting hand strength building? epic wrist damage ftl

[carbon]

So last November my right arm got literally crushed to powder right next to the wrist and i had to get a plate and bolts put in. Good news is I'm a lefty so it doesn't affect most of my day-to-day, but the bad news is I'm a lefty so its my fretting hand that is messed up . Some really basic tasks, like putting my fingers on the first 4 positions on the low b string, are painful and difficult to do now due to how much my tendons tightened up. What sorts of physical exercises or stretches do you guys think i should try to get my hand functional again? I can still manage some of the lower strings, but that's not what I got a seven string for !

7 1/2 weeks post op:

 

[The Atomic Ass]

So last November my right arm got literally crushed to powder right next to the wrist and i had to get a plate and bolts put in. Good news is I'm a lefty so it doesn't affect most of my day-to-day, but the bad news is I'm a lefty so its my fretting hand that is messed up . Some really basic tasks, like putting my fingers on the first 4 positions on the low b string, are painful and difficult to do now due to how much my tendons tightened up. What sorts of physical exercises or stretches do you guys think i should try to get my hand functional again? I can still manage some of the lower strings, but that's not what I got a seven string for !

7 1/2 weeks post op:

I would start off just moving the wrist around as much as possible without causing pain. Not necessarily on guitar, just in general. Try finger yoga, (it includes the wrist), as it will tend to loosen up the tendons a bit.

 

[DaveCarter]

Fucking ouch dude Having had wrist problems myself (though nowhere near as severe) the best I can recommend is get to a physiotherapist, as they should be able to give you some strengthening exercises to do. Once you've built up some strength, Id recommend getting yourself a Powerball: NSD Powerball Gyroscope for sports and fitness, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, tendonitis, wrist pain and grip strength Theyre great for building up strength in the fingers, wrist and forearm. Plus it goes without saying, dont practise too much!! Ive had a joint problem in my wrist and Im currently doing half-hour on, one hour off. See what works for you. Best of luck getting back to playing again, mate!!

 

[st2012]

I'm scared to death of something like this happening to me. I would ask the physician taking care of you to order some type of physical therapy to get your strength and range of motion back. Good luck to you man!

 

[failshredder]

This is a stupid idea, but try learning to play righty. Seriously. Will your range of motion permit picking with your right hand?

 

[Fred]

Owwwwwww, man! That really sucks, sorry to hear it.

 

[carbon]

I would start off just moving the wrist around as much as possible without causing pain. Not necessarily on guitar, just in general. Try finger yoga, (it includes the wrist), as it will tend to loosen up the tendons a bit.

I googled that finger yoga stuff and it looks like something I should be doing, thanks for the suggestion!

Once you've built up some strength, Id recommend getting yourself a Powerball: NSD Powerball Gyroscope for sports and fitness, carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, tendonitis, wrist pain and grip strength Theyre great for building up strength in the fingers, wrist and forearm. Plus it goes without saying, dont practise too much!! Ive had a joint problem in my wrist and Im currently doing half-hour on, one hour off. See what works for you. Best of luck getting back to playing again, mate!!

I have a friend who plays racquetball who has some of those, I think I might be borrowing one for a while to see if it will help out, he has beastly forearms and uses those all the time.

This is a stupid idea, but try learning to play righty. Seriously. Will your range of motion permit picking with your right hand?

I tried doing that for a little bit, but it just doesn't feel natural . I can't imagine playing that way permanently, because my arm should be back to normal in a few months, so I guess I can get a lot of picking practice in in the meantime .