Carpel Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve in the wrist becomes compressed and causes numbness, pins and needles and substantial pain. For anyone this is an awful infliction but for a musician this can put an end to their career. The affects are disabling as you can lose strength, not be able to grip and also lose all coordination. This is not uncommon in musicians as it is caused by excessive strain being put on the arm and the wrist from repetitive use and always using exactly the same pressure on the same muscles. Although the carpel tunnel joint is in the wrist the median nerve actually begins in the neck and continues through the shoulder joint, down to the elbow and finally to the carpel tunnel joint in the wrist. Although you can treat for the prevention of carpel tunnel syndrome there is nothing you can do to cure it once you actually have it. This can be likened to a death sentence for musicians as they would have to give up everything that makes them that person. The only treatment that a doctor will advise is rest and as many musicians know, this is not possible. A musician needs to practice constantly to become and remain great at what they do. As having carpel tunnel syndrome actually numbs and prohibits coordination then this will stop a musician from playing well and whether they are a guitarist or a pianist there is no room for error so this is why it can end a career in music. Without the full use of your wrists it is impossible for anyone to continue playing. It must be heartbreaking for someone to be diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome as to many musicians music and playing music is their whole life and everything else comes second; music is part of who they are and without it they could become depressed and have no direction in life. Dedicated musicians could think about maybe teaching music as an alternative to be able to remain in some way connected to what they love; but to some this would be no consolation at all.

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