Guitar Strap Cutting Off Circulation To Arm

GotMetalBoy

GotMetalBoy

Power User
Anyone have issues with guitar straps cutting off circulation to their arm?

I've had issues with my back and left shoulder for the past few years, so I had to stop playing bass and can only play light weight Ibanez guitars bc I don't have to hold my arm out as far to play guitar. I've been really wanting to play bass again, so I jammed with my drummer this week and I noticed that my left arm's circulation is getting cut off by the strap.

I have a ton of different straps, so I tried different widths and different materials like leather, padded, stretchy, nylon etc but nothing really seems to help. If I put the body of the bass on a chair and play it kind of like a double bass, I have no issues with my shoulder hurting.

I'm thinking about getting a stand for my bass, so I don't need a strap or getting a harness double shoulder strap.

Anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?

I'm in the USA but can buy from anywhere online. I'm also pretty good with a sewing machine and thought about trying to make something.
 
GotMetalBoy said:
Anyone have issues with guitar straps cutting off circulation to their arm?

I've had issues with my back and left shoulder for the past few years, so I had to stop playing bass and can only play light weight Ibanez guitars bc I don't have to hold my arm out as far to play guitar. I've been really wanting to play bass again, so I jammed with my drummer this week and I noticed that my left arm's circulation is getting cut off by the strap.

I have a ton of different straps, so I tried different widths and different materials like leather, padded, stretchy, nylon etc but nothing really seems to help. If I put the body of the bass on a chair and play it kind of like a double bass, I have no issues with my shoulder hurting.

I'm thinking about getting a stand for my bass, so I don't need a strap or getting a harness double shoulder strap.

Anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?

I'm in the USA but can buy from anywhere online. I'm also pretty good with a sewing machine and thought about trying to make something.
Click to expand...
https://reverb.com/p/mbrace-guitar-...gIVUz2BCh0EFgJIEAQYASABEgKovPD_BwE&hfid=18459
A life saver for me.
 
Are you sure the strap is cutting off your blood circulation? It’s more likely that a nerve is being stressed somewhere. If your blood circulation were cut off for any length of time, you’d find yourself unable to play (or even hold a pencil) until circulation was restored.

Maybe it’s the weight of the bass on your shoulder, pressing down on your shoulder. Maybe it’s the concentrated force on a certain point on your shoulder. Maybe it’s keeping your back hunched over, and standing up straighter would help. Maybe it’s extending your arm out.

Experiment with different positions and straps. Some are as wide as 4-1/2”, and may or may not help. Try different positions higher or lower on your shoulder.

Also try slipping the strap so the neck of the bass is more vertical. That minimizes arm extension. It’s better for your wrist, too.
 
biskitboy said:
I’ve liked these straps so much, they are on all my bass and electric guitars now.

http://comfortstrapp.com/

Sounds like you might need something more though...
Click to expand...

Those are what I usually use and I use their wide bass straps for guitar and bass. They make a huge difference but I think it's the extra weight of the bass that's causing my issues, so I think I may try what @bradlake suggested.
 
Rex said:
Are you sure the strap is cutting off your blood circulation? It’s more likely that a nerve is being stressed somewhere. If your blood circulation were cut off for any length of time, you’d find yourself unable to play (or even hold a pencil) until circulation was restored.

Maybe it’s the weight of the bass on your shoulder, pressing down on your shoulder. Maybe it’s the concentrated force on a certain point on your shoulder. Maybe it’s keeping your back hunched over, and standing up straighter would help. Maybe it’s extending your arm out.

Experiment with different positions and straps. Some are as wide as 4-1/2”, and may or may not help. Try different positions higher or lower on your shoulder.

Also try slipping the strap so the neck of the bass is more vertical. That minimizes arm extension. It’s better for your wrist, too.
Click to expand...

I start getting a tingling pins and needles feeling in my left arm and hand after about 5 minutes and my hand starts to go numb. It's very similar to when I sit or lay wrong and a body part falls asleep.

I've tried to find light weight basses and the only ones I could find were Ibanez GIO GSR200 which can sound decent by replacing the pickups and electronics but they don't play very good, so they're not really an option.

I've also tried changing my posture and the bass position. If I put the strap over my right shoulder I can play without issues but I'm so afraid the bass will slip off and I'll drop it or I'll injure my hand or wrist attempting to catch it.

I appreciate your suggestions.
 
I had a very similar problem that started a couple of years ago, I would have tingles from my left elbow to my finger tips, but an mri showed it to be a damaged disc in my neck. At first I thought it was from bending my wrist and elbow while playing. after the mri I found it was back and neck position. staying up straight while playing was a big help. Now though I have hand troubles and have all but quit playing now.
 
Couple of thoughts. Years back I had a really bad bought with tendonitis. It was so bad I could not even hold a cup with one hand. A trip to the Dr. for a diagnosis, a cortisone shot and an arm band (Band-it) fixed my problem. I'd like to suggest that you make a trip to a chiropractor as it sounds to me like you might have a nerve thing going on. Another thought would be to go for acupuncture. I know, I know, acupuncture is like going to a witch doctor or a voodoo man. Actually, after going for acupuncture myself, I am a believer. Not The Monkees song, I mean a real believer. I don't really care what any skeptics say. Acupuncture works.

If traditional medicine is not working, I just suggest you try some unconventional methods. A few years back, my son-in-law had some very serious medical issues. I'll spare the details, but we almost lost him several times. He was very seriously ill. He had years of medical treatments including many "specialists". After a family friend pleaded with him, he went to an Indian Medicine Man. (Don't laugh). The tribal man asked many questions about what was going on with him. He then instructed him on a specific diet and prescribed some herbs. Within 6 months he had lost a lot of weight and his medical issues were cleared up. I will testify that the medicine man saved his life. I'm just saying that sometimes the unconventional methods really do work.

I really do hope and pray that you get this sorted out.
 
Agree with what was said above, but I'd order it as follows:

1- See your doc.
2- Let them evaluate and treat you. It may involve XRay, MRI, Physical/Occupational Therapy, maybe some other things.
3- Talk to them about how/if to incorporate alternative therapies into your treatment regime.
4- Then it's trickier. If not better or improving, second opinion? More alternative? Something different?

I say all this because A) Common things are common. It's likely that your ailment falls in a certain spectrum of musculoskeletal or neurologic disorders that your doc or specialists have been trained to see and have treated before. And B) Your insurance will cover this more so, therefore your costs will likely be much less, than going in a different order.

All the best-
 
GotMetalBoy said:
I start getting a tingling pins and needles feeling in my left arm and hand after about 5 minutes and my hand starts to go numb. It's very similar to when I sit or lay wrong and a body part falls asleep.
Click to expand...
That’s a nerve issue. People think that, when an arm “falls asleep,” it’s blood being cut off, but it’s not. If blood were cut off from your arm for even a few minutes, tisssue would start dying.
 
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dpeterson said:
I'll bet it's not the strap but a neck issue... your neck. I've had 2 cervical fusions, and both of them had numbness in the arms, both different arms. +1 on go to doc, and get an mri or ct scan to be sure.
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I was going to say the same thing. I had a problem with shoulder pain when playing. I was sure it was something in my shoulder. Went to a specialist & he said there is no way the pain was caused by something in the shoulder. He was right. I tend to look at the neck when I play. I then went to a show where the tables were set up so I had to look to the left to see the stage & I ended up with the same pain after a while just sitting there looking to the left. It was a nerve getting pinched in my neck. Visits to the chiropractor helped a lot along with trying not to look at the neck so much. If I do get a little pain while playing, I just look to the right & relieve pressure for a moment & it goes away.
 
Thank you everyone for the great info! I just ordered a Mbrace thanks to @bradlake and I'm thinking about ordering a Guitar Support Harness thanks to @unix-guy

Has anyone used a Guitar Support Harness ( https://neotechstraps.com/guitar-support-harness.html )? I've tried the Slider Straps Dual Shoulder Strap but it wasn't very comfortable and couldn't adjust it to be able to hold my guitar at a good angle.

I know I should go see a doctor or specialist but it's hard to find the time with my work schedule and I have a high deductible health plan, so I have to pay a lot out of pocket. I don't play out anymore because my back can't handle carrying my gear, so I think the Mbrace will be perfect for playing bass and a harness strap will make playing guitar more comfortable.
 
GotMetalBoy said:
Thank you everyone for the great info! I just ordered a Mbrace thanks to @bradlake and I'm thinking about ordering a Guitar Support Harness thanks to @unix-guy

Has anyone used a Guitar Support Harness ( https://neotechstraps.com/guitar-support-harness.html )? I've tried the Slider Straps Dual Shoulder Strap but it wasn't very comfortable and couldn't adjust it to be able to hold my guitar at a good angle.

I know I should go see a doctor or specialist but it's hard to find the time with my work schedule and I have a high deductible health plan, so I have to pay a lot out of pocket. I don't play out anymore because my back can't handle carrying my gear, so I think the Mbrace will be perfect for playing bass and a harness strap will make playing guitar more comfortable.
Click to expand...
That’s great GMB, I’ve been using Mbrace now for some years, and I don’t know what I’d do without them now. it’s also important to have a quality stable mic stand that has as much height flexibility as possible, so you can use it seated as well..like this https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...iXkNPL6AV09n0cmRiuSZZdnGIq8RRVloaAi6yEALw_wcB
mbrace.jpg
 
GotMetalBoy said:
I start getting a tingling pins and needles feeling in my left arm and hand after about 5 minutes and my hand starts to go numb. It's very similar to when I sit or lay wrong and a body part falls asleep.

I've tried to find light weight basses and the only ones I could find were Ibanez GIO GSR200 which can sound decent by replacing the pickups and electronics but they don't play very good, so they're not really an option.

I've also tried changing my posture and the bass position. If I put the strap over my right shoulder I can play without issues but I'm so afraid the bass will slip off and I'll drop it or I'll injure my hand or wrist attempting to catch it.

I appreciate your suggestions.
Click to expand...

It's a nerve issue. Depending on which fingers are affected, it most likely to be a neck problem at C6 and/or C7.
Thumb and pointing fingers: C7
Middle, ring fingers and pinky: C6

See a Gonsted chiroprator!
 
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I have been dealing with similar issues for almost two years now. Spinal stenosis with myelopathy of the C6-C7 area. In other words, a narrowing off the spinal canal that can pinch your nerves. I lost 75% of the strength in my left arm for about 5 weeks. Not good if your a guy requiring a chair to get around so i spun circles in my living room for two months, :)

A MRI showed minor stenosis and no surgery was recommended. So basically I pinched my nerve big time and the minor stenosis made it worse. My thumb, index, and middle finger were completely numb for months and slowly got better. Very slowly! It's now almost two years since the initial incident which i might add was me simply reaching behind myself to close a semi heavy sliding door. I occasionally feel tingling in the fingers when doing activities that stress that area of the neck and playing guitar is sadly one of them.
 
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