Hand cramping.

[DTShady]

I have been getting really good at FFR lately. Suddenly I am able to FC a lot of Very Difficult songs. i have been pretty happy.

However my hands have begun cramping up to where I can not move my fingers indevidualy. It happens soon too, usually less then half way through the first song I play for the day.

Of course this leads to me not being able to play at all. I was hoping someone here had tips for avoiding this.

[dragonmegaXX]

Re: Hand cramping.

Dont play for a while I guess.
Take a vacation.
Try a shower to, warm water helps me loosen up.

[HoneyMelonCalibrator]

Re: Hand cramping.

Other than the obvious taking a break, there's not much I can suggest.

[hi_top]

Re: Hand cramping.

Shower thing works

[awein999]

Re: Hand cramping.

my hands are burning so bad right now from whoring for the official tourney lol

[EAGAMES]

Re: Hand cramping.

Interesting. Whenever I wet my hands, whether it's with hot, or cold water, I can't move as well.

[DTShady]

Re: Hand cramping.

Well I have tried taking a 3 day break. So maybe this time I'll just stay away from FFR for a week.

Thanks for pushing me to take more of a break guys. FFR is just so addicting.

[Ghakimx]

Re: Hand cramping.

I'd advise if you avoid rapidly pressing keys down by using your fingers. Try using your wrist for this instead.

[Scyze]

Re: Hand cramping.

Stretch your fingers before playing. Shake out your hands, bend them as far back and as far down as they'll go before playing. Your fingers are muscles too, and if you jump into a game (especially a hard difficulty one) without stretching, it only makes sense that they'll cramp up.

[Ghakimx]

Re: Hand cramping.

That's pretty good advice too, since it's the same thing for all your other muscles.

Wow, you're from 2005.

[Garquillex]

Re: Hand cramping.

Stretch your fingers before playing. Shake out your hands, bend them as far back and as far down as they'll go before playing. Your fingers are muscles too, and if you jump into a game (especially a hard difficulty one) without stretching, it only makes sense that they'll cramp up.

I'm pretty sure there are no muscles in your fingers. The muscles that control your fingers are in your forearms and the muscles are attached to your fingers via tendons.

Take your left arm and hold it palm up. Now take your right hand and wrap it around your left wrist so your pointer finger and thumb come as close as possible to meeting right under where your left thumb starts coming out. Now slide down a couple inches and push in with your right thumb/hand as much as possible. Your left hand will contract and it will be really hard to open it.

My forearms start to get weary after a while. I can feel the muscles get really warm.

Try massaging those muscles. I do that sometimes when they start to get tired, but I have nothing to back it up scientifically.

[OneHandNow]

Re: Hand cramping.

Well I have tried taking a 3 day break. So maybe this time I'll just stay away from FFR for a week.

Thanks for pushing me to take more of a break guys. FFR is just so addicting.

Solution: tap lightly. seriously, i am 99% sure you are tapping pretty hard (to the beat, not mashing randomly), try pressing the keyboard buttons lightly.. it won't hurt.

[Scyze]

Re: Hand cramping.

That's pretty good advice too, since it's the same thing for all your other muscles.

Wow, you're from 2005.

Yeah, but I'm not amazing or anything. :P

I'm pretty sure there are no muscles in your fingers. The muscles that control your fingers are in your forearms and the muscles are attached to your fingers via tendons.

Take your left arm and hold it palm up. Now take your right hand and wrap it around your left wrist so your pointer finger and thumb come as close as possible to meeting right under where your left thumb starts coming out. Now slide down a couple inches and push in with your right thumb/hand as much as possible. Your left hand will contract and it will be really hard to open it.

My forearms start to get weary after a while. I can feel the muscles get really warm.

Try massaging those muscles. I do that sometimes when they start to get tired, but I have nothing to back it up scientifically.

There aren't any muscles in your fingers, but they function kind of the same way anyhow. My rule of thumb is: if it can cramp, stretch it. :P The muscles run all the way through your arm, and there are some muscles at the base of the hand as well, in the palms. The fingers have tendons in them, so it makes sense that these would cramp up as well.

Another sort of stretch/warm-up thing is to just flex and then close your fingers repeatedly until they feel a bit more limber.

[Garquillex]

Re: Hand cramping.

Another sort of stretch/warm-up thing is to just flex and then close your fingers repeatedly until they feel a bit more limber.

My finger joints clank when I do that.

Is that bad?

[Scyze]

Re: Hand cramping.

My finger joints clank when I do that.

Is that bad?

Uhm, I'm not sure. If they just pop a little, that's natural (in my opinion). I could never be a burglar--if I twist even remotely, everything snap crackle pops. Otherwise, don't stress the fingers when you do it, I suppose..? Some people are just clankety. :P