Bass straps and playing with neck or other injury

[AmstaffsnIbanez]

I personally have a central bulging c6 disc, anyone else have a cervical problem? Is its super bad for it?

I also have shoulder impingement and bursitis again anyone relate? Know any tricks for better movement?

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Not sure if these conditions can be cured, but if you start a daily kundalini yoga practice now, it may help. I have a 70 minute video from the 90's on VHS called Yoga For Life. I used to do it everyday, but now just do Raja yoga and sun salutation and lift weights.

The bass is a big, heavy beast of an instrument. I don't really understand how some guys can play, without lifting weights(unless they are 200+ lbs of muscle). I am not one to sit and play bass either. I play hard with my whole body. Lifting, I do reverse situps, bench press, shoulder presses, bench fly press and more. I practice preventive maintenance on myself and eat healthy and a daily power walk(30+min) No drugs, big pharma except the occasional cigar, beer or Scotch or gin.

Look at bigger straps too. I have a bunch of 4" Italia leather, that are comfortable enough for me.

 

[OnlyFlats]

Pyrrho response above has lots of lived wisdom. I'll add: lap swimming with a snorkel; clinical pilates; yin yoga (the slow and long type, not flashy); and any body awareness work.

These all help develop the body's foundation to withstand the load of the instrument.

The other side is to reduce the instruments load. A wide strap doesn't do that, it helps to distribute the load more evenly over the shoulder. I have 3x of those italia 4" straps they're my favourite. Sign up to their mail list for really good sale offers.

Instrument load reduction for me took a few other basses and a full rig review. I got into short scales. Headless basses too. Consider a BlackStar carry on bass if you're really sensitive to weight load.

Rig: I went fully modular. Light weight heads were easy, cabs are harder. Barefaced gear was what I went with and I'm very happy.

I'm now playing weekly and gigging. But I was so bad at one point that I had to give up playing standing. I'm very grateful for the role of bass in my life and being able to play. I hope you get to keep it going in your life too

 

[2saddleslab]

Not sure if these conditions can be cured, but if you start a daily kundalini yoga practice now, it may help. I have a 70 minute video from the 90's on VHS called Yoga For Life. I used to do it everyday, but now just do Raja yoga and sun salutation and lift weights.

The bass is a big, heavy beast of an instrument. I don't really understand how some guys can play, without lifting weights(unless they are 200+ lbs of muscle). I am not one to sit and play bass either. I play hard with my whole body. Lifting, I do reverse situps, bench press, shoulder presses, bench fly press and more. I practice preventive maintenance on myself and eat healthy and a daily power walk(30+min) No drugs, big pharma except the occasional cigar, beer or Scotch or gin.

Look at bigger straps too. I have a bunch of 4" Italia leather, that are comfortable enough for me.

For the last 3 or so years I've done my own stretching/ yoga 40 minute routines every other day [cycling on days when not stretching] and it has allowed me to wear a bass without pain or fatigue again. Also helps w/ cycling. Working the core has definitely improved things for me.