# Wrist/ Elbow Pain (Long Post)



## Xiphos68 (Nov 30, 2011)

Hey, Guys

Some of you know I've been dealing with wrist pain for a while. Well I've had some more difficulties and I've some what got better. But I was wondering if I could some more opinions from experienced guitarists on here.

For the past 2-3 years I've been dealing with a wrist pain.

How it started: I was playing my first 7 string (Washburn WG-587) and I was playing some chords fretting pretty hard and on the top strings. I was feeling a bad pain but I thought it was in my forearm (muscle buidling). But it turns it out it was my wrist. 

Now ever since that day the pain has been going off and on. Sometimes it would happen with guitar and I would still play while hurting sometimes I wouldn't (I would usually get really upset). But now there are times were it's fine and sometimes it's not. I can move like just in some random position (not even playing guitar) and it's start hurting bad sometimes just a little pain not even playing guitar.

I went to a doctor the first time and he gave me some pills and told me to ice it on and off (didn't do this probably as well as I should have) and he said I tenidnitis in my wrist. Pain still didn't stop.

So I went again and tendinits was in my wrist and my elbow. I have trouble playing standing up at times due to my elbow hurting the way I play. Once again I was still in pain.

Then I got a car accident and went to a chairopractor. I asked him what he thought and he said massage my forearm. Now this seemed to help some, probably should have done it more. But still my arm and hand wasn't healed.

Now my wrist hurts once in a while but it seems like now when I stand up to play my elbow will start hurting. I also feel like my pinky at times doesn't have a lot of strength. 

Now I go to a specialist and examines me all over my arms and does X-rays. Doesn't find anything wrong. He tells me to take these pills and still play guitar (kind of cool lol). Now these pills have helped some but not enough to cure my elbow as much as I like to be (no pain at all). Though he said there was some tenidinitis flamatory and he said to come back in a few months if I'm not better. But the doctor also said the only thing he could come up with is what they call overuse syndrome. 

I'm doing some what better I just don't understand the wrist pain coming back and forth (off and on) and hurting so bad when it does. Could I be fretting the guitar to hard or something. My family and friends have told me I do. Though I'm trying to work on it.

Also sometimes when I run my left should starts to hurt as well. 

Should I lower my strings on all my guitars super low or do some type of work out?

Maybe someone else who may not be a doctor that could help me more? Could I really be overplayin as well?
I usually play 1 hour to 2 hours a day. 

Here's some videos of me playing: 

(Standing Up)


(sitting down)

Any signs of bad posture or playing?

Thanks guys, if you don't have anything to add. It's fine.

Just wanted to see if I could get some more opinions.

God Bless, Xiphos68


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## Explorer (Nov 30, 2011)

Every time you can see the back of your hand in the vids (not the back of the fingers, but the side opposite the palm) without also seeing your forearm at the same time, you're bending your wrist at an angle that your finger tendons have to turn a corner to make your fingers work. If your wrist was actually straight and not making your tendons make a hard corner, then the back of your hand would rotate into view every time the back of your hand did so. 

You need to do a few things:

Keep your wrist straight. You can accomplish this by changing the angle of your guitar neck, so the angle is more akin to classical guitar position.

Give your wrist a break. It sounds like you've never really allowed it to heal, and that you keep thinking that you're trying to power your way through the pain. You're looking at the problem wrong, though; every bit of abuse you heap on your badly angled wrist is cumulatively leading to where you're going to do something which can't be remedied by just giving it a rest. 

My suiggestion would be to find someone, either a physical therapist or someone trained int he Alexander Technique, to look at your playing ergonomics, and for you to then take any changes they suggest more seriously than you've taken the advice you've already received and ignored. 

*Short version: Place your guitar at a higher angle to allow you to keep the wrist straight and to protect your tendons, instead of torquing your wrist and straining your tendons to allow you to keep the guitar at a lower angle.*


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Nov 30, 2011)

I've never had to deal with wrist and elbow problems (yet), but I do stretches like these every so often:



Never tried the one where he goes up against the tree, but the first one and last one he does are my favorites. Whenever I feel like my grip is a little weak, gentle stretching seems to have a positive effect.

My school's music program has a class on Alexander Technique. It sounds interesting enough that I should take it. Damn CalState for pushing my graduation back.

P.S.: Your playing is sick.


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## Xiphos68 (Nov 30, 2011)

Thank you gentlemen for your posts and help.

Explorer - I didn't totally ignore what doctors told me to do. It just didn't seem to help and I just stopped (probably needed to give it more time). But I agree that I should have done better with it instead of ignoring it. Plus the Chiropractor wasn't there to fix my arm but my back and neck (due to the car crash I was in). 

How long do you recommend I take a break from guitar? 

But thank you very much for telling me how I can correct my playing and taking the time to observe it. 


SchecterWhore - Thank you for the stretch video and telling me about the Alexander Technique. I plan on looking into it more and see what I can do about it. 

Haha thank you. That means a lot coming from you.
 

Thank you guys for taking the time observe and help me out. It really means a lot.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome, dude. I hope you get better.

P.S. - Is that a mandola in your avatar?


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## SirMyghin (Nov 30, 2011)

Not sure if you ever followed up on that whack job book Pain Free, but that was my solution to wrist problems, and a whole bunch of other shit that went on with my body. Good luck dude.


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## Xiphos68 (Nov 30, 2011)

Schecterwhore - Thanks dude.  Actually that is a Bazouka (Greek Instrument: 8 strings like a mandolin, longer scale different sound. Rounder back). 
JPMike just got a really nice one recently. Super cool!
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ja...erstyle/176936-nbd-guess-what-folk-stuff.html

SirMyghin - No I didn't actually. Sorry, I just didn't really have any money and I'm trying to get more of a personal 1 on 1 help. But thank you for the suggestion though and thank you again.


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## rug (Nov 30, 2011)

This thread should have some decent info for you. I've dealt with wrist tendonitis and cubital tunnel for about a year now. It's been good for a while, but it's coming back now.

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/mu...04-wrist-pain-right-hand-when-playing-7s.html

If you've been dealing with this for 2-3 years? Fuck dude. Just based off of my own situation, and how long it took me to not have issues, I'd say take a break for at least 3-4 months, if not longer. I am about to go on a month long break just to try and hold things back a bit. PM me if you've got any questions though.


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## SirMyghin (Nov 30, 2011)

No worries dude, if you can afford to play and maintain guitars though, it is the best set of strings priced item out there is all. We have to take care of ourselves, so good luck either way.


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## Explorer (Nov 30, 2011)

made an error previously. I meant to type, "every time you see the back of your hand without your forearm rotating into view... ."


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## Stealthdjentstic (Nov 30, 2011)

Be really careful with going to a chiropractor for your back. I have two pretty serious congenital back problems that I saw several chiros for and they all managed to make things much, much worse while insisting I was getting better 

My dad has had the opposite luck with them and actually benefited from chirotherapy but just a bit of a heads up, my pain got bad enough that I was oxywhorin' in no time.



Your technique looks fine to me, I'm no pro but it's not like you're picking from your elbow harshly. Maybe this is the perfect excuse to order and ergonomic guitar like a Strandberg or a Strandberg?


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## Xiphos68 (Dec 1, 2011)

rug - Hey, Man Thanks! I haven't even seen that thread before. So thank you! I definitely message you if I have any questions and I'll take a look at the thread.

SirMyghin - Fair enough good sir.  I'd still like to have more of a 1 on 1 deal than a book on my own (because I could ruin myself from doing it right). But thanks again.


Explorer - it's fine man. Thanks for correcting. 

Steathdjentstic - Fortunately, everything went fine at the chiropractor. I just had a terrible car accident (totaled my car) and one day I hurt myself sprinting several days later.

I actually try not pick with my elbow just because of injuring myself could occur. But minorly I could be doing it. 

Could expand a little more on how a Strandberg would help? I'd love one. Wanna buy it for me?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Dec 1, 2011)

They're supposed to be ergonomic, I don't think it would actually help, just a good excuse for you to rationalize it to the girlfriend/wife/parents


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## Xiphos68 (Dec 1, 2011)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> They're supposed to be ergonomic, I don't think it would actually help, just a good excuse for you to rationalize it to the girlfriend/wife/parents



Haha 

It'd be nice. But there's no way I could afford one.

But I do have Steinbergerr Spirit to make up for the time.

I might sand the neck to have that weird neck shape they have.


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