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Location: Anchorage, Alaska | Over the past several months I have had a growing elbow pain in my right arm. When I go out of town for a few days without a guitar to play, the pain somewhat goes away. I asked my chiropractor about it and she instists that it is from the repetative motion of playing guitar. It caused so much pain latley that I went to ortho for x-rays and evaluation. Ortho also said it was most likley caused from repedative motion of guitar playing. I have started to play my smaller bodied Gibson and it dosn't seem to hurt as much as my deep or mid bowl Ovations. Anyone else have anything like this going on with them? |
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Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | I seem to recall a similar thread around these parts. Also, if you go look at Acoustic Guitar Forum
Check out the shoulder pain thread. There are many suggestions relating to playing position and it's effect on both hands. |
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Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | You might need to learn to finger pick! |
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Posts: 474
Location: Anchorage, Alaska | I have begun to learn finger picking as of late because of this... |
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Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | If I can get my doctor to prescribe "fly fishing" we can work out some lessons! |
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Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Does playing standing up or sitting make a difference?
Also, have you considered studying your strumming movements carefully? Could there possibly be a technique issue causing the problem?
Perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree, but we, as guitarists, don't really get much instruction on proper strumming technique, and if you are in pain as a result of what you are doing, it sounds like adjusting your physiology in some way may help. Perhaps, for instance, you are mainly using your elbow exclusively to create the strumming motion, instead of using a combination of your whole arm, wrist, hands and fingers (in varying degrees). If this is the case, it would be logical that there would be stress related pain in that elbow area. Maybe your doctor, having not observed you playing your guitar, didn't consider mentioning this. Years of "bad" technique may have just caught up with you. That's not a criticism-especially of your playing, you may be a phenomenal player. Believe me, I have many poor techniques that frustrate me, and are reflected in my playing. But realistically, we can become "comfortable" with our bad habits, and reinforce them everytime we pick up the guitar. After years of this, the body can really start to suffer.
It may be a good idea to study yourself playing with a large mirror in front of you in the exact place you tend to play (couch, studio, etc.). Placing your attention this way, which you likely hardly ever do, may give you some insight into what may be happening to your arm as you play. Unless you are regularly video taped, you may not have any idea of posture or technique issues, as most of the time you are playing, you're concentrating on other things, like your left hand, lyrics, notes, etc.
There is a book (and also dvd course) called The Principles of Correct Practice for guitar by Jamie Andreas which specifically discusses physiology (how you use the muscles and nerves) in relation to playing guitar, and shows 'proper' techniques to practice to optimize your playing, and also prevent pain. Perhaps this may help you. The program involves playing at an extremely slow pace with proper positioning and technique to re-train the muscles. It may just be too tedious for most people to consider, but maybe you may find just one tidbit to solve your problem. If your guitar 'future' is in jeopardy due to pain, it may be a possible course of action to look into.
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/
I'm not saying it's right for you, but may point you in a direction to help. Personally, I think the dvd is more helpful than the book alone, but the two are intended to be used together. The dvd is expensive though.
All the best, and good luck! |
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Posts: 474
Location: Anchorage, Alaska | Great advise and suggestions for everyone (as usual). I wish it was from years and years of playing but I've only been playing for a year and a half now. At least it might be easier to break a bad habit if I find that is the cause.
MWoody - Any doctor worth his "salt" would prescribe fly fishing just for stress relief if for nothing else. Come on up. Fall fishing is really in full swing right now. 4 of us drifted the Upper Kenai River last week and each of us caught at least 1 rainbow over 10 pounds. Several each in the 5 to 7 pound range. Fish On!! |
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Location: closely held secret | Wait - AFG, doesn't fly fishing involve repetitive motion of the elbow? And how long have you been doing that? |
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Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | I've had shoulder pain, usually right after I get a "new" guitar and play a lot. I thought it was from golf, but it went away when I was playing more golf and less guitar. Playing a box guitar really bothers my shoulder and tends to cut off my circulation. I always play sitting down. |
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Posts: 3651
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Another consideration- length of your arm, and circumference of your forearm. Your mother told you, "Sit up straight!". Probably a reason for that- hate it when she's right.
I've been getting a bit more strain at the lower end of my left bicep. Probably overuse- writing more reports, playing more tennis, playing guitar, fixing recalcitrant VW SuperBeetle. Ah yes, Age & Gravity strikes again. |
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Location: NJ | well when i had elbow pain I had an infection and almost lost the use of my arm and well the rest of my body for that matter.
repetitive motion still bugs it but I struggle on. (not that the world would be losing anything important if I could not play guitar)
see a neurologist I had elevated uric acid levels and that was part of the problem. oh yeah, they scheduled me for a lobotomy too. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Think they'll find anything with the lobotomy? Sorry, I couldn't resist that one. |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Al,
So are you saying you "would rather have a guitar in front of Me instead of a frontal labotomy"?
Allopurinol and Colchicine are used to prevent and treat elevated uric acid levels. Increased uric acid causes gout and other joint pain. |
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Posts: 474
Location: Anchorage, Alaska | I wonder if Al is actually into something here. I also have high uric acid levels and have been on allopurinol and have had several bouts with gout in the past 10 years or so. |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | watch your intake of high protein foods eg. peanuts, red meat. etc. |
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Location: NJ | . . . salmon ;) |
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Location: Keller, TX | There are a few foods to avoid and a few that can help.
Gout Diet - Healthcastle
Gout Info
If you are already on Allopurinol, you can add some OTC NSAIDS (Motrin, Aleve) temporarily to aid with the uric acid secretion. If it doesn't help, see your MD or DO (nothing against chiropractors). |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Let's see . . .
. . . today we've discussed:
Gout
Viagra
Elbow Pain
Dementia
This Board is getting f^%#ing dePRESSing!!! . . . . |
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Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | I can chip in with impulsive behaviors consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder, if that'd help round out your tour of the DSM-IV. :eek:
(just kidding) |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Post traumatic stress disorder after reading one of Cliff's posts? |
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Location: closely held secret | I'm asking myself why on earth I hang out with a bunch of geezers. |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Hey wait a minute!! We haven't mentioned prostate or diarrhea yet!! :eek: |
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Location: Cicero, NY | ...HEY!...a shiny coin...Ooooo.... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Waskel, could it be you are one? "I'm getting to the age that my favorite memories are of stuff that never happened." I think I read that somewhere, but I can't remember. Maybe I made it up. |
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Location: NJ | the lobotomy will surely find nothing.
my body makes too much uric acid. it has nothing to do with what I eat or drink. funny this topic came up today I just saw my nuerologist today.
anyway, drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. I neglected this for a while and it was a cause for some of my problems. btw beer does not count as hydration.
bottom line get it checked out and see what is going on. I can sell you some allopurinol colchocine and indocine or trade for morphine. |
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OT-Elbow Pain
