How to Prevent and Treat Guitar Playing Injuries, with Dr. Abby Halpin

[@soundguitar]

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[@Bigal434]

Thank you for this. For the amount of guitarists I’ve spoken to who have issues with their arm and hands, I think this topic does not get nearly enough attention. You and DR. Halpin rule!

[@argentnomad]

This is actually really helpful. I've been low-key freaking out because I've gotten some regular pain in my left thumb and forearm. I don't notice it when I'm playing, but it's the only thing I do that regularly activates those muscle/tendon groups, and it sounds like early stage tendonitis. Your tips on how to avoid injury were also helpful (pretty sure the thumb is from my death-grip barre chords). Thanks Jared!

[@AntoineMichaudGuitarLooping]

Excellent! Thank you so much to you both for doing this.

[@soundguitar]

Our pleasure!

[@donhancock7992]

Thanks Abby , I'm 74 and a guitarist and singer, just overdid it a couple weeks ago, wrist pain erupted after lots of playing over a week period. Your talk confirmed a lot, gracias.

[@ericsimonson8002]

I am extremely grateful for this information. I haven't suffered an injury yet but I experience continual fatigue in certain parts of my hands and shoulders and my time in martial arts tells me I'm flirting with injury. Preventative measures are exactly what I need thank you.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I’m in constant pain, for a lot of reasons. I think I have those short chest muscles she described, playing guitar and drums, working 40 hours a week with a computer keyboard, and driving, I spend a lot of time with my arms and shoulders forward. Also have to sleep on my sides due to injuries so shoulders are forward during sleep too. I’m hoping these stretches will help! One thing I found helps is to use a tennis ball and a wall to massage pressure points in the back, chest, and shoulders. Hurts so bad while hitting those points but helps a lot after

[@moonasha]

first time it happened was in my right thumb, and I couldn't grip anything for a week. It happened after I started practicing intensively after taking a long break. Now I can feel it coming on after playing some pieces with fingers like 6 frets apart and lots of barres with the pinky like 4 or 5 frets below, really my first piece with that many barres. I hope this helps me!

[@davidpatrick1813]

What is neat is I am on southern Oregon coast and in PT now for both hands and both feet... So I'll know what to be focused on when I visit for my first treatment next Tuesday ... 29th aug 23. thank you

[@davidpatrick1813]

Wow, you cover this too. I have a combination guitar and other injury to my right thumb at the base. I will look into this more soon.... I was in a car accident that make it much worse so there may be means... but those who don't know and pretend they do know (prideful nurses for instance) ... have frustrated me... more later..

[@stevenpacey9020]

Great video, thank you both so much 🙏

[@soundguitar]

Thank you too!

[@mjt11860]

Fantastic! Thank you very much to the both of you 😊💝

[@davidpatrick1813]

This is a big help. I am wondering if the tendons (I don't know if ligaments) in the base of the thumb area by the wrist (I don't know if there are any there) can be injured through an impact while holding a steering wheel .. I was a in a bad crash where I was blessed with only both feet and both hands were injured. The air bad kept me from things as well I was in a big Uhaul truck .. significant blessing. It seems like they are trying to blame age but I didn't have these pains and issued before the accident... I need to understand more... I am more of a want to be player .. as I was a mechanic and now lost that all.

[@thejeffkershner]

That was an interesting fingering for Bach’s Bourree in E minor.

[@soundguitar]

Wow, nice catch! :) Yeah, I like to play it all around in different places to understand it better.

[@RonH_music]

Excellent video! thank you!

[@andrewksadventures]

This was very helpful. Thanks to both of you!

[@acoustical.ly_]

Thank you so much.

[@Swanseaguy1979]

Playing for 30 years so can play anything as you’d expect but a month ago I touched something which caused contact dermatitis and now it hurts my skin when I play. Trying to strengthen my fingers as much as I can by playing for a few minutes daily

[@rayfabris2512]

this week I was practicing and had no pain I stopped for awhile because I had cook dinner it was early so I took a little nap and when I woke up I had a dead wrist no pain just numb almost up to my elbow I thought I was having a stroke I'm 59 but the ER said no and there's nothing its been a few days but very little movement so what should I because I basically can't use my left hand to do anything it's weak and I've tried to do a simple scale and can't have you ever heard of this or experience it? thanks it you have any advice

[@soundguitar]

Drop any questions about guitar playing pain or physical guitar issues in the comments

[@soundguitar]

:)

[@ninop.r489]

My left wrist cracks a lot and have very light small pains. I’m taking a week off guitar because I’m concerned. Any ideas about what’s going on or what I can do?

[@heyhey8758]

I've got a needling feeling in my fretting wrist, so whenever I bend it in my daily life like itching, that needling comes and it hurts and will stop me from doing anything, it also happens when I move my fingers fast when I play my electric guitar, I am so scared that will stop me from playing forever, I had numbness in left thumb area for a while, it's been 2 years, first happened when I hel my fretting wrist in a very wrong way, 90 degree angle, the pain got so bad and needling that I stopped playing guitar for more that one year

[@earlconstantine2906]

Jared thank you for doing this video . some confusion around Abby's name ? is is Abby Halpin or Abbie Hoffman ? whichever, I wish she were closer to the Bay Area where I live for a consult ! I am self-learning classical guitar .Motivation has me sitting and practicing for 1 - 2 hours at a time . I am right handed and am noticing some stiffness in my right middle digit when I flex it fully ( .It is not painful but a concern ) . Also I am noticing some soreness in my right elbow . Perhaps mild tendonitis , not sure ? Are the two stretches for the forearm you showed the only and best exercise to be doing ? Any ideas on the middle finger ? Thank you so much . Earl from Marin County California

[@elitheyoutubeguy]

Just got my first guitar injury, my electric guitar string was hit by my hand and actually drew blood!

[@brentlineberry4098]

Tendons In my left hand pop and hurt to where I can't play :/ and it's becoming more frequent

[@El_Guero_privada]

My arms hurt after play guitar behind my head , is there a way to stop that?

[@recipehacker9752]

I’ve been playing guitar for 40 years. In the first few years, I fretted too hard or too aggressively on a steel string. I ended up injuring the very tip of my (fretting) index finger. Feels like a sharp, stinging pain on the fingertip whenever I fret on a particular spot on the finger, even 40 years later. Am I alone in the universe ? Has anyone here ever experienced this and found a treatment ? It seems to be a compression injury.

[@cobyup10]

Happened to me one time. It's a smashed nerve. Did it heal up yet?

[@Yoyon814]

Trimakasi bro

[@chrisking6695]

This didn’t help at all. I have left hand issues. Got a steroid shot into the TFC tendon. Pain went away. But the moment I start simple exercises like the spider exercises I get pain again in my entire wrist. And it swells up. I clearly have tendinitis and she didn’t explain how to address this. I just can’t play anymore.

[@shotgunsam23]

This is something you should ask your doctor about. There’s treatments for tenditis besides form steroids, everyone reacts to treatments differently so don’t be discouraged from one thing not working.

[@javierrodriguez4218]

I had tendinitis, what made it go away was osteopath+acupuncture, what keeps it from coming back is something like Feldenkrais to raise awareness of the body and be more sensitive about overuse.

[@javierrodriguez4218]

Also some light strengthening exercises. Still, if you're in a lot of pain, you're looking at at least a couple of months of rest. I learned how to sing while I was recovering.

[@FizzyP]

I practiced that Bach Bourree until my wrist hurt. That's literally why I'm watching this video. What are the odds?

[@serge8397]

I can bet that it was done to you by the last 8 measures :). Good luck with recovery!

[@johnwilkes4090]

I don’t believe that she calls herself “doctor”. Probably should not advertise her that way in the title.

[@amadeoups]

Hello, Why don't you talk about food? Tendinitis is chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is excessive acidity in the body and that this body is unable to eliminate quickly because there are too many acidic inputs such as gluten, sugar, dairy products, alcohol etc. I personally cured my "guitar elbow" which had lasted for a year in 10 days..By fasting then changing my diet..That was 9 years ago and it has never come back. Friendships

[@pmarciano1717]

How long did u fast?

[@andyvoss5674]

Very helpful advice, thanks!

[@soundguitar]

Glad it was helpful!