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Topic starter
02/05/2007 8:34 pm
So. Ive been having some pain in my elbow for the last week or so, but I never connected it to the guitaring. It's in the little pit that's on the inside of the elbow, and it hurts if i squeeze it, or if i bend my arm, and then bend my hand. It's on the strumming hand, but i've never done any big movements as i've only been fingerpicking so far.
I've been playing for about 1,5 hours a day for the last three months, and to begin with I didn't care about posture or anything, but just sat with my legs crossed, (hindu style, whatever it's called in english), my wrist was bent and my back curled, and my shoulder was stiffening up.
But recently that has changed, I've made a little yoga/karate drill that I do before and after playing (the shoulder pain and stiffness is gone!). I've gotten (or really borrowed) another guitar. I've started to sit on a chair with my knee a bit elevated, and to prevent my back from going bad and I see that the wrist on my fretting hand is straight all the time. Oh, and I'm trying to not lock my fretting hand's elbow somewhere around my hip.
So first I thought I was a bit tired because I had done something tiring, or because I wasn't used to the movements i did when warming up before playing, but then it didn't stop. When trying my friends electric guitar two days ago my arm felt even stranger, and I though "hell, these electric guitars makes my elbow feel strange" But since it's been there for a week without getting better, i'm getting a bit worried.
But I've been doing all the right things recently. Now I don't know what i do wrong (and i really want to play, though I haven't done it today because my elbow scared me a bit)
Please say that the little pit on the inside of the elbow isn't a place you typically get rsi.
02/05/2007 8:43 pm
What's RSI?
It could be some sort of nerve compression, ulnar nerve compression for example. You should head over to a doctor and have it checked out either way.
02/05/2007 8:45 pm
Just a guess Taso, but I think it means: Repetitive Stress Injury
Topic starter
02/05/2007 8:46 pm
yep. repetetive stress injury's what i was thinking about. I don't know much about it, but i'm afraid of getting it as it seems pretty annoying
02/05/2007 8:50 pm
once you irritate a nerve there is not much you can do except rest. You might want to try some Advil or something like that, it may help with the inflammation.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
02/05/2007 8:52 pm
Hmmm.... this is difficult to answer without seeing how you play. Could be a couple of things. You said you practiced as much as 5 hours a day with your wrist bent improperly. This might be the problem.
This is just pure guesswork on my part, but perhaps your fretting hand position is wrong. Place your open palm over your heart. Now bring your hand out maybe 8-10 inches. This is a very natural position and how your hand should be when you play. Your wrist should be fairly straight when you play, although it must bend at times. You just don't want the angle to be extreme or unnatural feeling. You don't want to turn your hand out either. What I mean is, with your open palm in front of you, turn the thumb away from you (hope you know what I mean). This is very unnatural and uncomfortable feeling. So make sure you are not doing this when you play.
Give your arm a little rest for a few days. Pain is a warning sign you are doing something wrong. Perhaps if you know a guitar teacher or an experienced player they can watch you and see what you might be doing wrong. But do not continue to play in pain, it can develop into a serious and even permanent problem.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Topic starter
02/05/2007 8:59 pm
Nanana. 1,5 hours. Aka not too much, and it's the strumming hand that's messing up a bit. I was doing weird things with the fretting hand too, but I think I'm sorting them out.
But thanks for the fretting hand tip. Ill try and think at that next time.
02/05/2007 10:09 pm
What's RSI?
Repetitive Strain Injury - ask your secretary all about it, or your tennis coach.
A :- ow!
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
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02/05/2007 10:12 pm
Frosk, it really is best to go to a doctor and find out what is wrong. It could be anything from a simple problem to something like a hernieted disk in your upper back.
Over my short life, I've learned to find out what is wrong asap, before it gets any worse, and something can easily be done about it. :)
Topic starter
02/05/2007 10:14 pm
i think i know someone who has been heavily pestered with RSI for years, so I'll ask her about it. I bet that really is more functional than asking people who can't see and tell what and if something is wrong.
i was just a bit freaked out for a sec, but if my suspicions are right, it's really early and therefore should be possible to get rid of.
03/05/2007 12:15 am
it may be inflammation in the area of the medial epicondlye. the medial epicondyle is the "funny bone." i'm saying that based on the fact that you get pain in that area when flexing both your wrist and your elbow at the same time which is maximally stretching soft tissue in that area. you should see a doctor, go to a physical therapist and maybe stop playing for a while. repeating the positions and movements that makes it come on will not help it get better. if you don't take guitar lessons then maybe syou should as i think you're usiing your upper extremity wrongly and a teacher can help you correct it.
the little pit on the inside of your elbow is not where you would typically get RSI. It's an area where muscles are attached and where you would get inflammation.
are you getting parathesias (tingling) down your arm or into your hand or any numbness ? that would be a sign that the ulnar nerve is involved which, from what you've said so far, is not.
Topic starter
03/05/2007 6:48 am
thanks, pearlthecat. That was useful. I'm not taking lessons, and I probably won't until possibly after summer, but I'll see if i'm able to dig up someone who knows about sitting right and stuff, and ask them to help me.
There is no tingling, so I seem to be safe there.
03/05/2007 9:04 pm
I'm no doctor but I would guess it's the finger picking.If your a beginner then you are probably quite tense.
When finger picking your elbow is stuck in the same position for long periods of time with no movement.
When strumming a guitar the tendon at the inside of the elbow is stretching back and forth but when finger picking it gets stretched and then held in one position.
Try resting your forearm on the guitar slightly when playing,this should help take some of the weight/strain off the elbow joint.
Alternatively alternate your practices between strumming and picking.
Above all try and relax when your playing.
Hope it gets better soon
Bob
My Band: http://www.myspace.com/thelanterns2010
playing whilst drunk is only permitted if all band members are in a similar state!
Topic starter
04/05/2007 8:48 am
Ah. I hadn't thought about that. I actually thought strumming would make it worse with all hte repetetive movement up and down. But what you are saying makes so much sense, as i only do fingerpicking, nothing else. I need to learn that strumming thing one day, so once it stops hurting (after not playing since thursday, except a wee bit this weekend, it's better already) I'll start right at it
thanks