Guitar Tendonitis
Playing Without Guitar
Wrist Pain
If you have Guitar Tendonitis then you know the ache, pain, and fatigue that comes from playing with hand, wrist, and forearm pain.
You also know the worry and fear that more playing will cause more damage.
The good news is, you PROBABLY don't have any actual damage!
But you do have muscle tightness, connective tissue constriction, and a nervous system that is afraid for your safety.
You essentially have Wrist Tendonitis, but with specific aspects that come from the requirements of playing guitar.
Feb 1st or sooner!
What Is Guitar Tendonitis?
The Guitar Tendonitis dynamic is A LOT like the Wrist Tendonitis dynamic.
It's important to keep in mind the concept of 'DYNAMIC'. Meaning, there are many factors involved. There are a lot of variables at play.
Ultimately, it's all about the Pain Causing Dynamic, which is the progressive tightening of muscle and connective tissue and the increasing amount of pain enhancing chemicals released into the tissue from the Process of Inflammation that is in place.
There Are Two Types Of Tendonitis, so maybe you have actual tendon damage, maybe you don't. Either way, the treatment is the same.
The bad news is, you have pain and problem. The good news is, it's not that big a deal to reverse the mechanism, to make the pain go away, and to get your arm(s) healthy again.
Guitar players have wrist tendonitis of a particular flavor I call Guitar Tendonitis.
You have all the tightness and irritation of regular wrist tendonitis, but something about playing guitar (as opposed to typing all day) creates a deeper constriction of tissue.
This feels deep, and if you move your fingers, or do some massage and press into your forearms by your wrist, you'll know what I'm talking about.
If you press into your thumb pad, it's predictable you'll find some VERY tender spots in there too, even if it doesn't normal hurt there.
With the RIGHT self care Guitar Tendonitis can be reversed, and with a little ongoing maintenance as needed, you can play as much as you want, for as long as you want, without pain.
How Many Of Us Get Guitar Tendonitis?
How many guitar players get, essentially, wrist tendonitis symptoms?
A surprisingly large amount, actually.
So out of 261 guitarists in one particular survery, how many said they had guitar playing related pain symptoms?
31? 63? 160?
And the correct answer is......
160.
160 of 261 guitar players had pain from playing. That's over 50% of guitar players reporting pain from playing.
61% !!!!
In a different study on 520 guitar players, 81% reported pain and problem from playing guitar.
All that pain and problem falls under the guitar tendonitis -dynamic-.
Just the above two studies show that 61%-81% of guitar players suffer from pain from playing.
That is a HUGE percentage!
And it's too many people suffering needlessly for doing something that they love to do.
I don't know what percentage of guitarists are force to quit playing due to guitar tendonitis, but even ONE is too many.
Guitar tendonitis is reversible, 100%.
Guitarists shouldn't have to play less to avoid pain, and they shouldn't have to quit.
And their doctors, should NEVER tell their patients to quit playing guitar...but they do because just like you don't know how to get yourself pain free, your doctors don't either.
But you want to learn how to play as much as you want, don't you?
How Did I Get Guitar Tendonitis?
So, how did you get all this wrist pain from playing guitar?
Let's see.
You use your hands a lot....computer, guitar, job/work/hobby/etc.
This requires your muscles to contract over and over and over. Thousands and thousands of times.
This creates waste produce, a certain amount of friction, and strain.
This also naturally sets you up for increasing muscle tightness, connective tissue constriction, and inflammation.
Inflammation releases chemicals which increase your sensitivity to pain.
Throw in poor posture and that creates extra strain and discomfort.
Time passes as you do this everyday.
This all adds up to a structural dynamic that just doesn't work very well, and hurts, and builds on itself to get worse and worse.
Eventually, you feel it as pain. Then you feel it as disabling pain.
As I said, maybe you have damage, maybe not. It's all the tightness and constriction that you need to deal with.
And you need to get all that pain enhancing chemical out of there and dial down the inflammation response.
If you don't change your structure back to how it used to be, you're doomed to more pain!
Now, you may be thinking, "I was fine last week, but I hurt BAD now so I must have injured it!".
Maybe, but not likely. The dynamic was progressing underneath your skin LONG before you felt pain. You finally just took it past the point that your body could 'successfully' compensate for.
Make sure that you understand the tendonitis -dynamic-. See: What Is Tendonitis?
How Do I Get Rid Of
Guitar Tendonitis?
So how do you make your guitar wrist pain go away?
You want to play a lot of guitar, as much as you want, for the next 50 years, right?
Good. Then you're motivated to learn how to do it. Just like you had to learn how to play guitar, you have to learn how to keep your body in healthy playing shape.
There is no magic pill, no silver bullet, no quick fix
Getting yourself out of pain will take some time and some effort. It's taken you years to get where you're at. It may take a month or two to REVERSE all the changes that have slowly crept in.
You should be able to get out of pain halfway quickly. But if you want to make sure that you can play to your heart's content, you better tune your hand/wrist/forearm to the right vibration.
Probably you've already tried resting, taking time off, splints and braces, anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and corticosteroid injections, maybe even surgery.
How'd that work? If it did, great. If you're still in pain, I'd say you need something different. Because those options clearly didn't work.
"I started on Thursday. By Sunday I was able to practice techniques that I had not been able to in a year.
Your information has helped restore my sanity.
Thank you!"
Bryan S.
There is a RIGHT tool for every job. If you don't use the right tool......
To find out more about what I consider to be the RIGHT tool, take a look at the page for the program Reversing Guitar Tendonitis.
"Thanks very much Joshua. I feel great! Pain is gone."
- Carlos R.
More On Guitar Tendonitis
I don't talk about good ergonomics or 'better' ways to actually play guitar. I don't know anything about that. If you have some good suggestions, please comment below.
I do talk about how to get your painful structures into a pain-free state, and how to keep them there. You'll find a lot of valuable information on this website. Take a look around.
If you have any guitar tendinitis questions, please ask them below.
Do You Have Guitar Tendonitis Symptoms?
If you have hand, wrist, and forearm pain that just won't go away, pain that's keeping you from playing guitar, please ask questions here, and/or just tell your story/experience.
What Other Guitar Players Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Guitar player with all the problems 
I found this page over the winter when I was dealing with horrible pain from my neck all the way down my arm and hand. I got 5 different diagnoses from …
Playing guitar is getting a nightmare
Hi!
I had my first episode with what probably is some kind of tendonitis back in April 2016. I play guitar since I was a teenager (almost 15 years), …
Sharp or shooting pain from base of thumb to wrist when opposing thumb with index as when playing barre chords or grabbing anything
Do I have thumb tendonitis, wrist tendonitis or some other injury? I've been playing guitar for about twenty years without many problems, I play vintage …
trapeziectomy left hand (left hand for fretting)
It's been about 8 years now......
Began with technique falling apart and pain in left hand. Damage to basal joint eventually confirmed.
Left had …
12 years of guitar pain in neck, shoulders, hands, forearms, and I fear I Have it All
Hello, My name is Mark. I'm 30 and I've had chronic pain issues for over a decade now. I started playing guitar at 12. At 15, I got a job as a gardener/landscaper, …
Classical Guitar and Index finger impairment loss of dexterity
I play classical guitar and have been experiencing loss of dexterity for about 4 months. The problem is that fine motor control of the right hand index …
Is GUITAR Tendonitis the same as PIANO Tendonitis?
I am a professional pianist, and have recently experienced the symptoms you describe on your website... in BOTH my wrists/forearms.
About 6 months ago, …
Professional Guitar Player with Mild pain in the wrist
Hi Joshua,
I'm a professional guitar player, I play 3-4 gigs a week plus practice/record quite a lot. In the last 7 months I played more than in the …
What ebook should I buy for tendonitis from guitar playing??
I have wrist and forearm tendonitis in my picking hand. Over the last 6 years it has gotten to the point where my forearm tightens up immediately when …
Long term and spreading tendonitis from playing guitar.
Hi Joshua, I'm a professional guitarist who has been fighting tendonitis for about five years. At first, I experienced cramping when I made certain chord …
Fret hand numbness from playing bass guitar very fast
Hi - I picked up my bass after 10 years retirement. I play very fast. I play lots of chords with all 4 fingers stretched to the limit. I play similar to …
Elbow strumming hand, pain in elbow, weak fingertips in both hands
First of all, this has been a good resource and made much more sense than any other description of tendonitis so thank you.
I had been playing guitar …
2 months into my tendonitis now and it just won't go away!
Hi there, I'm a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, a guitar performance major. I'm currently finishing up my 5th semester this summer. At the …
Almost two years of chronic severe tendonitis pain from playing guitar
I got back into playing guitar after a 8 year break. I did not quit playing 8 years ago because of pain, I was just working on a career.
So, long story …
Tendonitis for 3 months in violin player :( Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello,
I turned to this page since I play violin and I thought violin-caused tendonitis was similar to guitar-caused tendonitis. I know however that …
Pain in my left hand, but only in certain riffs/chords
Hi.
I noticed that I have pain in my left hand (for the most part), but only when I play certain riffs/certain kinds of riffs, such as power chords …
2 Hours of Acoustic Guitar soloing left my hand in pain!
About 4 1/2 months ago, I was recording acoustic guitar solos. I was playing high up on the fret board where the action is not so good, so I was straining …
Pinkie Pain From Playing Guitar
Hi. I've been playing guitar, almost daily for 40 years. A couple of weeks ago I practiced and performed a song utilizing pinkie chords - D4, C9, Asus4. …
Pain in Thumbs and Fingers when Playing Guitar, Esp. Left Thumb
I've been a guitarist on and off for almost 50 years. Classically trained, I've always been a fingerstyle player.
Back in the late 90's I picked up …
Do Harpists fall into the Guitar Tendonitis category?
I'm a harpist and my forearms have a lot of pain and swelling.
Would your guitar suggestions help us too?
Would it be similar in symptoms?
…
Tips of the fingers are numb and hurt with pressure and playing guitar
Hi, I play the guitar and my tips of my fingers are numb, all of them. It has moved to the right hand and started in the left hand. It only hurts when …
Guitar Tendonitis in both arms 4 months now desperate for any advice!
I am a guitar teacher and i play in different bands. I've been playing guitar for 14 years now and only had tendinitis once before 10 years ago and it …
Forearm pain only from playing bass guitar
hello there. i regularly play bass as an amateur every day for a couple of hours.
i use the fingering technique on the right hand, and out of the blue …
Swelling at base of fingers of my fretting hand
Hello - Hope you can offer some help...
I'm a professional guitarist so until recently have been playing and practicing a lot for the last 12yrs -up …
Classical guitar right hand pain, radiating pain
Hello, my name is Joe, I'm 17, and am suffering from pain in my right hand. Classical uses a completely different technique then normal strumming, which …
Wrist + thumb + palm + forefinger: tendonitis
Hi,
I'm Lorenzo from Italy (excuse me for my english, please!)
:-)
I'm a semi-pro guitarist and, during summer, I play 50 nights in 3 months... the …
Update on Tendonitis treatment, but question for Joshua..
I have now been on Joshua's program the last two months, and after a fair bit of effort, achieved very good results. Thank you for that!.
Every couple …
Possible Trigger Finger and Guitar Tendonitis symptoms from starting to play guitar again
Hello Joshua,
I have been playing guitar for about 10 years now, practicing at LEAST 3-4 hours a day and never had a problem with my hands.
That …
Guitar tendonitis plz help!
On average I played guitar about 9-10 hrs a day in Music college, and a little less when I was in high school.
About six months ago I was in an ensemble …
Guitar Tendonitis Strain Pain in between Knuckles
Boy I'm really glad I found this site.
I have pain in my left hand between the 2nd & 3rd knuckles (middle finger & ring finger) and I knew something …
Guitar Tendonitis and Multiple Surgeries
Hello, I am a 36 year old guitar player, who, sadly has spent most of his life getting surgery for carpel tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, arthritis exercises, …
Thumb Tendonitis and/or Guitar Tendonitis, Debilitating is the word.
Hi Mister Joshua,
Congratulations for this website. I know how long and how much work it took to get it done.
So, I have a tendonitis due to guitar …
Guitarist Tendonitis With Uncomfortable Burning Sensation In My Wrist and Lower Arm
Dear Joshua:
My name is Ruben Salas and I am pretty much desperate.
Music is my passion and I am a guitarist. 4 months ago after starting a new band …
Wrist Tendonitis In My Left Hand My Guitar Playing Hand
I have wrist tendonitis in my left hand from playing guitar.
My left hand feels stiff most of the time.
It hurts when I play guitar.
What …
Guitar Tendonitis Problems For 12 Years
Hi Joshua
I have had on and off pain for 12 years now. More recently it has been on.
From shoulder, to mild elbow pain, thumb and index finger. …
Guitar/Bass Player Gets Relief From Debilitating Tendonitis
Hey Joshua.
I'm a guitar/bass player and had recently been suffering from a pretty debilitating(and quite frankly, frightening) case of tendonitis, …
Wrist Tendonitis from guitar playing / weight lifting
Hi, my name is Nick and I am 20 years old living in Richmond, Virginia.
When I was in high school I had wrist tendonitis as a result of playing the …
Guitar Tendonitis, or It Hurts When I Play Guitar.
Hi, Joshua, I think I've developed tendonitis from repetitive picking of the guitar in my right hand.
I spent last summer playing 4 to 6 hours a day …
About to go to music school for jazz guitar with 2.5 years of tendinitis Not rated yet
I was diagnosed with tendinitis by the end of January 2016. Though looking back I can remember symptoms of muscle fatigue earlier in my guitar journey. …
Huge relief with Reversing Guitar Tendonitis Not rated yet
Hello Joshua, I have been a guitar player for about 40 years without any pain whatsoever.
Recently, I started accelerating my weightlifting and really …
Finger paralysis when playing guitar and swelling of the finger next to the thumb Not rated yet
Hello, I have been playing guitar for 40+ years and have had a few incidents where my 2 middle fingers have become usless and almost paralized with no …
Is it guitar? Or computer? Or TV remote?! Not rated yet
I have degenerative disk disease, which means I can't work. I'm certain it's unrelated to the tendonitis that I'm quite sure I have, except to the extent …
Another Berklee guitar player with tendinitis symptoms Not rated yet
Lately I have been in a 6-7 hour a day practice routine. I am constantly playing the guitar. Lately I have been feeling some cramping and irritation in …
Hand pain from playing guitar and work Not rated yet
Hi,
I've had pain in my left and right hand for about 6 months from playing guitar, and working in a deli. Let me explain some symptoms. In the left …
it's been about 3-4 months of severe wrist pain and limitation from fretting and typing Not rated yet
I can't even type this comfortably...
play guitar - 25 years
drums - 10 years
computer graphics/writing - 10 years. Lots of ctrl 't' 'c' 'v' etc. …
Wrist Pain and Cracking In Left Hand in Guitar Player Not rated yet
I have had a few outbreaks of this pain and wrist cracking. I first noticed it during Christmas when i received a watch for a present. It was kind of …
Guitar pain in middle finger and thumb up through forearm to elbow and shoudler Not rated yet
my pain is in the index middle and thumb digits going through forearm settling in the elbow and up the arm to the deltoid muscle then to my upper back...burns …
Violinist with career affecting pain elbow to hand Not rated yet
I am a 45 year old violinist. This past summer, I dry walled my basement by myself. All the gripping while carrying the drywall left me with a lot of …
Forearm pain and twitching knuckles from playing guitar Not rated yet
I've been playing guitar for around 8 years and i recently (3 or 4 months ago) started having twinging pains in my forearm. I brushed it off several times, …
Wrist tendonitis or guitar tendonitis in father and bass player Not rated yet
I have been experiencing pain in the back of the hands, down into the forearms, as well on the underside of the wrist near the palms, and down into the …
Ex-Guitarist with a positive story after Tendonitis and H1N1 Flu Shot Not rated yet
Hello Joshua,
Sometime ago, I recall someone writing to you, asking for testimonials before they would buy any of your products.I guess in some ways, …
Pinky and ring finger tendonitis problems from playing guitar Not rated yet
Hi,
been playing guitar for 34 yrs and not really had any problems.
started learning a new style about 6 months ago and am now having problems between …
My wrist pain from playing guitar that wont go away Not rated yet
Hi My name is Jason. I really love the guitar and one day hope to go to music school but recently i've been really down because my wrist has been causing …
Classical Guitar Wrist Pain! I Want To Play Professionally All My Life Not rated yet
Hello, my name is Diana. I am a young, classical guitarist, and guitar is not just a hobby for me, but a lifestyle. I noticed for the past couple of …
Palm, Ring-finger, and pinky pain from playing bass guitar Not rated yet
I am 21 years old and I have been playing bass very heavily for four years now.
A few days ago, I woke to have some stiffness and soreness in my palm, …
Experiencing pain in my left hand knuckles and pointer finger going numb Not rated yet
I've been playing for 10+ years and about a year ago i noticed a pain or numbness in my knuckles and top of hand rendering my hand useless. It seems to …
Trigger Finger from Dengue Virus problem!!!! 17 and want to play guitar as a career. Not rated yet
hello, I don´t know what to do...
I used to play the guitar many hours per day, but then in 2008, I had dengue, and after that this trigger finger started …
Return to the top of this Guitar Tendonitis page.
Go to the Wrist Tendonitis page.
Go to the main Tendonitis page.
Go to the TendonitisExpert.com homepage.
Recent Articles
-
Visitor Site Map For www.TendonitisExpert.com
Dec 28, 23 12:34 AM
Site Map of TendonitisExpert.com webpages -
Whiplash Neck Injury, Symptoms of Whiplash, Treatment for Whiplash
Dec 24, 23 05:24 PM
Do you have a Whiplash Neck Injury? Is it new or chronic whiplash? Whiplash Symptoms can last a lifetime so learn a fast whiplash recovery plan. -
Shoulder Tendonitis, Tendonitis in Shoulder, 100% Fixable
Dec 24, 23 05:24 PM
Have chronic Shoulder Tendonitis? Want to get rid of it?