Hey guys, first time posting here although I've been viewing Pebber's youtube stuff for about a year. Can't thank you enough Pebber.

I saw some threads about pain-relief pills and ointment but I was wondering if anyone had come up with specific indicators of bad technique linked to specific pain in the arm or hand.

For example I used to bend the wrist way too much when playing at the top of the neck (THE SWAN ! !) over time I developed pain where the wrist meets the back of my hand (inflamed carpal tunnels). I corrected the swan, waited for the wrist to heal and I've never had that pain problem again. Now I have a pain at the base of my thumb that radiates up the side of the wrist under the thumb. I understand this could be early tendonitis of the thumb or De quervain's. I pretty much always play with the thumb behind the second finger and pointing up, but this pain is making it difficult to grip the neck now. I've stopped playing but I don't want to continue with a technique thats going to bring on the pain. Your insight would be wonderful.

I'm taking it VERY seriously. I've always stopped playing whenever there is any pain. Luckily, I've always been able to tell the difference between a hand thats sore from a workout and one thats sore from trauma. I'm trying to evaluate what, if anything, went wrong and caused the condition. Pebber, if you're telling me that you got it back in '99, I'm going to assume that poor technique wasnt the main reason for its onset. Did you ever determine the cause? (lack of warmup/stretching, overplaying, too much thumb pressure?) Was it in the same location as mine (below the thumb and on side of wrist?)

I have excellent health insurance but I'm not a fan of doctors/physical therapists/chiropractors. I think that 99% them phone in their profession. I had a chiropractor who made my backpain worse. I went to a hand specialist once for a consult on a ganglion growth. He blew me off and lucklily it went away on its own anyway. Bunch of arrogant pricks in my opinion.

For the last week I've been ice dipping, massaging, and taking anti-inflamatories. If I don't see at least SOME relief in 4-6 weeks I'll bite the bullet and see a 'professional'. Thanks again.

I thought I'd give an update just in case anyone was interested.

It's been about 7 weeks since I developed my tendonitis. I've only picked up the guitar a few times and strictly practiced open string picking :( For the first month I ice dipped at least once a day sometimes twice (morning and night). I also took anti-inflamatories for the first several weeks. I have massaged the palm and between the thumb and index finger several times a day since onset. It was about two weeks for the pain to subside on the wrist under the thumb. at about 5 weeks I noticed the inflamation on the palm at the base of the thumb had lessened. I still have considerable discomfort just below the center of my palm. This is where the tendon comes up from the wrist and turns left towards the thumb. It is still noticeably inflamed there and I can not put any pressure on it (leaning on my palm against a wall or god forbid trying to do a pushup just causes intense pain there). Although I am disappointed in the recovery time, from what I've read, it seems on par with similar conditions. 8 weeks+ to go :(

Have you tried aloe vera? Following a tendon operation I got a few plants and used the gel to prevent too much scar tissue from developing under my skin. I swear by it since. I also read it has anti-inflammatory properties. I would recommend getting the actual plants instead of creams though as the gel directly extracted from the leaves is more potent.

Ive had that kind of thumb pain, source of it was applying to much pressure with the thumb, especially when doing barre chords.
i bought some medical tape and reinforced the thumb and kept playing with immense care.. it healed..

i have had tendonitis in the past and it was fixed through manual therapy.. the therapist was amazing though, she knows a lot about chinese and alternate medicine and found the pain points like she could see the nerves right on my skin.. 4 sessions and i was good to go..

I also had problems with my shoulder but i didnt stop playing, because im a major dick and i cant put down the guitar so i got a cortisone injection and stretched a lot (not the way to go though, im lucky im young and recover quickly)

Now in around 2 weeks im gonna take a 4 week break, because i have abused trills for 3 hours + for 2 months now and my pinky and 3rd finger are beaten up as hell :)

If i could i would just tape them, and keep going, but injuries are accumulating and im gonna spend 1 month away from home so i guess its time to rest and concentrate on theory and aural training i guess..

However i never played when in pain, if it hurt in a bad way i would stop immediately and move to another thing that didnt hurt.... Im glad Pebber posted the seriousness injuries can have.. doctors around here are dicks and tell you to keep doing whatever you are doing..


Wish you a quick recovery!!

Slashiepie,

I think i was also applying way to much thumb pressure. I tend to do that when I am making long stretches with the pinkie. When I heal up I'm going to make a conscious effort to adjust my technique there. Thanks for the input.

hahaha glad im not alone Pebber, their arrogance over here is astounding, i dont know about other countries but they do not take an injury from playing an instrument seriously, they just shrug it off like you are a pussy.. guess if its not an operable condition, that means no money and no need to waste their valuable time with you.. they friggin do a diagnosis with 2 questions and 40 seconds of examination.

@OneMiamiBum

I also noticed i stressed the thumb the most when applying heavy bends and/or vibrato without bringing it over the neck for that extra support (Berklee Vibrato is it called ? )really tense strings with high action contributed to it :P

The thing that helped incredibly was called deep tissue/ pressure massage, i encourage anyone to look into it, you can also massage yourself everyday to prevent any tendinitis from happening again.

Beware of friggin laptop touchpads/trackpads.. those things are the biggest threat to wrists.
Even people who excercise daily and have incredibly healthy posture and habits develop injuries/pain from using those damn trackpads.

btw- the vibrato thing was again because of excess pressure. :P
once corrected it did not bother me again :)

Just to follow up on this old thread. It was about 6 months before I could start playing with my left hand again. I did get pretty good with scalpel and sarod though. I don't wish tendinitis on anyone. I don't think it was anything in my practice technique though. I think I was just over-practicing and not resting enough. Now I stop for about ten minutes for every hour of practice and shake it off. I'm always massaging the palm out of fear it will come back.

Hey mate,

I was just re-reading the old posts in the thread and there are a couple of things I picked up on which I hadn't known about before. I'm not sure if using cold compresses and massaging the inflamed area are always a good idea. Luckily, I've never had issues with the tendons/joints in my hand but recently I have had a lot of problems with my back. In short, pressure from a herniated disc is causing inflammation of the nerves in my spine. I did try cold/ice compresses once and it actually aggravated the problem. Massaging/putting pressure on the inflamed area also made the pain a lot worse. I know you are eager to actively help the healing process but I would suggest you only use compresses and massage your hand if you are absolutely sure they make you feel better. I also understand our conditions are different but nerve inflammation is a common symptom of both.

Based on the last three months with this bloody back pain (barely being able to do my shoes, etc) I have to agree with Pebber: allow the affected area to rest. Seems you have been very sensible. And yes, it's bloody frustrating that it takes so long. Good luck!

I use the herb for any pain I get.Music sounds better too.