Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic Subject: Re: Pain in right forearm Date: 30 Jul 1998 07:09:13 GMT > Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic > Date: 29 Jul 1998 13:50:10 GMT > > I'm a finger-style guitar player (steel-string) and recently I have > developed a slight, but annoying and worrying pain in my right forearm. > Pointing the fingers upwards and turning the palm of the hand towards my face, > the pain is located on the left-side, just below the middle (i.e. half-way > between wrist and elbow). > > I have to say I recently changed my playing technique: having played > the banjo for a couple of years, I played the guitar with a thumb-pick and > two fingers. Now I'm playing with my thumb-nail, ring finger and even pinky > occasionnaly. This has altered my right hand position, but in a good way I think. I had a similar trouble when I changed techniques. I learned to play, picking with thumb and forefinger and my pinkie resting on the guitar face. I decided to learn some classical pieces in the classical manner so I stopped resting my pinkie on the face and started using the index, ring, and middle finger for picking. This gave me a sore forearm. I analysed the problem as bad posture in that I no longer was suporting my right arm and the soreness was simply from trying to hold my arm over the strings without its former support. Going back to my old ways of resting my pinkie on the face cured the soreness in the forearm. I haven't figured out a good posture for playing with it off yet. In my case it was a specific area that was sore, and I could feel a sensitive spot by pressing it with my finger, so I felt it was muscles rather than tendons. Subject: Re: Pain in right forearm Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 11:11:42 -0700 >I'm a finger-style guitar player (steel-string) and recently I have >developed a slight, but annoying and worrying pain in my right forearm. >Pointing the fingers upwards and turning the palm of the hand towards my face, >the pain is located on the left-side, just below the middle (i.e. half-way >between wrist and elbow). > >I have to say I recently changed my playing technique: having played >the banjo for a couple of years, I played the guitar with a thumb-pick and >two fingers. Now I'm playing with my thumb-nail, ring finger and even pinky >occasionnaly. This has altered my right hand position, but in a good way I think. >Playing looks and feels more relaxed and lighter but...for the pain. > >I think it's got to do with the tendon of the ring finger. When I play with >just two fingers, and let the ring finger fly along with the middle finger, >it feels better. but when using the ring finger, it often feels awkward and the pain >comes. I also feel it when doing other finger motions, like using the remote control >or typing. I am not in great pain, but having read about many cases of >tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, I feel alarmed and wonder if I should >see a doctor. > >If anyone has had the same experience, I hope to hear from him/her. I've suffrered with various forms of overuse for years, mostly the left hand, elbow, arm and shoulder (swimming, guitar & computer). What kind of guitar are you playing? If it is a dreadnought, it may be too wide for you at the lower bout. One symptom of a too wide guitar is the discomfort from the weight of your arm resting on the edge of the guitar (it can actually compress the nerves and nerve sheath running down the arm). Combine the above possibility with the odd angle of the elbow and shoulder as you play a dred and you have numerous potential culprits. I simply cannot play a dreadnought without feeling excessive pain after awhile. Even though I grew up with them, I have come to hate this 747 of the guitar world. Assuming you fret with your left hand, I doubt that fingerstyle would affect your right arm as much as your playing position. Mostly, you are moving your hand in small incremental motions. The fingers are moving fast but they really aren't under unusual stress while doing so. If you are playing a thinner bodied guitar, OM, 000 or 00, then you need to look at your playing position. Are you resting the guitar on your right knee or left. Switching to the left will eventually be more comfortable and especially for fingerstyle enable a looser and and less tense left hand. Perhaps you are at the computer too long. I know that using the mouse a lot will bring on arm pain. Ergonomics of your seating position related to your computer will affect both arms. Also, sometimes the body just needs a rest. If you are playing too much, it will let you know. Cut back for a few weeks. Good luck. Coop. Subject: Re: Pain in right forearm Date: 30 Jul 1998 11:18:30 GMT Yesterday I applied some self-analysis to my playing position and I may have found some clues as to where the pain comes from. I notice my right shoulder and upper arm (I pick with my right hand) are very stiff, that can't be right. I've also played the violin and learned that relaxation of the shoulders is very important. I guess this applies to the guitar aswell. Also (as Coop mentioned in a follow-up to my original article) the pressure of my arm on the edge of the guitar causes pain. I think this pressure causes the sore spot on my arm. I have a guitar (Epiphone) with a pretty wide body that complicates matters. I don't know if it is a `dreadnought' because I'm not exactly sure what the term means?! As it is, I'm trying to find a good posture to be able to play with a relaxed right picking arm, but I just don't seem to be able to avoid twisting my shoulder slightly forward, causing tension in the entire arm. I tried resting the guitar on my left knee, but I find it difficult to sit that way (I have a foot stand). The guitar just doesn't seem to 'fit between my legs'. This may have got to do with its body, because I can remember playing this way on the classical guitar I used to own without much problem...but that as a long time ago. I do get a taste of the `left knee feel' by playing standing up with my left leg raised upon a chair. It feels pretty good, but isn't very practical... Should I get another guitar with a slimmer body (I hope not) or slowly let my body adapt to my new position, or ... ???