Injuries

You probably know that before exercising, it is important to stretch to avoid injury. Not much of a surprise right? Many guitar players do not think to stretch before playing guitar. Believe it or not, playing guitar puts a lot of stress on your arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. Whenever using muscles for a prolonged period of time, professionals recommend warming up to prevent doing harm to muscles. Not stretching before sitting down for your six-hour-long practice that was supposed to only be a half hour jam can yield unwanted consequences. Okay, so you want to practice for six hours because it’s more “metal,” cool. However, taking time to stop and stretch can prevent you from tearing ligaments in your hand. Playing guitar can yield other problems as well such as hearing loss. Take a look some information on the types of injuries one can endure from practicing the guitar, and how to prevent these injuries. You don’t want your guitar to be killing you.

Tendinitis

Playing fast rhythms while holding tension in your hand can be very bad. One common issue guitarists run into when they do this is tendinitis. Tendinitis is a painful disorder which is a result of tendons becoming inflamed in the elbow, forearm or wrist. This is often developed in the picking hand from attempting to play songs too difficult for one’s physical abilities. Yeah, that’s right, you probably shouldn’t be trying to play Disposable Heroes by Metallica at full speed without warming up. But it doesn’t have to be anything crazy like Disposable Heroes, if you are holding too much tension in your wrist, hand, arms, or anywhere else while playing; you can do damage to your body.

Arthritis

If you’re a fan of grind-core, you might also be a fan of arthritis. But probably not. Arthritis is the wearing down or grinding of joints. Guitar players can experience this in the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and even the spine. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis experienced. The joints wear down and grind away at each other from overuse. Arthritis is not as fun as playing guitar; it’s painful and can actually lead to you having to stop playing altogether. Regular exercise, stretching, warming up and even massages can help prevent arthritis.

Tinnitus

I get it, you want to play along with your favorite rock and metal albums as loud as possible. There are a few problems with that, however. Number one, your neighbors hate you. Number two and more importantly, you can do serious long-term damage to your hearing. Which leads to more problems such as, not being able to see your favorite bands live or having to play at low levels for the rest of your life. Doesn’t seem ideal right? We’d all like to have the opportunity to jam out at a Foo Fighters concert. Tinnitus is the constant ringing or buzzing sound in one’s ears as result of prolonged exposure to loud sounds. It is not reversible and once the damage is done; there’s no going back. Good news though! Tinnitus can be prevented by using earplugs. If you experience ringing in your ears after a concert or gig, be sure to take it easy on your ears. Don’t go blasting Thy Art Is Murder at full volume. It’s best to let your ears rest and recover as much as possible.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

No, carpal tunnel syndrome is not the name of a bad pop-punk band. (It could be though.) Carpal tunnel syndrome is a disorder caused by the compression of a nerve located between the wrist and the hand. This results in a numbness and tingling in the hand and arm. Not sure about you, but considering I play guitar, I’d take a sub-par pop-punk band over that any day. To avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, do not hold any tension in your wrist or arm. If you’re experiencing any pain in your wrists, you may want to use thinner strings if you can. This will lower the amount of tension in both wrists. However, I personally do not recommend changing string gauges to deal with this problem; pay attention to your body posture, keep your wrists straight, and abstain from keeping tension in any part of your body while playing. You can use a wrist brace to help you keep your wrist straight.

Back Problems

If you’re a metal-head, you’ve heard of Dave Mustaine of Megadeth. He, like many other guitarists, suffers from chronic back pain that greatly inhibits his ability to play guitar. Dave Mustaine has spinal stenosis which is when the spine is narrows. It pressures the spinal cord and nerves and often causes intense back pain, neck pain, and pain running down the leg. Mustaine claims that headbanging is the cause of his condition. It also doesn’t help his guitar was putting weight on his back. The weight of guitar on your shoulders and back is unnatural for the human body. Holding a guitar is like holding a ten-pound weight around your shoulders. So all you headbangers might want to take a break now and then. Yes, it does look cool, but maybe in your bedroom, it’s not necessary; save it for the show. Also be sure to switch from standing and sitting during practice to avoid putting too much stress on any part of your back.

How To Prevent Your Guitar From Killing You

If you haven’t noticed, it’s not the guitar that’s doing the killing; it’s you. You have to properly take care of your body and if you don’t, there could be serious consequences. Staying in good physical shape is key to avoiding injuries throughout your years of playing. Exercising regularly is a great place to start. Be sure to always stretch before playing for long periods of time. It is also a good idea to switch between sitting, standing, and classical position. That way the weight of your guitar isn’t putting too much stress on any one part of your body. Don’t hold any tension in your arms, wrists, or hands. If something is hurting you, it’s probably a safe bet to stop doing whatever that is. Wear ear protection when necessary, you can’t fix hearing loss. While it may seem cool to listen to music at loud volumes, that will change when your hearing is practically gone. If you experience any pain or discomfort be sure to consult with a doctor. Maintaining good warm-up habits will allow you to play pain-free for years to come.