Is it possible, that I'm playing too much?

[Tony W]

get to a doctor, it could be a number of things causing it. i have a trapped nerve in my neck which causes a lot of  numbness and general annoyance in my left arm. pretty much like the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome but affects my entire arm.

Agree with Jim, go see a doctor. I wasn't going to mention it, but I started working out a couple months ago. Long story short, I tried to keep up with the 25 year old version of myself, and damaged the pectoral muscle on my right side. Of course it's right at a cluster of nerves, and causes my arm to go numb, then pain sets in to the hand. The moral of the story, the pain may be in the hands, but that may not be the source of the problem.

[Oldrottenhead]

Are you sure that isn't just Mrs ORH repeatedly punching you?

she loves me dearly, but it is probably a cumulation of frying pan injuries similar to the one's bb may suffer.

[Blooby]

Are you sure that isn't just Mrs ORH repeatedly punching you?

she loves me dearly, but it is probably a cumulation of frying pan injuries similar to the one's bb may suffer.

I am marveling at the "armrests" on that couch (from the Lewis Carroll collection). It is Flash Harry's brand new toothbrush.

Nelson, I truly hope this is a fleeting thing.

Blooby

[Geir]

I think the couch is normal size

[Farmjazz]

This is a situation that I deal with frequently with myself, and my students. As we progress in our musicianship, our muscular condition changes. No big mystery there. As our hands and forearms develop, they do go through a period of pain, discomfort, cramping, etc. I would suggest that you keep playing as much as you comfortably can and come through the other side stronger, and better equipped to play. I've seen the pain leave several times in myself and in my students that practice the way they should.

I'm not discounting the possibility of some medical condition, but it sounds like good old-fashioned musician growing pains to me. A good thing, really.

[Bluesberry]

frying pan.....................ouch

[guitarron]

I think the couch is normal size

lol
i'd like to thank all the little people

[Saijinn Maas]

8 hours a day, 5 on weekends, is considered a lot by any standards.

Definitely sounds like an injury due to over playing, either RSI or CTS. It is worth noting that unless you have an existing case of arthritis, the main cause of both of these are due to tendon strain. I have been to the doctor twice due to this. After following some adice I read, I rarely have a problem.

Steve Vai used to practice 10 hours a day.  He had an article that used to be on his old site many years ago, talking about the importance of avoiding injury from over practicing. I got most of this from back then. It has helped me tremendously. I only occasionally get any tingling if on those times I skip warm ups and end up playing longer than I anticipated. :/

Pre-Practice
1. Stretch hands and wrists
2. Warm up with basic scales that emphasis simple stretching your fingers.

EXERCISE 1

E|---------------------------1-2-3-----4-3-2-------------------------------------------
B|----------------------1-2-3------------------4-3-2-----------------------------------
G|-----------------1-2-3-------------------------------4-3-2--------------------------
D|------------1-2-3--------------------------------------------4-3-2-------------------
A|-------1-2-3---------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-----------
E|--1-2-3----------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2---

- Play up to the 12th fret then back down using alternate picking (up and down motion)
- Use only fingers 1, 2, and 3
- 123 321 123 321 etc.......

EXERCISE 2

- Begin using your 4th (pinky) finger for all the following exercises.

E|----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----4-3-2-1---------------------------------------------------------
B|--------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------------
G|------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1-------------------------------------
D|----------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1---------------------------
A|--------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1-----------------
E|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1------

EXERCISE 3

E|----------------------1-3--4-2----------------------
B|------------------1-3----------4-2------------------
G|--------------1-3------------------4-2--------------
D|----------1-3---------------------------4-2---------
A|------1-3-----------------------------------4-2-----
E|--1-3-------------------------------------------4-2-

EXERCISE 4

E|------------------------------------------1-3-2-4---4-2-3-1-------------------------------------------------------
B|----------------------------------1-3-2-4--------------------4-2-3-1----------------------------------------------
G|--------------------------1-3-2-4-------------------------------------4-2-3-1-------------------------------------
D|------------------1-3-2-4------------------------------------------------------4-2-3-1----------------------------
A|----------1-3-2-4------------------------------------------------------------------------4-2-3-1------------------
E|--1-3-2-4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-2-3-1--------

EXERCISE 5

E|-------------2--3--------------
B|----------3--------4-----------
G|-------2--------------3--------
D|----4--------------------5-----
A|-5-----------------------------
E|-------------------------------

(These are not intended to be musical, so they will not sound like typical scales.)

During Practice
1. Pay attention to how you fret. Some people play with the neck being too low, sort of parallel to the floor. This can cause some people to have to stretch their hands to reach the upper strings. This is commonly missed if you have been doing it this way from the beginning. Everything already is uncomfortable, so the discomfort is considered normal.

I no longer rest the guitar body on my right leg, which is common. Even when I am sitting I use a guitar strap and I make sure the guitar is in a more classical style angle but without resting on the left leg. This puts considerably less strain on my fretting hand and has the added benefit of being used to how the guitar feels while standing and playing.

2. Picking hand is usually more prone to "tennis elbow". But if you are feeling it in your picking hand also, which I have only heard of once, then it might be from having a death grip on the pick or way too much tension in your hand while you pick.

Post Practice
1. Stretch and message hands and wrists and the forearms.
2. Soak in hands in ice water. (Similar method of being submerged in an ice bath when I used to play football. It promotes the discharge of the lactic acid that causes muscle soreness and reduces swelling of the overworked tendons.)  I only do this when I know I've really worked my hands. Or I pop in a movie and sit with an ice pack on the back on my hands.

If it is really painful now, I would stay away from playing anything. It will only get worse. If the pain does not start to subside you should go see a doctor immediately, at least to make sure you haven't already done any real damage.

Hope you get better

[Flash Harry]

8 hours a day, 5 on weekends, is considered a lot by any standards.

Definitely sounds like an injury due to over playing, either RSI or CTS. It is worth noting that unless you have an existing case of arthritis, the main cause of both of these are due to tendon strain. I have been to the doctor twice due to this. After following some adice I read, I rarely have a problem.

Steve Vai used to practice 10 hours a day.  He had an article that used to be on his old site many years ago, talking about the importance of avoiding injury from over practicing. I got most of this from back then. It has helped me tremendously. I only occasionally get any tingling if on those times I skip warm ups and end up playing longer than I anticipated. :/

Pre-Practice
1. Stretch hands and wrists
2. Warm up with basic scales that emphasis simple stretching your fingers.

EXERCISE 1

E|---------------------------1-2-3-----4-3-2-------------------------------------------
B|----------------------1-2-3------------------4-3-2-----------------------------------
G|-----------------1-2-3-------------------------------4-3-2--------------------------
D|------------1-2-3--------------------------------------------4-3-2-------------------
A|-------1-2-3---------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-----------
E|--1-2-3----------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2---

- Play up to the 12th fret then back down using alternate picking (up and down motion)
- Use only fingers 1, 2, and 3
- 123 321 123 321 etc.......

EXERCISE 2

- Begin using your 4th (pinky) finger for all the following exercises.

E|----------------------------------------1-2-3-4-----4-3-2-1---------------------------------------------------------
B|--------------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------4-3-2-1-----------------------------------------------
G|------------------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------4-3-2-1-------------------------------------
D|----------------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1---------------------------
A|--------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1-----------------
E|-1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-3-2-1------

EXERCISE 3

E|----------------------1-3--4-2----------------------
B|------------------1-3----------4-2------------------
G|--------------1-3------------------4-2--------------
D|----------1-3---------------------------4-2---------
A|------1-3-----------------------------------4-2-----
E|--1-3-------------------------------------------4-2-

EXERCISE 4

E|------------------------------------------1-3-2-4---4-2-3-1-------------------------------------------------------
B|----------------------------------1-3-2-4--------------------4-2-3-1----------------------------------------------
G|--------------------------1-3-2-4-------------------------------------4-2-3-1-------------------------------------
D|------------------1-3-2-4------------------------------------------------------4-2-3-1----------------------------
A|----------1-3-2-4------------------------------------------------------------------------4-2-3-1------------------
E|--1-3-2-4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-2-3-1--------

EXERCISE 5

E|-------------2--3--------------
B|----------3--------4-----------
G|-------2--------------3--------
D|----4--------------------5-----
A|-5-----------------------------
E|-------------------------------

(These are not intended to be musical, so they will not sound like typical scales.)

During Practice
1. Pay attention to how you fret. Some people play with the neck being too low, sort of parallel to the floor. This can cause some people to have to stretch their hands to reach the upper strings. This is commonly missed if you have been doing it this way from the beginning. Everything already is uncomfortable, so the discomfort is considered normal.

I no longer rest the guitar body on my right leg, which is common. Even when I am sitting I use a guitar strap and I make sure the guitar is in a more classical style angle but without resting on the left leg. This puts considerably less strain on my fretting hand and has the added benefit of being used to how the guitar feels while standing and playing.

2. Picking hand is usually more prone to "tennis elbow". But if you are feeling it in your picking hand also, which I have only heard of once, then it might be from having a death grip on the pick or way too much tension in your hand while you pick.

Post Practice
1. Stretch and message hands and wrists and the forearms.
2. Soak in hands in ice water. (Similar method of being submerged in an ice bath when I used to play football. It promotes the discharge of the lactic acid that causes muscle soreness and reduces swelling of the overworked tendons.)  I only do this when I know I've really worked my hands. Or I pop in a movie and sit with an ice pack on the back on my hands.

If it is really painful now, I would stay away from playing anything. It will only get worse. If the pain does not start to subside you should go see a doctor immediately, at least to make sure you haven't already done any real damage.

Hope you get better

Fine advice Sai.

[launched]

I agree with some of the others - Go see a doctor. It can't hurt, and might be something that can be remedied.

You make great tunes, bro - Keep those digits healthy!

Mark