Wrist Tendonitis: Fighting the Bane of the Guitar Hero

If you've played guitar for any length of time, or even if you jam on Guitar Hero with your friends, you may have experienced the pain of wrist tendonitis. A guitar player is especially prone to wrist tendonitis because of the position in which the guitar is held. Frequent strain from reaching to play notes can wreak havoc on the tendons in your wrist, hands, and forearm.

Wrist tendonitis occurs when the tendons in your wrist become inflamed. This leads to swelling, followed by pain or numbness. The swelling also causes decreased mobility.

Mild cases usually result in short term pain, followed by an inability to continue playing guitar for several days. Most guitar players will suffer from a mild case of wrist tendonitis at some point. Serious cases, developing slowly over time, can cause chronic pain and require surgery, and may permanently impact your playing.

Here are a few tips that may help you deal with the agony of a sore, swollen wrist.

Adjusting your hold
Much of the grief of wrist tendonitis can be eliminated by adjusting your hold on the guitar. Your arm, wrist, and hand should form a gradual curve around the neck of your guitar. When your arm shifts out of the naturally curved position, strain increases and can gradually lead to wrist tendonitis. Get in the habit of maintaining a gradually curved hold when you play.

Watch for areas of the guitar neck that frequently cause you to strain to play the notes. Try playing those same notes in a different position on the guitar, or using different fingers. Much wrist tendonitis can be eliminated by compensating for difficult hand positions.

Try elevating the neck of your guitar to a 45 degree angle. By moving it out of a horizontal position, you reduce the amount your wrist has to bend toward your arm to touch the frets on the guitar. Also, try shortening the length of the strap and you will be able to reach all points on the fret board with less strain.

Easing the pain
Wrist tendonitis pain can be treated effectively with anti-inflammatory medications, such as Motrin or Advil. This approach works especially well for mild cases, where you simply need a bit of time to recover. Take some anti-inflammatory pills and stop playing until your wrist heals.

Stretching and strengthening exercises can help reduce the risk of wrist tendonitis. Your usual guitar practice routine will help, but you can find a ton of information on the Internet about exercises specifically for wrist tendonitis. Simply squeezing a tennis ball or pulling against a towel to provide resistance can help strengthen your wrist.

To help reduce inflammation from wrist tendonitis, apply an ice pack for 20 minutes at a time, allowing your wrist to warm up in between. This will help to reduce swelling. Set your guitar aside and don't touch it until the inflammation and pain are gone. Your playing may suffer, but you will avoid more serious injury that could keep you away from your guitar for a long time.