wrist pain

What kind of pain is it? can you describe the pain? Does it hurt allot? or just enough to be annoying? Some pain might be normal, but DO NOT over do it or just keep playing on if its hurting allot.If you don't improve soon, you might want to see a doctor. Good luck :D

stop playing and see a doctor. then see a physical therapist.

stop playing and see a doctor. then see a physical therapist.

Better yet :D

Riotgeek, I have to be careful or I get wrist pain from playing too much, too. I think I have gradually improved my wrist, thumb and finger strength and flexibility, but when I push too hard, I feel it and know it's time to back off. Trying to avoid permanent damage that can be caused by repetitive use injury.

Margaret

The pain is like muscle strain. I think it's just because I have short wrists and tiny hands, and haven't played for a while. I'm not pushing it when it's really sore. I'm hoping short periods of daily practice will help strengthen my wrist/hand/fingers. I had been playing my Fender up until yesterday but I've switched back to my Danelectro which has a slightly narrower neck and that's giving my wrist some relief.

i had wrist and finger pains when i first started playing. that last 4 months(i may have pushed myself too hard) but it goes away eventually, so dont worry.

I've been experiencing a lot of pain in my left wrist lately. Even if I play for a relatively short period of time, the pain is there. I think it's most likely because I have small hands, and I haven't played for a while. Has anyone else experienced this? Any tips? Anything I can do to strengthen my wrist?

Please be careful how you proceed. Last March, I thought the pain in my hands "would go away" and it didn't. I now suffer from Repetitive Strain Injury - specifically tendonitis. There is a world of difference between discomfort brought on by exuberance and actual pain. At the very least, consider warming up (slow fingering exercises, rubbing your hands gently before starting), taking frequent breaks (every 10-15 minutes) and icing your hands and wrists when done. Although heat may feel better, pain of the hands and wrists is related to inflammation. Heat will make it worse. Ice will reduce inflammation. In any case, you should consider seeing a physical therapist. Don't allow it to get out of hand. You may also want to take a look at my March post - Dealing With Repetitive Strain Injury... It may provide you with some further food for thought. Good luck!

Regards,

Rob

You all should check out ririzarry's guitar that he built :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMZm_olq12I
Sweet :!: God bless engineers 8) 8) 8)

You all should check out ririzarry's guitar that he built :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMZm_olq12I
Sweet :!: God bless engineers 8) 8) 8)

CLARIFICATION!
The guitar played by Adrian Legg in this video is the creation of Bill Puplett, a luthier out of England. I wrote about it back in August - Adrian Legg's Ergonomic Guitar. It's a very interesting design influenced by the Klein Electric and the Ovation Breadwinner before it - The Ovation Breadwinner Electric Guitar - An Unsung Ergonomic Design.

That said, by all means, check out the guitar I'm building! It is based on the Klein Electric Guitar shape and you can see more of it on my latest post at Building The Ergonomic Guitar. In the right hand column, you'll see a section called Guitar Build Milestones where you can navigate to posts documenting its progression.

Regards,

Rob

I definately agree with the warnings to stop playing when it comes to this type of pain. Wrist pain is not a pain to be trifled with. From what I've learned posture is of utmost importance when playing guitar. The wrist, the elbow, the shoulder, and the back all influence each other. When you play slumped over, this position cuts off bloodflow to your arm and especially to your wrist and it makes it easier for complications to ensue. Also, I've been told to keep your elbow relaxed and away from your body. This was hard for me at first because when I am learning new stuff on the guitar I concentrate hard and tend to tense up and compact myself you know? The other thing is to only press as hard as you have to. Don't hold on to the neck for dear life and strain yourself, just put as little pressure as you have when you press down on the string. To be mindful of your posture and the relaxation of your arm & hand makes a huge difference in the healthiness of your playing. I hope your wrist continues to improve and that you are able to enjoy playing.

I agree with downstroke that the body posture is of utmost importance when playing guitar. Many beginners tend to hold the guitar neck low and horisontal and angle up the fretboard so they can see the fingersetting of the fretting hand. Especially when playing chords will this give a very uncomfortable bend of the wrist of the fretting hand.
I myself have found that a high angle of the guitar neck and a high position of the fretting gives the most comfortable angle of the wrist.
Maybe not so extreme as the classical sitting position when playing classic acoustic guitar, but close to it.

physical therapist ... or try to hold the guitar in a different way .. maybe a strap ?