Pain In The Wrist! Options

[Ohem]

Hi!

Is it common to experience pain in the wrist when practicing? Or does it hurt in the beginning?

Mine does, alot. The pain goes comes around when I'm in a angle (left hand) in order to hold the frets and continues to spread to the lil-finger. Had a hard time to recover after some practicing the first lesson in the "Beginner" section.

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This post has been edited by Ohem: Jun 18 2007, 10:37 PM

[JVM]

Definitely not normal. You ought to stop playing, like now

Take a break for a day or two, would be my suggestion. But I've never had that problem, so maybe someone who has can better tell ya what to do.

[edit]

Are you just beginning? As in, never picked up the guitar before? Also, how old are you? It could be that it's just that you're not used to it, but you make it sound painful. I've never experienced pain from playing the guitar. Some the of the stretches are well, stretchy, but never painful.

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This post has been edited by JVM: Jun 18 2007, 11:20 PM

[Slammer]

Hi!

Is it common to experience pain in the wrist when practicing? Or does it hurt in the beginning?

Mine does, alot. The pain goes comes around when I'm in a angle (left hand) in order to hold the frets and continues to spread to the lil-finger. Had a hard time to recover after some practicing the first lesson in the "Beginner" section.

Watch this video of Warm up and Streching exercises by John Petrucci.

It has helped me many times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bINkQUbA33o

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[Ohem]

Definitely not normal. You ought to stop playing, like now

Take a break for a day or two, would be my suggestion. But I've never had that problem, so maybe someone who has can better tell ya what to do.

[edit]

Are you just beginning? As in, never picked up the guitar before? Also, how old are you? It could be that it's just that you're not used to it, but you make it sound painful. I've never experienced pain from playing the guitar. Some the of the stretches are well, stretchy, but never painful.

I'm 21 but i began recently to play guitar, didn't have the interests before but lately i was thrilled to play guitar . Began to do the "chord" lesson, just keeping the angle in the left hand in a longer time of period hurts.

Watch this video of Warm up and Streching exercises by John Petrucci.

It has helped me many times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bINkQUbA33o

Thanks, maybe GMC could set up somewhat equal as lesson?

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[David OToole]

I'm 21 but i began recently to play guitar, didn't have the interests before but lately i was thrilled to play guitar . Began to do the "chord" lesson, just keeping the angle in the left hand in a longer time of period hurts.
Thanks, maybe GMC could set up somewhat equal as lesson?

I agree with JVM there - spot on. As in you should stop playing immediately if this occurs. But don't be alarmed, it can be normally be avoided with a good warm up sesion first. It can cause you problems if you do any damage to your hand muscles, even permanent damage. Btw, it's normal enough to experience discomfort like this in the early stages.

It helps if you think like an athlete who would never go straight into a routine without first warming up.
For the moment I would suggest you limber up your hands with a basic routine before each playing session.
Here's few exercises that will help.

Before each playing session:

Shake your hands from the wrist, then the arms from the shoulders to loosen them up first. Do about 20/30 seconds of this.
Massage each hand for a few seconds, shake them again from the wrist.
Open and close both hands from a fist to all fingers spread, about 10 times.
Bend your fingers back by pushing them one at a time with the other hand - GENTLY! No need to over-stretch them, remember just loosen them up, don't break them whatever you do .
Shake hands again from the wrist.
Make a fist, hold your wrist and twirl your hands clockwise 10 times, then anti-clockwise. Then do the other hand. Do this twice for each hand.
Shake hands again from the wrist.

Your ready 4 action! The whole routine should take around 4 or 5 minutes.

IF the pain or cramp occurs still after this workout, you need to get a specialist to check it over. It more than likely will disappear after this routine, but do not under any circumstances keep playing if it doesn't, I'm sure it will be fine though.

I'll see if I can come with a good warm up routine for a GMC vid.

David

P.S. Hand cramps and pains like this at early playing stages are frequent enough if you are playing an acoustic guitar with a high action. It's much easier on an electric but can still happen. Use the same warm up for either instrument.

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This post has been edited by DavidO: Jun 19 2007, 12:48 AM

[JVM]

Agreeing with David. I actually learned on an acoustic (best way to do it) and I had a lot of discomfort at first - everyone does.

I'd suggest a really simple exercise to begin stretching your fingers out, on the fretboard. Simply do this:


e |---1----2----3----4---|
b |------------------------|
g |------------------------|
d |------------------------|
a |------------------------|
E |------------------------|

Fret the first fret with your index finger, then the second with your middle, third with your ring, and finally the fourth with your pinky. Be sure you keep your fingers in place as you play them, as in don't play the first note with your index finger, lift the index finger, and then play the second with your middle, keep your index finger down, and then your middle down as you fret the third string with your ring, and then keep your index down as you fret the 4th with your pinky. After that, go backwards lifting each finger off one at a time. Eventually you can skip the second fret and put your middle on the third, index on 4, and pinky on 5.

Sorry if I way oversimplified that, but that's one of the things that got my fingers to stretch out when I was just beginning.

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This post has been edited by JVM: Jun 19 2007, 12:58 AM

[Ohem]

Thanks for the execises, feels a bit better in the hand now . Thanks all of you!

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