posted by mahler82
Some of you, like I, may struggle with tendinitis. After suffering post-traumatic tendinitis, I have had a difficult time making as much progress as I would have liked to make in my guitar lessons. At one point, I even wondered if I would ever be able to ever play again. Thankfully, I found a way to continue playing, despite my injury. I would like to share some things that might help others struggling with the same issue to avoid surgery and continue playing the guitar, and to encourage those with injuries who have become frustrated about their progress to press on toward their musical goals.
First of all, I would recommend that guitarists who have tendinitis try applying some magnesium oil on the injured areas of the body before they play the guitar or do anything else that causes stress on the injured tendons. Recommended by a friend who is himself a superb guitarist, this mineral seems to help to reduce my pain, allowing me to play or work a bit longer than I could without it. It is not a cure, by any means, but it does help alleviate some of the pain, relaxing the muscles as well. One caveat here: Because magnesium is a mineral supplement, those who want to try it should consult with their health care practitioner before using this natural remedy.
Secondly, if you are an online guitar student, consider taking your lessons in intervals, taking breaks from playing to read articles or books on music theory, songwriting, or listen to CDs and YouTube videos by fine guitarists that will help you develop musicality by hearing the sounds produced by excellent technique. For example, work on your actual lesson for 10-15 minutes, and then switch to one of the other musical topics that you want to learn. When you are rested, then go back to the guitar lessons. With online guitar lessons, this is not difficult to do. Such a regimen keeps your mind focused on music without overdoing the physical aspect of learning to play the guitar.
If you are taking studio or webcam guitar lessons, ask your teacher if he or she would be willing to alternate your lessons between instruction on guitar technique and instruction on music theory, songwriting, or ear training at intervals which keep your tendons happy, your mind active, and your teacher sharing a wealth of knowledge with you.
One of the keys to dealing with tendinitis is not to engage in an activity which stresses your injured tendons as long as “normal” people do. I would strongly advise you to divide your practice sessions similarly, practicing for only as long as you feel no tension in the tendon. If you practice to the point of pain, that is much too long. Recognizing tension before it turns into pain is the key to knowing when to take a break.
When I first went to occupational therapy, the therapist first told me I should not play the guitar at all. As you could imagine, that nearly killed me, figuratively speaking. Since I had no piano at the time, I had no way to play music (unless you count singing along to CDs). But as therapy progressed, I consulted with her, and then experimented with playing for very short periods of time, and then taking a break. I discovered that I could play my guitar again, even if for just a few minutes at a time, if I heeded her advice to stop immediately when I felt even the slightest tension.
I enjoy playing the guitar so very much. Sometimes, however, I still get frustrated that my hands cannot progress at a rate that would be commensurate with my knowledge as a musician. At that point, I often feel like “throwing in the towel.” But since I love making music, I have to keep telling myself that at least I can still play! Yes, I am probably progressing more slowly than anyone else in LAGA Online–but it certainly is much better than not being able to play at all for the rest of my life. Indeed, if instead of the injuries I did suffer, for example, my hands had been cut off, I would not have been able to play again–ever. So, for me, gratitude for what God (or the universe, whatever your beliefs) spared me from has kept me going, despite my injuries. Therefore, if you are a guitarist who has an injury that impacts your playing–especially a chronic injury–have patience with yourself, be thankful for what you can do, and, most importantly, do not compare your progress to that of other students.
Finally, if you do not have an occupational therapist, I would highly recommend one. My therapist gave me some extremely effective exercises, designed specifically for tendinitis in the wrist, using therapeutic putty, which causes slight, non-ballistic resistance. As the muscles grow stronger to compensate for the injured tendons, one graduates to a more high-resistance putty. In addition to the putty exercises, she advised me to give my hands a hot paraffin wax treatment several times per week. (One can purchase special machines for paraffin wax treatments at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and other home stores. CAUTION: One cannot use regular paraffin wax–the melting point is way too high, and one would burn one’s hands. It is definitely well worth the money invested to get the right equipment). Finally, she advised me to use workarounds when doing regular tasks, such as using a pen with a huge grip, devices to open jars, and other sorts of technology to avoid using the injured tendon.
One more thing. When I was in physical therapy for my injured back, I discovered that strengthening my core muscles and thighs in very specific ways allowed me to use my arms more efficiently to lift things without straining my wrists or back. Therefore, the physical therapy designed to help me find workarounds to avoid using my injured back produced a fringe benefit–it helped ease the load on my wrists. Even though there are many tasks I still simply cannot do, nevertheless, core training has opened up doors I thought forever closed.
For that reason, you might even consider hiring a physical therapist to work with you on your core muscles and posture. Strengthening my core also did wonders for my posture when sitting, standing, lifting, or moving. Not only will strengthening your core and maintaining proper posture take some of the burden off your wrists and hands, but it will also help you strengthen your position while you play your guitar.
By the way, I finally have a piano again. Though the injury affects me similarly on that instrument, the same principle applies. Talking breaks–and having to be satisfied with playing pieces at a much lower level than I was capable of playing before the injury–have allowed me to enjoy playing the piano again as well as the guitar. The sheer enjoyment of playing–at whatever level–is well worth the time invested in finding a way to do it.
Injuries happen. Tendinitis is one of the more frustrating ones for a guitarist or pianist. Though it may be difficult dealing with a chronic injury, keep on trying. Find workarounds, take breaks, and find a great medical team who can do everything humanly possible to help you. Never give up. You might find that overcoming such an obstacle will produce the same sense of accomplishment that you would have felt if you had become a virtuoso guitarist in a healthier body. Simply being able to play music will free your spirit and unleash your creative soul, whatever your next step in life.
