Tendonitis

[Jim]

Does anyone have suggestions on how to deal with tendonitis affecting the playing arm?

Jim

[TaronKeim]

The doctor told me to take Advil when it acts up and to keep playin as much as I usually do, or more, as long as you play correctly, eventually your tendons will strengthen enough that the tendonitis goes away... even if you've been playing for a lot of your life she said that the more you exercise it the better it'll get, she said muscle helps to reduce the amount of stress put on the tendons, so what better way to get them than play guitar as much as humanly possible:dude

-TJK

[Jim]

Thanks. I just started taking Advil 3 times a day and it does help. I have almost stopped playing so your advise to play more is good news. I have been playing guitar for more than 30 years with the last 2 years at least 3 hours a day sometimes more. I do notice when I play my arm is very tense and sometimes I feel like I am fighting my guitar. Are there any techniques that help to relax?

Jim

[XBic]

I just read a great article on this yesterday, haven't had a chance just yet to try it out but it looks promising.

The incredible lightness (Jamie Andreas) (http://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=490)

[GuitarNorton]

I had it so bad I couldn't pick a glass of water up off the table. Friend recommended the book Pain Free. The program of simple excerises worked for me, highly recomended.
If you go to Amazon.com and do a search under books it comes up, tried to post a link but it wouldn't work. Try it is does work. Good luck!

[Jim]

Thanks. Great article. I can identify with "incredible tightness".

Also is the book "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue and Roger Gittimes?
I did find one on Amazon.com and wanted to make sure that was the book you recommend.

Thanks,
Jim

[GuitarNorton]

Yes Jim thats the book, sorry I tried to link to it but I couldn't get it to work.

[KRosser]

If you've ever had any experience with a discipline like yoga, the basic premise is to learn to spot areas of tension in the body and then will yourself to release them while performing the same task. I would seriously take this into account when practing/playing - when you identify a part of your body that gets very tense when you play, take some deep slow breaths and try to get it to relax. This will take practice but it's worth it.

[Jim]

Thanks. I have ordered the book and am trying to learn to relax as I play. Very hard to master!

Jim