mahalo - prevent injury

How to Practice Guitar: Prevent Injury If you frequently play the guitar, you may be curious what precautions you can take to prevent injury. Repetitive stress injury is commonly encountered with guitar playing. Repetitive stress injuries can occur when a certain motion, such as strumming a guitar, is repeated over and over again. Two common conditions caused by repetitive stress injuries are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendinitis.1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is diagnosed when the median nerve in the wrist becomes pinched due to swelling. Pinching of the nerve can cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the wrist, hand, and forearm. 2 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome becomes more difficult to treat the longer it is left unattended. Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include lifestyle changes, immobilization, medication, and surgery.2 Step 1: Make Sure Your Guitar is Set Up Correctly If your guitar is not set up correctly, you may be putting unneeded strain on your muscles. Check to make sure that the action is set low. The action refers to how far away the strings are set from the fretboard. If the action is too high, you will be straining your hands to push the strings down hard enough. Play a guitar that is the right size for your body. The guitar should be comfortable to hold and play. If you have a smaller build, ask an instructor or a employee at a music store to help you find a guitar with a smaller neck and body.3 Step 2: Stretch and Warm Up Before you even pick up your guitar, spend a few minutes stretching out your hands. Grab one finger at a time, with your opposite hand, and pull backwards towards your body. You should stretch until you feel resistance, but not pain. Hold for 30-45 seconds before moving on to the next finger. When you begin playing your guitar, play some slowsingle string exercises before moving on.3 Step 3: Take Care of Your Body Many repetitive stress injuries are caused from pushing yourself too hard. Be sure to take care of your body. Take lots of breaks, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water, and get enough sleep. Taking care of your body and muscles will improve your guitar playing. If you experience pain, stop playing and go see a doctor.3

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Mahalo - Prevent Injury

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How to Practice Guitar: Prevent Injury

If you frequently play the guitar, you may be curious what precautions you can take to prevent injury. Repetitive stress injury is commonly encountered with guitar playing. Repetitive stress injuries can occur when a certain motion, such as strumming a guitar, is repeated over and over again. Two common conditions caused by repetitive stress injuries are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendinitis.1Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is diagnosed when the median nerve in the wrist becomes pinched due to swelling. Pinching of the nerve can cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the wrist, hand, and forearm. 2 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome becomes more difficult to treat the longer it is left unattended. Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include lifestyle changes, immobilization, medication, and surgery.2

Step 1: Make Sure Your Guitar is Set Up Correctly

If your guitar is not set up correctly, you may be putting unneeded strain on your muscles. Check to make sure that the action is set low. The action refers to how far away the strings are set from the fretboard. If the action is too high, you will be straining your hands to push the strings down hard enough.

Play a guitar that is the right size for your body. The guitar should be comfortable to hold and play. If you have a smaller build, ask an instructor or a employee at a music store to help you find a guitar with a smaller neck and body.3

Step 2: Stretch and Warm Up

Before you even pick up your guitar, spend a few minutes stretching out your hands. Grab one finger at a time, with your opposite hand, and pull backwards towards your body. You should stretch until you feel resistance, but not pain. Hold for 30-45 seconds before moving on to the next finger. When you begin playing your guitar, play some slowsingle string exercises before moving on.3

Step 3: Take Care of Your Body

Many repetitive stress injuries are caused from pushing yourself too hard. Be sure to take care of your body. Take lots of breaks, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water, and get enough sleep. Taking care of your body and muscles will improve your guitar playing. If you experience pain, stop playing and go see a doctor.3

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-practice-guitar-prevent-injury/#ref_3

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-eat-healthy-foods

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-practice-guitar-prevent-injury/#ref_3

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-practice-guitar-single-string-exercises

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-practice-guitar-prevent-injury/#ref_3

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-practice-guitar-prevent-injury/#ref_2

http://www.mahalo.com/carpal-tunnel-syndrome

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-practice-guitar-prevent-injury/#ref_1

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-play-guitar-for-newbies

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