Guitar and Repetitive Strain Injury

As a guitar player who’s had his fair share of injuries over the years, I cannot stress more on the importance of adopting safe and healthy guitar-playing practices.

One of the most common health-related problems associated with guitar-playing, is Repetitive Strain Injury, or RSI.

According to Wikipedia, RSI is a musculoskeletal or nervous system injury that is caused by repetitive tasks, exertion, pressing against hard surfaces for too long, or being in awkward (unnatural) positions for too long. For instance clicking on the mouse button or typing on a computer keyboard for extended periods of time is one of the most common causes of RSI, however playing a musical instrument such as the guitar for large amounts of time can also cause RSI, as well as other conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

This is mostly due to the fact that repetitive movement of the fretting and picking hands, and sitting or standing up in awkward positions for a long period of time can cause harm and damage to the body. Musicians and guitarists, therefore, are extremely susceptible to RSI.

Stress-related injuries, such as RSI can usually go from being mildly painful and/or uncomfortable, to extremely painful. I’ve seen the careers of promising musicians come to abrupt ends because of such injuries.

Playing the guitar is not supposed to be painful. As a musician and a guitarist, embracing safe and healthy methods can help prevent RSI or any other adverse effects to your health and general well-being. Not only will this allow you to have a long career doing what your love and making some good music, it will allow you to remain in the best shape that you can quite possibly be.

Preventing RSI

A few important point on how RSI and injuries associated with guitar-play can be avoided:

1. Building endurance and strength will help you with your guitar-play in the long run. It is important to be in good shape physically in order to be a good guitar player. One of the aspects is finger and wrist strength. Squeezing a tennis ball, for instance, helps build finger strength – an invaluable asset when it comes to picking, fretting, hitting difficult chords, and generally good guitar-play.

2. Make it a habit to warm-up before playing the guitar. Never skip on warming up, and make it a point to include a good, comprehensive yet short warm-up regime in your guitar-playing routine. Warming-up prevents injuries in the short as well as the long run. This is precisely why athletes warm up before exerting themselves physically. As hard to believe as it might be, your body is also exerted in a similar way when playing the guitar. Stretching your arms, fingers, and limbs before playing, and doing a little warm-up on the guitar is how I usually kick things off. My warm up song is Metallica’s One.

3. Relax your body. Unnecessary tension puts more pressure on your body, which means that at the end of the day, you could end up with sore joints, and in the long run, it might even translate to stress-related injuries.  Whether you’re practicing, jamming, or playing with your band or doing a gig, relax your body. Alternatively, practice playing something slow to release the tension. If it becomes painful or if at any point playing the guitar hurts, it is recommended to seek professional help and consult a doctor/physiotherapist/chiropractor immediately.

4. Putting the guitar at the right height when playing it is also extremely important. For instance playing a guitar that is too low increases the chance of an injury (and besides, it looks pretty bad too). Generally speaking, playing the guitar high-up generally tends to be comfortable, although (once again) it shouldn’t be placed too high up. Make sure that your wrists are straight when playing the guitar at whatever height you want to.

5. One of the most common causes of RSI is improper wrist positioning and hand position. It is very important to keep your wrists straight at all times. For instance if your fretting hand is not positioned properly – because the placement of the thumb is high and as a result you have to bend your wrist to fret – it can cause more tension in your fretting hand and exposure to such tension for a long period of time will almost always end up in a stress-related injury. Sort this out by looking at your wrist and try to straighten your fretting hand’s wrists as much as possible.

6. In general, avoid anchoring any part of your hand or your arm to the guitar for a very long period of time, as this causes friction and hence tension in your muscles – something that can be harmful in the long run. If you think that this is a problem, it is highly recommended that you ditch your current method of picking and learn a new one.

7. During a performance or when you take the stage, it is vital to not strain yourself. If you feel uncomfortable, if any part of your body feels uncomfortable and if you feel that you’re pushing yourself to perform, stop immediately. Whether it’s a cramp, or if a certain part of your body hurts, it is necessary to take a break right then and there. In addition, don’t be nervous – nerves are known to cause tension. Be confident and at ease. Enjoy your performance instead, and channel that confidence in your guitar-play as well.

8. Experiment during practice sessions, because that’s what those sessions are for right? Practice or jam sessions are a time where a musicians or a guitarist can assess his limitations. Don’t push yourself during the performance. It will only cause you to have unnecessary tension – something that you could certainly do without when playing live!

Safe and healthy guitar-playing practices are vital to your health. When a person is young, he can tend to be careless about all this, however injury rears its ugly head sooner or later, especially if you’re not careful about RSI. Your aim is to be at your best physically and in top shape 20 or 30 years down the road, and play the guitar for a long time. Safe habits and practices will allow you to do just that.

Making the abovementioned habits a part of your routine will significantly reduce the risk of common repetitive strain injuries, most commonly associated with guitar-playing. Not only will these prolong your career as a musician, it will also ensure that your technique and general guitar-play remains at optimal levels. It never ceases to amaze me how the likes of Angus Young, well into his 50s, has continued to play the guitar and perform on stage all these years - perhaps the biggest proof that safe and health-friendly guitar-playing habits do pay off in the long run!

If you are concerned about RSI or if you think that twitch or cramp might be concerning, consult a physiotherapist or a chiropractor immediately.