• Join the A7X Discord!

    We're updating the community and moving all social content from the community to the Discord. All lessons related conversations will still take place here though! Join the Discord below and view the full announcement for more details

    JOIN THE DISCORD VIEW THREAD

Arthritic Hands

Donovan Etue

Campfire Attention Holder
  • Nov 11, 2019
    437
    682
    Washington State
    2
    Doing some hand/wrist stretches may help with that. @Ed Seith did a short video on Instagram with stretches that I know have helped me have less pain/tension in my fingers/knuckles/joints especially after longer playing sessions as well as allowing me to stretch further. Make sure not to hurt yourself by stretching to much or far, just enough to comfortably stretch it out. Other members may have better advice but off of the top of my head I remembered this stretch has helped he ease tension in the past. I normally do these before I start playing, after a while of playing if it's a longer or heavier session I'll do these stretches if I feel like my fingers are feeling tense, and after I put the guitar down I'll sometimes do these stretches as well. I'll also pull my individual fingers back as far as I comfortable can with my opposite hands thumb next to the knuckle of that finger to keep the base in one spot so it doesn't bend to far back. Sorry if the wording for this is confusing. I'm not quite sure how to type out how I stretch that way haha. Anyway I hope this helps. Although I'm not sure what your stretching limits are, just how much joint pain you have, or if these stretches aren't great for bad joints in general. So take it with a grain of salt.

     

    William B.

    Hot Topic Tourer
  • Nov 11, 2019
    2,157
    1
    3,144
    18
    There's also another stretch, more for the forearm. You hold your arm infront straight like ironman and lightly pull your fingers back. I saw you just came back to this site, maybe you got to work up your strength/dexterity again. I came back here recently too, didn't play anything for nearly 2 years. Everything was hurting, cause I thought I could continue at the pace I left off. Could be too much applied pressure as well when fretting, I think I had that before with my fretting hand.
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Aightball

    Aightball

    Garage band Groupie
  • Nov 11, 2019
    133
    337
    Iowa
    aightball.wordpress.com
    0
    Doing some hand/wrist stretches may help with that. @Ed Seith did a short video on Instagram with stretches that I know have helped me have less pain/tension in my fingers/knuckles/joints especially after longer playing sessions as well as allowing me to stretch further. Make sure not to hurt yourself by stretching to much or far, just enough to comfortably stretch it out. Other members may have better advice but off of the top of my head I remembered this stretch has helped he ease tension in the past. I normally do these before I start playing, after a while of playing if it's a longer or heavier session I'll do these stretches if I feel like my fingers are feeling tense, and after I put the guitar down I'll sometimes do these stretches as well. I'll also pull my individual fingers back as far as I comfortable can with my opposite hands thumb next to the knuckle of that finger to keep the base in one spot so it doesn't bend to far back. Sorry if the wording for this is confusing. I'm not quite sure how to type out how I stretch that way haha. Anyway I hope this helps. Although I'm not sure what your stretching limits are, just how much joint pain you have, or if these stretches aren't great for bad joints in general. So take it with a grain of salt.

    This is very helpful, thank you! I recall now that a couple years ago someone posted stretches and I couldn't remember who it was, so I'll be sure to check those out. I have very large hands for playing piano but apparently not for guitar, haha. I appreciate the suggestions and will, again, look into those!
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Ed Seith

    Aightball

    Garage band Groupie
  • Nov 11, 2019
    133
    337
    Iowa
    aightball.wordpress.com
    0
    There's also another stretch, more for the forearm. You hold your arm infront straight like ironman and lightly pull your fingers back. I saw you just came back to this site, maybe you got to work up your strength/dexterity again. I came back here recently too, didn't play anything for nearly 2 years. Everything was hurting, cause I thought I could continue at the pace I left off. Could be too much applied pressure as well when fretting, I think I had that before with my fretting hand.
    Thank you! I had forgotten about that stretch, and I'm glad you mentioned it! I was looking back at my YouTube channel and I'm thinking it's been a couple years off for me, too. I broke a string and just don't have the $$ to get it fixed and don't know how to do it myself, so I put the guitar away. I'm back at it, though, with a five string for now, lol, and my arm and hand are like 'what are we doing?' =)
     

    John Robinson

    Music Theory Bragger
    Nov 11, 2019
    367
    504
    Nashville tn.
    Thank you! I had forgotten about that stretch, and I'm glad you mentioned it! I was looking back at my YouTube channel and I'm thinking it's been a couple years off for me, too. I broke a string and just don't have the $$ to get it fixed and don't know how to do it myself, so I put the guitar away. I'm back at it, though, with a five string for now, lol, and my arm and hand are like 'what are we doing?' =)
    if youre up for it somebody here can walk you through putting a string on your guitar.......when you are able to buy one
     
    • Love
    Reactions: Alicia Willis
    Synner Endless Summer Collection