| Playing with Arthritis |
Maghdalena
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Does anyone here play with arthritis? I have it in both hands and in my right elbow and shoulder. I want to learn classical guitar. I can play and so far I don’t have issues practicing, but then I’m just getting started and I play fairly slow. But my question is what are your biggest issues and problems in playing with arthritis, what solutions or remedies work for you and why? What can you recommend? This also goes for other Repetitive Stress Injuries. Tell the rest of us because a lot of us are learning classical guitar later in life. Is 50 too old to learn classical?
Any help would be appreciated
Thank you for your time.
Maghdalena
| Post Date: 5/6/2010 @ 8:45 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
mdw3332
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First of all, I don't think age is an issue in learning any kind of guitar, unless your arthritis is so bad that you can't effectively move your fingers. I have had arthritis for a few years - I'm 63 (but just barely :sm8 mostly in my knees, but it is just starting in my hands. It was bad enough that I've had both knees replaced - my hands are not nearly as bad, but they do get pretty achy in my thumb joints.
I would suggest seeing a doctor and see what they say. If they don't bring it up, I would ask about some kind of physical therapy. Besides my knees, I have had a shoulder replaced and found that a physical therapy program can really help. As I understand it, if you can strengthen the muscles around an arthritic joint, you will relieve some of the pressure and pain. I have also heard of many people, and pets, getting a great deal of relief using Glucosamine and Chondroiton. (sp?)
You may also want to try taking a hot shower or somehow getting the affected joints warmed up before you play. In my PT, they would use heat before the work-outs and ice after.
Good luck, and welcome to G-Net.
Marty
| Post Date: 5/6/2010 @ 9:32 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
sting729
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Look at Keith Richard's Hands---
“Among God's creatures two, the dog and the guitar, have taken all the sizes and all the shapes, in order not be separated from the man” Andre' Segovia
| Post Date: 5/11/2010 @ 6:14 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
mdw3332
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sting729 said:
Look at Keith Richard's Hands---
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John, thanks, I think I will just stick to listening to Keef play rather than looking at him - any part of him! He and Mick can still shake it and put on a show, but I'm not sure Keith has felt anything since about 1971 
| Post Date: 5/11/2010 @ 9:28 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
lessonsthatrock
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I'ev had some students who have had arthritis. Also, I have Tendinitis which is a repetitive motion injury. It forces me to take a break every now and then, and limit my practice time. It just means when I do practice, I have to make the most of it, and not just mess around.
Micah J. Mata is an experienced guitar teacher offering expert guitar lessons and bass lessons near Long Beach, CA. He also offers online guitar lessons. Learn more at
www.lessonsthatrock.com
| Post Date: 6/7/2010 @ 2:30 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
Julia_343
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Sometimes you need to alter your technique to work around physical problems. I have arthritis and chronic tendonitis. I cannot play in the traditional thumb behind the neck hand position. This does limit what I can play and how I play, but there are ways around things. I also play piano and these problems have made me change technique there too (where it drives teachers crazy to watch, but I've been able to play with the best of them).
You need to find a teacher who can work with a student who has injuries. A teacher who imposes ONE technique on all their students without taking into account individual physical issues IMO is not a good teacher.
I have told classical piano professors to close their ******* eyes and just listen and give musical suggestions.
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--- Soudru�ka Julia of the Vocal Assassins
--- Disclaimer: pay no attention to tonal advice from this poster if you are under 30 and play thrash.
| Post Date: 6/11/2010 @ 12:29 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
mdw3332
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Julia_343 said:
You need to find a teacher who can work with a student who has injuries. A teacher who imposes ONE technique on all their students without taking into account individual physical issues IMO is not a good teacher.
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Julia, I think you have gone a long way in describing a good teacher. I would add that a good teacher may vary techniques based on the kind of music the student wants to play, do they want to be professionals or campfire players and other factors. Lots of fundamentals may be very similar, but a good teacher will teach based on the students' desires and any limitations that may exist. Some teachers tend to forget that the student is a customer first.
| Post Date: 6/11/2010 @ 2:16 pm |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
Henry Mars
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My friend Arthur shows up in my left hand and left shoulder neck area ... the result of around 52 years of sitting and standing with a guitar in my hands hours on end. That T40 bass I played didn't help either.
When it flairs up I pop a hand full of Ibuprophin and get on with it.
I have found that it is much worse when I don't play for a few days.
BTW for you nubies .... forget about watching these idiot rock stars and learn to do it right from the beginning. You may be able to avoid some of these problems when you get older.
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....that's real nice kid. Now can you play that in Db for me?
Ashby Trent
| Post Date: 6/23/2010 @ 9:43 am |
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RE: Playing with Arthritis |
ndrewoods
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Maghdalena said:
Does anyone here play with arthritis? I have it in both hands and in my right elbow and shoulder. I want to learn classical guitar. How to play guitar and so far I don’t have issues practicing, but then I’m just getting started and I play fairly slow. But my question is what are your biggest issues and problems in playing with arthritis, what solutions or remedies work for you and why? What can you recommend? This also goes for other Repetitive Stress Injuries. Tell the rest of us because a lot of us are learning classical guitar later in life. Is 50 too old to learn classical?
Any help would be appreciated
Thank you for your time.
Maghdalena
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I know what you are going through since my dad also felt the same thing. But like any guitarist would say, age and stuff like arthritis isn't a factor for you to give up learning the guitar. There are many solutions to it. One is you can study playing broken chords if you really can't play all of your fingers. Well here's an article that can help you more: http://ezinearticles.com/?Playing-Guitar-With-Arthritis&id=3229360
| Post Date: 1/20/2012 @ 4:35 am |
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