daveinspain Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Been playing a lot lately and my index finger on my left hand is hurting quite a bit. It feels stiff and sometimes I hear the knuckle crack when I flex it. I think I'm pressing too hard when playing closed chords. I hope it's not arthritis or something like that setting in. This happen to anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Mine does that when I play too much. My fingers also get really tender. Just give it a few days and hopefully you'll be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Just having your index finger pain isn't too bad and a few days of resting it should do the trick,if not maybe if you switched to a lighter guage string for a while.If your thumb was paining too it would be a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome but since you didn't mention that most likely it's a slight strain or simply fatigue.I've had that happen from time to time over the years it should pass after a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Rest I was recording last week, and I was playing for almost 7 hour straight..... Took me 21 tries to get a solo right, and 47 takes to get a clean rhythm part right I had to rest my hand for two days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FennRx Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 ice + ibuprofen + rest = good as new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markini Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Let's see. I am 60 years old. left hand fingers cramp up occasionally, right hand index finger and thumb ache, bad back from blown discs several years ago. I usually work through it. I play / practice 2 hours day minimum 24/7. I always have some ache or pain somewhere. But if I hurt too much I rest or play an electric, most of my pain comes from acoustics. But I am a firm believer in keeping my acoustic skills up, it really helps hand strength and makes playing a good electric a breeze. TIPS: I try to do stretching exercises before I play / practice and try to warm up with easy basic riffs or songs or scale practice. Takes me at least 30 minutes before I start getting fluidity and smoothness in my playing. Another thing to help out is washing your hands in fairly hot water, helps warm up my fingers and seems to reduce string singing. Most important thing is don't push yourself if the pain is bad. Also you may want to check out your posture and how you hold and fret a guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Sounds like a touch of tendenitis. Happens to me too. You have to rest it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightTimeConcealmentX91 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 comment removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Don't have a clue as to what it could be, but I hope it gets better soon Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Been playing a lot lately and my index finger on my left hand is hurting quite a bit. It feels stiff and sometimes I hear the knuckle crack when I flex it. I think I'm pressing too hard when playing closed chords. I hope it's not arthritis or something like that setting in. This happen to anyone else? Welcome to middle age! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manse Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 ...if you do start to get arthritis I would recommend, as well as taking advice from your doctor, you start taking a really high dose of high quality fish oil every day. Here is a relatively easy to read article from a reputable source. Pub Med article I have arthritis in an ankle joint that was looking like it would need surgery 3 years ago. So far, weight loss, exercise and lots of fish oil have got me back on my feet and away from the operating table... ....best get a check up if it doesn't resolve itself after a rest period...... Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S t e v e Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Been playing a lot lately and my index finger on my left hand is hurting quite a bit. It feels stiff and sometimes I hear the knuckle crack when I flex it. I think I'm pressing too hard when playing closed chords. I hope it's not arthritis or something like that setting in. This happen to anyone else? tendonitus, i have it also ...every so often my middle and fourth fingers will seize up and bend slightly and it's painfull to straighten them out, usualy lasts about a week then eases...a few months later it happens again , although it may also be RSI "repetetive strain injury" in my video for "waiting for an alibi" i'm a few days in to the tendonitus and i'm struggling with the pain and strain...but i soldier on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buxom Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Been playing a lot lately and my index finger on my left hand is hurting quite a bit. It feels stiff and sometimes I hear the knuckle crack when I flex it. I think I'm pressing too hard when playing closed chords. I hope it's not arthritis or something like that setting in. This happen to anyone else? Have you recently trimmed your nails? If so you might have nicked the skin under the nail and gotten a slight infection. It's happened to me a few times. It should go away within a week or 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBENDS Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Dave, I learned some years ago about a good therapy for my fret hand when it aches. Ever seen those warm sand buckets therapists use in their practice? I have a metal box filled with sand and painted black, next to the window. The sun warms it nicely. Stick your hand in warm sand (dry rice warmed in a microwave oven works too) and slowly open and close your fingers. The warmth will ease the aching and the motion will strengthen fingers while providing good form. Be careful not to overheat the sand/rice. These will also dry your skin, so be sure to wash hands and moisturize afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Check your positioning for any extreme angles and if there are fix them before it becomes a problem. I know before I corrected my technique on bass I was getting awful pains through my wrists, top of my hands on through my fingers. After I corrected the angles it went away, though it takes a while to get back up to speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinh Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 "Cracking" of joints is not generally related to arthritis. It's thought to be caused by "cavitation" a process by which movement creates voids in the joint fluid from which gas escapes. However, if you have health insurance, I would recommend seeing your doctor and getting a sedimentation rate test, or whatever the modern test for arthritis is. This would let you know if you are heading in that direction, and give you a chance to take preventative measures. It may just be overwork or unfamiliar strain. I often get some lingering pain after practicing a new piece that requires my fingers to make unfamiliar shapes or stretches. If you've strained something, you will likely you will re-injure it each time you play, giving the impression of a permanent problem. I find a weeks or more's complete rest is the best solution. Back in the 80's when I was playing bass in a punk band, my right hand would sometimes curl up after a show and refuse to straighten up. I used to hold an ice pack in a towel on on , and it was usually ok within a few hours, although it hurt for a few days. Good luck with it, hope it's all OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich W Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I've gotten finger pain too, and rest has always been the cure. But I find it incredibly hard to put the guitar down for a few days. Just like back in the day, when I was an avid runner, I absolutely hated missing runs when I had injuries. Bruce Springsteen, when he took his break from music in the '80s, said that as hard as it was for him to learn how to play guitar, it seemed much harder for him to not play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I was expecting a punchline, Dave.... "I'm worried about my finger... the middle one.. it keeps raising itself!". Sorry to hear you really meant it. Hope some rest clears it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Dave stiffness can come all the way down from your spine, that is what happens in my case, I had disc replacement surgery but my left hand gets super stiff sometimes to the point that I can only play power chords, In addition to taking care of your hand get a massage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Lots of great advise guys, thanks... I'm lightning up a bit and looking at my position... Cut back a bit on practicing as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'd get it checked out and stop playing altogether until you do. I had pain in my wrist which I "diagnosed" myself as tendonitis of the wrist. So was I jamming ice in my wrist but it didn't work. This went on for over 6 months and got to the point where I couldn't play at all. I decided to finally see a specialist who jammed his thumb in my upper elbow which knocked me to the floor. Turns out I had tennis elbow that was radiating down to my wrist! A month or so of therapy and I was good to go. Learned an important lesson along the way about myself. Ph.D.'s think they know it all, but sometimes they only know enough to be dangerous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Dibs on the '71 SG!! Not nice, I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Dibs on the '71 SG!! Not nice, I know. You'll have to pry it out of my stiff broken fingers....!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Dave - I confess, I didn't read the entire thread. But just in the event no one has suggested. ( home remedy time) Soak your entire hand and wrist in very warm water and epsom salts every night for about a 1/2 hour for say, a week. Then, make it a once a week habit. Cost is next to nothing for trying this one. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FennRx Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 hopefully it's not your wife's favorite finger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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