General Music Chat

I have been a guitarist now for about 30 years....and recently i have developed a pain in the left middle finger..second knuckle...im assuming its from playing too many damn barre chords...anyone else suffering from this?...i guess it would be the same as carpel tunnel....lol
and if you are...what are you doing to get rid of it.......ive tried just about everything...its getting to the point where, after playing 2 sets its becoming unbearable!!!....and im not going to stop playing...so thats out of the question....lol
any thoughts??

Not carpel Tunnel - arthritis.
. . . may be caused by too much pressure on the joint, or uneven pressure on the joint.
If it's caused by uneven pressure on the joint, you might try gently stretching the finger back, to uncurl it.
When the muscles relax a bit, the pain should ease off.
.
It might not be anythin serious, yet. But - if it's a mild injury, and you won't allow it to heal, you'll have to live with your decision for the rest of your life, man.

I stretch each finger of both hands, every night. When I relax my hands - and no fingers touch each other - I'm done.
Doesn't take long - 5 min.
.
Another thing - just before playing, make a gentle fist. if your hand doesn't really want to close all the way because of a slight puffiness in the fingers, or a slight pain in the joints, it means you need to 'warm up.'
Open & close your fists 15- 20 times, untill the puffiness goes away. You'll feel the change.
Not only will you be protecting your joints, but you'll be able to play a little more smoothly.

Hey Gunner,

I didnt see you age on your profile so Im assuming we're from the same gen...I started having similar problems at 44 ...I did alot of reading on how sugar and dairy products exacerbate the inflammation of the joints...I had trigger finger of my middle finger RH from finger pickin banjo...Not a whole lotta pain but aggravating...BUT, index finger of the LH knuckle, very painful...
I quit drinkin milk and cut out ice cream,coolwhip, yogurt, etc...AND (the hardest part) cut out the "little debbies",snickers bars,etc....As a result, I noticed that I can play those long periods of time with out the pain....I still feel stiffness in the morning from a 5-6 hr straight jam, but at least the pain is very minimal....DRINK LOTS OF WATER...I know that sounds so simple, but I used to play it down...When jammin, we all get zoned out and may not drink anything for hrs....Beer doesnt work ....I pick banjo with some old dudes 80+ and the ones who can still pick with out it killin them are the ones who are takin suppliments for joint lube and not eatin a bunch of junk....This alteration may not work for everyone, but its worth a try...

Good luck,
John in WV.

Holy Crap...I was expecting..."Go See a Damn Doctor"...lol
I have a confession...i dont stretch the fingers before playing.......
I will now.....Hell, i thought it was from playing too much...i play everyday and then twice as much on the weekends....and yes im 42 years old.....but im not much of a dairy drinker, and im in perfect health.....well, except the knuckle......I will try both recommendations and I want to thank you for your time and suggestions!!
since i started playing guitar.....1976...I had always made sure the fingers never became injured and the only time i did injure my pinky on the left hand...i still played with the brace on...lol
ok...enough rambling.....
Thanks again!!!