Recently one of my students mentioned an occasional weakness in his picking hand. When I asked what he was doing about it, he said he thought it was diet related, and made some changes. The red flags immediately went up for me!
While it’s good that he was taking some action, guitar players should take such symptoms extremely seriously, and get them checked out thoroughly. Weakness, numbness, soreness and pain are early indicators of problems that can quickly get out of hand. Early intervention is the best way to stop an occasional problem from becoming a crippling disability, and there are many types of health practitioners who can help you diagnose and treat incipient problems.
I know this from unfortunate experience. In the early to mid ’90’s I suffered carpal tunnel syndrome in my left wrist throughout 5 years. I visited an osteopath, and received help and guidance at the Miller Clinic for Performance Injuries in New York City including retraining and physical therapy. But my ability to play and practice was severely curtailed. I managed my injury, uneasily, but didn’t solve it, and it continued to worsen and spread until I had so much pain that I couldn’t sleep on my left side. It wasn’t until I visited an acupuncturist in 1995 that I was finally healed.
I learned two lessons. First, don’t overdo it and don’t play through pain. At the time of my injury I was teaching about 25 students per week, playing both acoustic and electric guitar in two bands, studying classical guitar, practicing at least 4 to 5 hours a day, and working out with weights several times a week. My career was beginning to take off, and the last thing I wanted was to slow down. By the time my symptoms progressed to the point that I couldn’t squeeze my left hand to play a barre chord, it was too late.
Second, it often takes mush of trial and error to solve the problem of a performance injury. Though I visited many qualified professionals, many of them were unable to help me. Some even administered therapies which worsened my injury.
So prevention is paramount. If an injury goes too far, it can take years to heal.
Recently I have experienced some problems with my right hand, and I have greatly curtailed my practice schedule, and even canceled gigs for a short time. The good news is that my healing is underway. And as a side benefit, I have changed the focus of my playing away from technique and toward creativity. Since I am rarely practicing before a gig, not all of my chops are accessible. But I I find that I can relax into spontaneity and improvisation during my shows, and make music that is interesting, fresh, and moving. So I have learned a third lesson: when life moves you toward a new direction, don’t resist – embrace the possibilities!
© 2008 Brenna Method
