I also suffered from tennis elbow in my fretting hand that came on gradually and got progressively worse until it was really bad. I went to a physiotherapist who advised me to stop playing for a month and gave me exercises and stretches to work on. This helped but never solved the problem. The physiotherapist also told me that tennis elbow was fairly common for the guitarists and violinists that he saw.
I then noticed that I was getting some fret wear on my guitar and realised that I was using too much force when I fretted strings. From that time on I tried to reduce the pressure I applied to the strings so that I only used the minimum to get a clear note. I also tried to consciously reduce the tension in my hand and wrist.
As soon as I started to reduce the pressure when fretting strings my tennis elbow started to improve and within a relatively short time was completely gone. And this was after having tennis elbow for nearly a year.
I still do the wrist and finger stretches that the physiotherapist gave me but I have no tennis elbow problem now.
So, three weeks in and how is it going? Well it is definitely making an improvement. I made steady progress for the first two weeks. Foolishly I then went and did some gardening. Only an hour but pulling ivy out - probably not the best idea. So had a bit of a relapse, gave it a rest and back on it again now. Even after a couple of days I can feel it working again.
I was wondering how you were doing. Glad you are getting some good results.
Did you keep massaging the trigger points even after the day to day pain went away? If not, this might be why you relapsed.
My (older) edition of the book says that you should keep massaging as long as the trigger points are tender when pressed. IIRC, this took an additional week or two for me.
I gave myself tendonitis in my left wrist by overdoing the 1 minute change exercise… I got physical therapy for it and that helped for a little bit. I also block my wrist at night, so it’s stable and cannot move and thus overburden the tendon.
After my guitar sessions I’m using the following InfraRed lamp:
This has helped me very much as it helps wit the bloodflow in my tendons. Maybe such IR led could also help with your elbow issue…
I’m almost pain-free and that is just awesome… just have to be carreful doing non guitar task, such as doing dishes
I have noticed this! I am very nervous around sharp knives, as well as heavy work type activities. Heck, even yard work, skiing or fishing can be dangerous apparently.
Now I have nails for classical playing and I am very nervous about breaking them. At least as a lefty playing righty they are on my non-dominant hand, so safer.
Bottom line: don’t do anything except play guitar.
I’ve been suffering from a tennis elbow, for about a 2 years on and off. I’m a mechanic and good not hold my tools anymore.
My doctor has put cortisone in it maybe 6 /7 times.Had the brace from the Drugstore , didn’t help much. Had physical therapy which did nothing much. I asked my doctor for surgery, so he send me to the Hospital. The surgeon said to me, he was not gone do anything about it. But he send me to the plaster room. And had them make a brace out of mold able plastic. This brace pulled my hand back a little to take the tension of the muscle causing the inflammation. Had to wear it for 4 weeks 24-7. 2 weeks at night. And haven’t had issues with it ever again.
This was 20years ago.
Good luck with your arm.
@Tbushell Point noted about massaging even after the tenderness has gone. I didn’t quite get to that stage before being unable to resist weeding the garden.
In terms of other non-guitar tasks I’m definitely stopping the ironing Annoyingly using the computer mouse and keyboard makes it worse too. Have tried a couple of different gel mats etc for support but not much I can do about that. Except maybe resign my job. Hmmm, now there’s a thought…
Are you already using a vertical mouse? An ergonomic keypad? This helped me at the computer. Additionally I trained that I could use the mouse with right and left hand, so I can switch if one side makes more problems.
Wow - I can mouse with the left hand! Who knew? Thanks @kaiben - amazing how you get stuck in an assumption set and don’t even think about changing it.
Yes! I came here to see if anyone else had the same experience. For the life of me, I could not figure out HOW I got tennis elbow, being I don’t really practice any of the disciplines traditionally associated with lateral epicondylitis. How did you take care of it? Mine has been pretty unresponsive to anti-inflammatory topical treatment…
My story is a long one and began well before I started this thread. So here is the summary.
I have had lots of physio, rest periods, painkillers and tried acupuncture and trigger point therapy, although not topical anti-inflammatories. My Consultant thought surgery would be the only option but I wanted to avoid that if all possible so in the end had a PRP injection like this
That did reduce the pain, although not eliminate it.
In my experience there are two things that help, 1) Long periods of rest (ie months) 2) the two key wrist exercises: wrist extensions and wrist rotations. I am much better now but still get twinges and still do the wrist exercises. Have just signed up for BLIM so fingers crossed that I am put to it (in every sense!).
Thank you for sharing! How do you take long periods of rest while continuing to practice guitar? Or are the two things exclusive in your experience? Just trying to clarify because this is all very new to me, both playing the guitar and the tennis elbow.
I am afraid the bad news is I stopped playing guitar for two long periods, one about 3 months, one about 6 months. But nowadays I am better at feeling it, spotting the signals early and easing off for a few days.
Actually one more thing to add which I come to learn is quite important - the mental side. I am a person who does not do things by halves. I have been known to play the same thing for hours trying to get it right. And then have another crack at it the next day. Repetition of any movement definitely seems to be unhelpful. So now I am cautious, mix up what I do and limit any one thing to 5mins as per Justin’s practice schedules. If I am desperate to do something but not sure whether I should, I do something like transcribing which is mostly brain work and only uses the fingers occasionally.
Annoyingly using the computer mouse and keyboard makes it worse too. Have tried a couple of different gel mats etc for support but not much I can do about that. Except maybe resign my job. Hmmm, now there’s a thought…