Hi, I started learning to play in March 2024 following Justinās beginner āGrade 1ā lessons.
I went through this first 17 lessons in about 4 months, but since then I have really been going back over various parts of the course and practicing lots, and I now feel ready to move onto grade 2. This may be slow compared to some but starting at 58 years old I just want to enjoy my learning and playing and go at my own (slow 
) pace.
The main reason for my message however is the fact that over the last 3 months I have developed tendinitis in my left thumb (I am right handed).
I can only assume that it is related to the guitar playing and the increasing number of chords that I am trying to learn.
Is this a common problem with other ālateā learners after a few months of playing?
I dont know about how common it is, but i have an ulnar nerve issue that Iām pretty sure was due to years of bad angle playing. Iām around the same age as you so I know all about being an older player 
Iām fairly sure Justin has videos on how to hold the neck so you are not straining, that may be whats causing the issue for you. Also another thing I only found out recently, I squeeze the hell out of the neck! I took advice and now i slowly lighten my grip and it still plays as good, that may help.
In the end though, Iām no medical expert if its causing pain get it checked out.
Iām going to start physical therapy on my fretting hand next week from a stretched thumb tendon that came from practicing barre chords. Yes I think it may be a late learners concern or maybe self taught guitarists concern. Either way we have to be more conscious of our limitations and more careful about being kind to our bodies i.e. taking things slow.
Thanks, I donāt want to stop playing so I guess Iād better get it sorted properly
Yes thanks. I guess you are right on all points.
I also need to be less stubborn and react earlier to these aches and pains 
Definitely do this.
Usually, you can figure out the reason behind the pain and correct it by adjusting a bit. being tender now will highlight all stresses you put on it. See if there is anything in addition to playing that may also be helping cause the problem by noticing what you do that is particularly painful. Look for a way to change how you do these things.
Yes I definitely will. Thanks.
Hi Steve, I suspect we late learners do have more tendency toward over-use and other injuries than earlier learners, simply by virtue of our bodies having more āmilesā on them. That said, Iām not sure that later learners are especially susceptible to any specific injury. I suffer with thumb pain too, but weirdly itās my right thumb. Iām clearly holding my pick in a less-than-optimal manner, and am constantly working on it.
I have found these techniques surprisingly helpful for some of my aches and pains. No promises they will work, but it only takes a few minutes to try them. If you do try them, Iād be interested to know your experience!
Hi Steve. Try some ice if you havenāt already and really try to relax when playing. Make sure your guitar is parallel to your body and not bent back so far you can really see the strings. I found it helped more when my guitar was straight up, (and also forced me to play by feel rather than looking). My biggest problem is my right shoulder tendonitis. I screwed up my whole right arm last year and had to take a couple weeks off to rest that arm entirely.
Hi. I can relate to your thumb issue. I am 74 and developed thumb tendinitis 3 years ago. That made it near impossible for me to learn bar chords as my thumb just had no strength. I tried steroid shots ( given by a Dr., not me 
). That helped for a time, but I finally opted for surgery where the trapezium bone was removed. The procedure is Left First Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty. This fixed the problem, and did require several weeks of physical therapy to restore function. I did keep playing once the bandages were removed, and the therapist thought that contributed to it quickly returning to normal. Lately, Iāve been getting trigger finger on both index fingers, and while that is entertaining, the steroid shots help for a time.
This is not advice, and I do hope it helps.
Excellent videos for managing hand and arm pain. Thanks for sharing, Judi.
This is only good to reduce initial swelling right after an injury. Within a few hours of a strain, but not for a repeated strain problem.
For longer-term care, you want to heat it. This increases blood flow to aid in the repair your body is trying to do.
Thanks for the message. It sounds like you have really struggled. Hopefully I can avoid any sort of operation 
Thatās interesting and thanks for the videos. I guess Iām definitely not alone with this tendinitis issue!
Thanks for the advice. To be honest you have a good point about tilting the guitar to see the strings, as I am definitely guilty of that. Another bad habit that I need to lose 
Iām late 50s and damaged the wrist of my fretting hand trying to learn the barre chords at the end of the beginner course over a year ago and itās still not right.
Unfortunately itās also my dominant hand so difficult to rest it - itās also my forehand side for tennis which I play every week. I had to stop playing barres which meant I was a bit stuck in my ability to progress.
While it recovers I have switched to Classical guitar and learning to read music, which took me nearly back to ābeginnerā mode but itās much easier on my wrist and I am enjoying learning.
See if you can find something easier on your body to do while it recovers, e.g learn theory or you could end up like me with it being a long term issue.
Thanks Kim. I guess I didnāt realise that playing guitar could effect health so much 
Good luck with learning to read music.
I would be careful with this! You can cause a serious injury.
I retired at the end of 2020 and have been playing guitar for 5-6 hours a week since then. At
the end of January I bought a new guitar that caused me to start playing even more. I think I reached my limit. About three weeks ago I strained my left thumb and a couple of fingers. (Iām right handed also) After taking a few days off, I started playing again and am afraid that I injured myself even more. I wound up making an appointment with my doctor. I have to wait for two weeks to see him. Iām deeply concerned that I wonāt be able to play for an extended period, or perhaps ever again. At my age, you never know.
Hey, Iām 26 and have been playing for about 10 month now. While I never had major problems with my thumb my right index finger gave me problems even before I started playing. So I was a bit paranoid about making it worse from the start. Here are a few things that helped me to avoid serious problems so far just in case someone is interested
What is think is really important is warming up your hands and wrists before playing. So doing a couple little āexercisesā before picking up the guitar. There are a few videos about it over on YouTube. It might be a little annoying but I really notice the difference when I donāt do it. When I pick up the guitar I usually play a song I already know and donāt find very straining to warm up a bit more.
Another very annoying but simple advice is: if it hurts stop. I know thats pretty obvious but important too. At least for my hand problemsā¦
If you use the practice tool try to vary the exercises. For example put a strumming exercise after a chord practice to give your fretting hand some time to recover and release tension.
Also try to relax while playing as much as possible and be aware of your anatomy so to say. So position your guitar so that your hand and wrist have to ātwistā as little as possible if that makes senseā¦
I donāt know if that stuff is kinda obvious and maybe a bit uncalled for too but maybe it helps preventing more injuries
I have to say the information and advice given by all here is excellent. After 16 years of manual labour and 25 years touring around on motorbikes, I never took it seriously that I could get hurt playing a guitar. What an idiot am I? Thankfully your stories and advice will get me back to doing proper stretching and taking care of my body, thanks.