Elbow pain playing my Dreadnought

[Mojofied]

My 2 cents. You are likely cutting off blood flow to your lower arm. It can happen in situations like playing a wide body guitar, or draping an arm over the back of a hard back chair. It makes the limb ache beginning with the elbow. If you weren’t moving the limb it would fall asleep. Dave Mustaine fell asleep like that in a chair for several hours and lost use of his arm and was nearly crippled for life. The artery running down the inside of your arm. If it was me I would only play for 5-10 mins or so at a stretch while I shopped for a small body.

Mojo

[lar]

I was in GC and noticed that even Taylor's lowest line of Guitars (Academy?) had a very nicely rounded body (large radius) where your arm rests on the guitar. Way-to-go Taylor! Every guitar should be like this.

And BTW - these guitars sounded great, and were only a few hundred bucks (~$500 I think). Amazing! If I were Bob, I wouldn't be making such good guitars at the beginning of the line - it could limit sales higher up. If it were me, I would make the bridge pins out of Home Depot putty, and thicken-up the top a bit. That should do it.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by Woolbury

This is almost certainly carpal tunnel(tennis elbow) and not something to be taken lightly. It may take a new guitar, but it could be an adjustment in posture, grip , etc. I attacked mine by deep massage of the muscle on top f your arm just below the elbow. Feel around and you'll find it, a deep kneed is the way to work it. My friend who is an acupuncturist/massage person started pushing the muscle under my arm pit, it surprisingwher the tension and problem is and how it all translates to your elbow and lower arm. Find help with your current condition online or through a good massage person, and then try to attack the problem that caused it, or it can severely impact your playing.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Tennis Elbow are two different things entirely. I've had both (still have CTS, but it's not a severe one).

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by SlopeD

thanks guys. I will talk to my Dr.

I haven’t played in 3 days and probably won’t any time soon.

Was researching online and it appears to be tennis elbow.

yup, my diagnosis as I've had it in both elbows from time to time, and if ignored can be bothersome for over a year. Rest, icepacks and reconsider your posture.

This "may" be of interest.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by SlopeD

thanks guys. I will talk to my Dr.

I haven’t played in 3 days and probably won’t any time soon.

Was researching online and it appears to be tennis elbow.

I've got it atm and it lasts a long time. My guess is you've worn it out that way and need to permanently change to another way, and that that may mean a thinner guitar in your future.

[mdhttr]

Had the same symptoms, went to the dr and he diagnosed tennis elbow. Told him I don't play tennis, so he asked what do you do that's repetitive? Ah, guitar--he told me to get a brace from the drugstore, wore that for a while when playing and it went away.

Then, I joined a softball team after not playing for twenty years and the pain came back much worse. This time it took two months of PT and several more months of regular stretching for it to go away. Incidentally, the PT involved every part of the arm from the hand to the shoulder. It all works together.

I make sure to stretch my arm when I'm playing for long periods of time now. And I gave up softball, because I'm not giving up guitar.

[SlopeD]

Originally Posted by stringjunky

I've got it atm and it lasts a long time. My guess is you've worn it out that way and need to permanently change to another way, and that that may mean a thinner guitar in your future.

thats what I'm after now.

haven't played since this thread and no pain.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by SlopeD

thats what I'm after now.

haven't played since this thread and no pain.

I think what ever you do a lot of over a long time, the associated repetitive strain injury is likely in your future unless you can vary your position in some way or use a more comfortable tool.