How can I tell if I’m building muscle memory or doing damage and headed for carpal

[Pitar]

It comes down to your personal physiology. In any case, posing this kind of question to a guitar forum isn't going to net you a useful answer. You'll have to visit a hand specialist to get your best response. Your instructor's story served no purpose other than to promote fear in you (which you brought here to seek some form of comforting advice) which I consider improper. It's like telling you that jogging brought him some suffering and now you want to know from runners at large if you'll also suffer from jogging.

[Kitkatjoe]

Originally Posted by mikev0882

Tunnel?

Today my guitar teacher warned me about this.

He said when he was my age [37] he developed really bad carpal tunnel from doing too many Barr chords.

How can I tell a ‘healthy’ muscle build vs. doing something harmful to my hand/wrist/arm?

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Listen to the pain or lack of pain. Use common since.🤪