Could a Nylon string alleviate my worsening hand/arm issues? (Any other suggestions?)

[mashup]

Sorry for the long post. I thought it may be helpful to provide the backstory to this question so I can attain the most helpful/relative responses (hopefully)......

I have had a problematic left hand for quite some time now, mainly as a result of breaking my left thumb the night before a gig (still did the gig with a blackened hand though, ouch!!) but it's never been the same since, but also, because I managed to break nearly all of my fingers on my left hand at various times throughout my childhood sports endeavours (hands been stamped on during rugby matches amongst other things!)....

Anyway, since taking up the guitar properly 2 years ago, I have been through quite a few (about 10 or so) & along the way, I learnt, from this forum mainly, & then through playing, about all the massively important things that initially I had absolutely no grasp of at all - Such things as Scale length, nut width, fret size, body shape & neck profile etc. At first I never knew how all of these different factors were so important to playability. That has of inevitably changed during the course of my buying/selling & trading of guitars as I've played more & understood more about these factors.

I've got to the point of owning the 2 guitars I have now, my Martin 000-28EC & my Eastman E20-OM - both have short scale necks, nice wide neck profiles, big frets (I had the 000-28EC re-fretted with jumbos last month) & both guitars have been PLEK'd for the lowest action playing possible whilst still retaining their character. They both play beautifully easily now.....

However, my hand pains have come back with a vengeance & as a result of also being a very keen rock climber, I have recently developed golfers/tennis elbow. A combination of playing guitar & rock climbing, which are my 2 favourite pastimes, is putting my fingers & forearms through a lot of physical strain & exertion on a continual basis. As I'm currently having to change my career due to another illness (I don't collect them, honestly!), I am training up as a climbing instructor, so there is not much chance that I can lessen the amount of climbing I'll be doing any time soon, although I have reduced the difficulty level of my climbs at the moment.

I really love playing the guitar but I've got to earn a living...

Don't go thinking that I'm even considering stopping playing guitar for 1 minute though, but just this week, I've only been able to play for 10 mins a day, when usually that should be 1-2 hours a day. My fingers, hands & arms just can't deal with it right now.

I am currently doing rehabilitative exercises for my forearms & mobility exercises for my hands & fingers on a twice daily basis, plus I do yoga & stretch regularly. I bought an elbow compression strap today & just ordered a self massaging device for the forearms called 'armaid', which has had fantastic reviews & feedback from instrument players & climbers alike. I'm hopeful that this device works a little well needed magic, fingers crossed (ouch). Anyway, I'm going to give this device a little time before I come to any conclusions about where I'm at & what steps I then take.

Saying that though, if things don't improve noticeably, enabling my playing time to start increasing again, I was wondering whether a Nylon stringed guitar would make things any easier, less strain on my playing limbs & digits? I would never ever let go of my 000-28EC but if it meant that I could play for an enjoyable amount of time again on a daily basis, as much as I love my E20-OM, I would trade it for a Nylon stringed guitar of similar quality.

What do you think?

I have, over the course of 2 years playing, researching & learning, reached a point of owning 2 easy playing short scale beauty's, but even now that's not quite enough for my current physical shortcomings. Could a Nylon stringed guitar help?

I would hugely appreciate any feedback & opinions & would be very interested in hearing any similar experiences that you may have been through & hopefully resolved & what measures you took to get there.

Thanks for reading.

[JLed79]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I would say that yes, a nylon string guitar will be easier and probably less painful to play because of the strings being softer and having less tension on the neck.
As far as your epicondylitis, I would wear the compression strap around the clock. They really do help. Also, see if you can isolate one particular arm movement that makes it really hurt. If you can and if you can eliminate it, you will heal much faster.
Just make sure you put the strap on correctly. The little sponge pad goes on the SIDE of your arm that hurts, but not on the painful area itself. Put it on about an inch and a half closeer to your hand than where the pain is. You don't need it on super tight either. Just tight enough to stay put. I know it sounds weird, but the way they work is by alleviating some of the strain on the ligament there by creating almost a fulcrum for the ligament to press against and alleviating the strain where the ligament attaches to the bone at the joint.

[JCave]

I've suffered from self inflicted tendonitis for years now. Severity comes and goes depending on what I'm doing. Repetitive actions really inflames it. One day it got a lot worse, I lost the use of my left arm. I'd been ignoring my icing and strap routines and paid the price. Woke me up. Doc taught me a long time ago that a frozen dixie cup works better than an ice pack.

So it's ice twice a day and a strap whenever those tendons are being used. But I have been looking at nylon string gits, too. Would it help?


Jerry

[JLed79]

Originally Posted by JCave

I've suffered from self inflicted tendonitis for years now. Severity comes and goes depending on what I'm doing. Repetitive actions really inflames it. One day it got a lot worse, I lost the use of my left arm. I'd been ignoring my icing and strap routines and paid the price. Woke me up. Doc taught me a long time ago that a frozen dixie cup works better than an ice pack.

So it's ice twice a day and a strap whenever those tendons are being used.


Jerry

Good plan. I find a bag of frozen peas or corn to be the best for icing joints. Very easy to mold it to wherever it needs to be. Just be sure you label it as non food. Depending on your domestic situation, not labeling it could be grounds for war

[mashup]

Wow! Great response Jled79. Thanks alot! I have actually now adjusted the position of the strap to the side of pain instead of the exact area of pain as I had it placed until I just read your response. Also, I had it really tight too so have just loosened it somewhat & moved it closer to the hand. I'm not sure what the exact movement or trigger is at present. I'm just getting sporadic shooting pains every now & then. I have noticed that my usual sleep position is with bent arms & curled up, but when straightening the arms there is relief. Interesting that this bent arm position simulates guitar playing!!! Thanks

Also, thanks JCave. What's the frozen Dixie cup method? Please share

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by JLed79

Good plan. I find a bag of frozen peas or corn to be the best for icing joints...)

My left elbow (I have "golfer's elbow") is buried in a bag of frozen peas as I type this with my right hand...

[JLed79]

Originally Posted by mashup

Wow! Great response Jled79. Thanks alot! I have actually now adjusted the position of the strap to the side of pain instead of the exact area of pain as I had it placed until I just read your response. Also, I had it really tight too so have just loosened it somewhat & moved it closer to the hand. I'm not sure what the exact movement or trigger is at present. I'm just getting sporadic shooting pains every now & then. I have noticed that my usual sleep position is with bent arms & curled up, but when straightening the arms there is relief. Interesting that this bent arm position simulates guitar playing!!! Thanks

Also, thanks JCave. What's the frozen Dixie cup method? Please share

Happy to help. Hopefully with the adjustment you will start to see some relief soon.
Sadly, once you have this ailment you are highly predisposed to reoccurence. Hopefully you can figure out what triggers it and modify your movements to minimalize it.
Good luck!

[LoMa]

I sure hope the strap helps to alleviate the problem.

I have a different issue - arthritis - so I don't know if this helps or not - you could try lighter gauge strings or even silk & bronze strings which have a softer feel and put less stress on your hand. You can also try practicing without your thumb on the back of the guitar neck - just press the strings and see how much or how little pressure is actually needed to fret - a lot of players use way more pressure than needed. You can also change the angle of the guitar on your lap to a more classical player's style with the neck more upright - this lessens the pressure on your wrist giving it a more straight angle when you're fretting. If you feel you still need more ease in playing then you could try a nulon string guitar. Note however that most nylon string guitars have a much much wider nut - usually 2 inches or wider.

I wish you much luck in your playing ease.

[JCave]

Paper dixie cups work great. Fill about 3/4 then freeze it. Tear the paper away as you use it. The small size really localizes the cold. Brrr.....




Jerry

[mashup]

Originally Posted by JCave

Paper dixie cups work great. Fill about 3/4 then freeze it. Tear the paper away as you use it. The small size really localizes the cold. Brrr.....




Jerry

Thanks Jerry, I'll give that a go

[Kindness]

So sorry to hear of your pains, but fear not, you will get better. The physical therapy is extremely important. You have to diligently do the exercises as prescribed, and you will get better. Heat for ten minutes and then ice for ten minutes. The combination works really well. Use an NSAID if your stomach can tolerate it.

If you make the time for these things, you will get better!

[Eclectichick]

Sorry to hear about your pain(s), too! I'm sending good healing wishes your way.

Are you guys familiar with curcumin and/or boswellia? Curcumin is the active anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric (yep, the cooking spice) and it's nature's best kept secret, IMHO. Fortunately, with the clinical trials going on at MD Anderson, UCLA Cancer Center, etc, it's becoming less of a secret and word is getting out. It's an insane anti-inflammatory without the nasty side effects of ibuprofen, etc. No side effects at all actually. Boswellia is also a strong natural anti-inflammatory, native to Africa and Asia, particularly in low forest cover. It's mostly used as all-natural arthritis relief and joint support.

For me, the combination of the two has been nothing short of amazing and I feel like I can live my life more "freely" these days. By "freely," I mean both physically (since my pain is managed very well) and also mentally, because I found that the constant pain was sort of becoming the lens through which I viewed life, especially as it began to keep me from the things I love most (guitars and kayaks).

Going back to the OP's original question, a Taylor nylon guitar was good for my soul and kept me encouraged and playing regularly, but I'm so happy to be back to steel string guitars now that my hands feel like I'm a teenager again.

You can certainly buy both supplements at your local natural foods store (Whole Foods or the independents), but I can't say enough good things about the one I take. For you non-pill takers out there (like me), this is one caplet that has both curcumin and boswellia in it, and both are the purest forms available with no fillers. The one I personally use is made by Ageless Cures (ww.agelesscures.com)

Sorry for sounding like an info-mercial, but I can't recommend curcumin enough and I'd love to hear if it works for you, if you try it. Cheers!

[Davis Webb]

Fast question;

Have you tried stringing your present guitars with 11 gauge? That should help. If thats not quite enough, capo it. Will be like butter.

[Red_Label]

Guitar playing and rock climbing to together like snow shoes and surfing.

I've been into mountaineering for longer than I've played guitar (29 years). But I mostly just stick to peak bagging and winter ice climbing. When I am on rock it's usually just to belay my kids or do some rappelling. I've gotten rid of most of my rock gear. Just never been cool with destroying my hands/fingers on rock.

Honestly... my favorite form of mountaineering any more is just the armchair kind. I find it quite comfortable and the older I get, the more tired I got of getting half way up a route and THEN asking myself "what am I trying to prove here?" LOL...

[mashup]

Originally Posted by Eclectichick

Sorry to hear about your pain(s), too! I'm sending good healing wishes your way.

Are you guys familiar with curcumin and/or boswellia? Curcumin is the active anti-inflammatory compound in turmeric (yep, the cooking spice) and it's nature's best kept secret, IMHO. Fortunately, with the clinical trials going on at MD Anderson, UCLA Cancer Center, etc, it's becoming less of a secret and word is getting out. It's an insane anti-inflammatory without the nasty side effects of ibuprofen, etc. No side effects at all actually. Boswellia is also a strong natural anti-inflammatory, native to Africa and Asia, particularly in low forest cover. It's mostly used as all-natural arthritis relief and joint support.

For me, the combination of the two has been nothing short of amazing and I feel like I can live my life more "freely" these days. By "freely," I mean both physically (since my pain is managed very well) and also mentally, because I found that the constant pain was sort of becoming the lens through which I viewed life, especially as it began to keep me from the things I love most (guitars and kayaks).

Going back to the OP's original question, a Taylor nylon guitar was good for my soul and kept me encouraged and playing regularly, but I'm so happy to be back to steel string guitars now that my hands feel like I'm a teenager again.

You can certainly buy both supplements at your local natural foods store (Whole Foods or the independents), but I can't say enough good things about the one I take. For you non-pill takers out there (like me), this is one caplet that has both curcumin and boswellia in it, and both are the purest forms available with no fillers. The one I personally use is made by Ageless Cures (ww.agelesscures.com)

Sorry for sounding like an info-mercial, but I can't recommend curcumin enough and I'd love to hear if it works for you, if you try it. Cheers!

What a brilliant response!! Thank you so, so much. I have heard great things about Curcumin & I will definitely give it a go. I hadn't heard of boswellia until you brought my attention to it & with a quick google search later..... - this looks promising. I also suffer from a Chronic pain condition, separate to the issues related to this thread, that keeps me in a semi permanent state of debilitating pain & i completely understand, empathize & unfortunately experience life through that same lens you speak of. Do you think it could help me with my pain too? I'm glad to hear that your playing has been reinvigorated through the use of this natural remedy. You are a star!!