Pain in fretting forearm when playing guitar

[thepersonpeople]

*Been playing for 10 years now for the record*. For 2 weeks now every time I play I get pain in my upper region of my left forearm on the pinky side (fretting arm). I’m pretty sure it’s the muscle. The day before I noticed this pain, I had just gotten a new amplifier and was testing it out. The entire time I was playing I was doing endless amounts of hammer ons with my pinky, so this must be directly related to that. I never stretch or warm up before I play and I really should. I tried playing the next day and it hurt in that area. I didn't play for a week and assumed it would be one of those go-away quickly pain like when you exercise, but it was still there. I go through another week of not playing, and this time using an arm roller daily on the affected region. Tried playing yesterday, still no change and no good. What should I do? I don’t know if I should rest it and put ice, heat, massage, all of that, or do exercises and stretch it and strengthen my forearm? Or both? Then again what exercises do I have to do to target this specific problem? I cant seem to find any video addressing this exact problem

That’s another problem I often can’t figure out. Most of the time when something hurts from doing an activity, I don’t know if I should rest it for a long time and let it heal, or do exercises and stretches to strengthen it. But at the same time I don’t want to go through a month and a half of no playing, then I try playing thinking it has healed and then it still hurts and a month has been wasted. Even if i do have to exercise it, I don’t know what exercises or techniques to do.

[Don54]

Sounds like it's time to visit an orthopedic doctor with experience treating musicians?

[Rolph]

That's why some people like me are trained to figure these things out and help you get relief, repair. Chiropractor, kinesiologist, nutritionist.

[Golffishny]

I'm not a medical professional in any capacity. I had a problem with pain in my pinky and ring fingers. Eventually I couldn't form a chord. My "funny bone" in my elbow was extremely sensitive when bumped. I ended up having cubital tunnel surgery. I researched later and found that ice and regular mild stretching helped. Also had to quit resting my elbows on hard surfaces. I hope you don't have the same trouble. Be aware of the little feelings in your hand and arm. If it gets worse see a professional sooner rather than later. Anything caught early enough may be able to be remedied with therapy instead of surgery. Good luck.

[rllink]

I'm not a medical professional either and don't pretend to be, so this is not advise. I'm 73. All summer I was suffering very similar pain in the right forearm down into my fingers. Chronic pain but not enough so to stop me playing, more just aggravating. I tried changing positions, not laying my arm over the edge of the guitar, changing how I strummed, all kinds of things. I took a lot of Tylenol. It bothered me mostly sitting in the evenings watching TV and at night. During the day it wasn't as bad.

In August I signed up for a senior's weight lifting class through the city parks and recs. Right away it started getting better. I don't know whether it is the stretching, the weights, that I'm wearing long sleeve shirts now or just coincidence, but it does not bother me anymore.