Pain in fretting hand

CountryMan · September 2023

Apologies, think I put this originally in the wrong category:

Hi all,

Before I start, I want to state that I’m know way expecting/asking for medical advice. Just want to share my experience and wonder if anyone else has suffered the same

I’ve only been playing guitar for just under 2 years (am 50 now), although about 20 years ago, bought an acoustic and tried learning, but after learning a few chords, and a few months put it down. Over the years, I’d pick it up and try again, then stop again (would always get to barre chords and be put off). Up until November 2021. Something just clicked and just got them. Started watching youtube videos of tutorials and before I knew it was playing songs. Gave it a couple of months and bought a Taylor for £800.

Once my fingers started getting used to the playing and my callouses started forming there was no stopping me. Cut a long story short, and the purchase of another acoustic (Martin this time)…fast forward to January this year. At this point I’d pretty much practice for at least an hour a day and had a fair few songs under my belt (still not played in front of anyone except the wife and kids, but loved it). Then whilst learning Pink Floyd – Nobody home, I started getting this ache in the base of my left thumb muscle (later found out this is called the Thenar muscle), seemed to happen whilst holding the Fmaj7, C and C7 chords for extended periods on this song. Over the course of the next 2 months, this pain got worse and now not just on this song (stopped playing it when the pain increased). This now started on every song. Used to be about 30 minutes in, but then started sooner, until March when it was within the first 5-10 minutes playing (no matter what song).

Wen to the doctors and he said to lessen playing (easier said than done), whilst I wait for an X-ray appointment to rule out arthritis.

I did lessen it as was scared I was doing damage. Then after 2 weeks and had xray, back to doctors who told me, no arthritis…phew. But now said need to give the guitar a rest whilst an Ultrasound appointment was coming. This came after 6 weeks (played probably couple of hours in total per week, 10-15 minutes at a time…didn’t want to lose my progress (as well as my callouses).

Once I’d had the ultrasound and back to doctor, he told me it found Dequarivans tenosonivitis and would arrange Ultrasound guided steroid injection. Now pretty much insisted that I stop playing completely. That was May 18th. Had the steroid injection, which took ages, then waited more as advised…fast forward (again) July 23rd. Picked up guitar for the first time…exactly the same pain within 5 minutes!!!!

Back to doctors who referred me to a hand surgeon.

Mentioned all this to a friend (who doesn’t play) and she suggested to see someone she knows, an osteopath. Arranged an appointment and after initial consultation and a feel of my hand, wrist and forearm told me she thought it wasn’t dequarvians or Carpel tunnel but muscular. She worked on my hand, wrist and forearm for 30 minutes and a bit of acupuncture (said muscles were really stiff) and said to try playing the next day.

Played the next day, and although there was still something there, no where near as bad. On here advice, only played for 30 minutes per day until I saw her again 2 weeks later. As the 2 weeks started coming to an end, I could feel the pain starting to come back. Had another session with her and the next day played again. Again, pain was still there, not as much as when it started, but not as little as after the first session. In the meantime a hospital apooitnment came through for September 19th. A couple of weeks away on holiday (not playing) and 3 more appointments with the osteopath and the pain is back. On the last session (on 13-09-2023) she said my hand, wrist and forearm are really loose, and no tension so unless it’s doing any good, to not bother going again.

I tested this the morning of the 13th before the osteopath app, played 3 songs (Pink Floyd-Wish you were here, Luke combs-Beautiful crazy and The Smiths-Please, Please,Please), by the last song the pain in my Thenar muscle was bad. The day after last Osteopath appointment, done exactly the same songs, and pain exactly the same.

I have now been experimenting with this and the pain actually changes over the time of playing. It starts in my thumb pad (see pic 1), then if I have a break from chord heavy songs and do some picking (I don’t know many, but practice Metallica – Nothing else matters and ‘Stairway’!!!), If I then play some random songs (not in any particular order), but then play the same 3 songs (approx. 25-30 minutes into playing), then pain has turned into an ache, or sometimes actually moves to an ‘ache’ around the front of my thumb and knuckles (and moves up-Pic 2). After playing, can feel the ache for a few hours sometimes in my Thenar muscle, but only sometimes.

Pic 1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XwOpi2Bq6kLS9BR2ZaoMZ2VJX1Rfmc9G/view?usp=sharing

Pic 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZNTwu-ohQaElCipBqQdqm0_SAoOSuD1Q/view?usp=sharing

Sometimes the top of my thumb ‘clicks’ as I move it forward and that seems to relieve it (whilst playing and throughout the day too).

Anyway, had the hand appointment at the hospital and he thinks it’s the start of Arthritis in the CMC joint at the base of my thumb (but he didn’t seem 100%). Has booked me in for Steroid injection directly into the joint (under sedation), but didn’t seem certain that it would work, just said it’s wear and tear and if it didn’t work, could just keep doing them. He did however say that if I carried on playing I wouldn’t do anymore damage, just up to me how much pain I wanted to go through.

I will state that (my own fault) I think it came because I never did any stretches before or after playing (did see them on youtube, but didn’t bother). Since the osteopath appointments though, I stretch before and after (and now heat before and ice after too).

My question really is, has anyone else experienced this type of pain? If so, what did you do? Amongst all the professionals I’ve contacted about this, NONE of them play, so not sure how accurate al this is. I ideally wanted an MRI, but the hand surgeon said there’s no point.

Thanks for reading (if you’re still with me), and eagerly awaiting some responses. Still playing and love the guitar. Would ruin me if I had to stop.

Danny

Bradders · September 2023

I am 37 and have played since the age of around 15. I remeber experiencing a similar pain in the thumb muscle which may or may not be similar to what you are experiencing. It was in my early days of learning to play and noticably when playing bar chords which I put down to fatigue and a lack of strength and perhaps my technique needed developing. I will point out that my first steel string guitar was a cheap johnston or something like that with terrible action which made me work hard to play. But definitely over time as I improved and my left hand grew stronger I did not experience the pain anymore. Perhaps when you are playing chords like bar chords or any chords the require more thumb pressure try to spread that pressure load down into the top part of the palm and try experimenting by shifting the thumb position to shift the pressure down into the hand and where the neck of the guitar sits where the finger bend around onto the fret board. Sorry if this isn't making sense! I find that when if I push my thumb straight without any bend in the knuckle then it leads to fatigue in the thum muscle but if I can keep and bend in the thumb knuckle this helps keep it more relaxed.

It might also be worth testing some guitars with a thinner neck profile and shorter nut width like a 44mm or 43mm nut width plus a low comfortable action of 2mm 12th fret low E, 1.6mm 12th fret high E. Also try a lighter string gauge. A comfortable neck makes a ton of difference. I recently picked up a Brook guitar. They are known for having a thinner neck profile and the shorter scale length(distance between nut and saddle) which means the frets are a little closer together and requires less finger stretching over all. All these little things add up to a big difference. Another thing to note is the responsiveness of the guitar and how it affects your playing. My playing changes depending on the guitar. Something really responsive and articulate leads me to play more gently and not work so hard. Its amazing how the setup, tone and overall feel of a guitar will either make you feel relaxed when you play or have to work harder.

I hope you make progress and are able to continue playing.

CountryMan · September 2023

Thanks for the reply. It does make sense. I will try to move the position of my thumb and hopefully makes a change. I've noticed it it definitely is more when I'm in the C shape kind of cord (F/C), not so much if a song is heavy in G/D/A for example. Will have an experiment today. Thanks again

Teyeplayer · September 2023

A couple of years back I caught my wrist whilst loading a garden bin, gave it quite a thump and then thought little of it -except it hurt for about the next 6 weeks. All healed up eventually until I slipped over on some wet floor tiles whilst walking into a conference I was delivering at. This put me back to square one and resulted in some awful tendinitis type issues for almost a year and a half, greatly impacting my ability to play. The pain was down my thumb, across my palm and up my wrist. I found that different neck profiles had a huge impact (and changed my entire collection as a result). It is only just getting back to normal now, but I’d say try some different guitars as you’ll be amazed the difference a neck profile can make.

fastonebaz · September 2023

Maybe try a different shaped neck guitar. I find strats give me noticable hand ache but others don't.

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Pain in fretting hand

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