Get a quality guitar!

I know it sounds trite, but I used to have big problems with stiff joints and particularly with left hand locking up after playing >90mins in gigs. I changed my trusty Les Paul copy for a used USA Strat Plus and it made a massive difference.

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Physiotherapy, tried a private chiropracter crossed his palm with silver a few times ,manipulation , cracking my neck this way & that, & sticking needles all the way up my arm, pain always returned, I'd put a rib out just at my shoulder, my whole arm throbbed for weeks until I could get a physio , diagnosed right away, pushed & pulled me about a bit gave me an exersice regime,pain has never returned

Physiotherapy, tried a private chiropracter crossed his palm with silver a few times ,manipulation , cracking my neck this way & that, & sticking needles all the way up my arm, pain always returned, I'd put a rib out just at my shoulder, my whole arm throbbed for weeks until I could get a physio , diagnosed right away, pushed & pulled me about a bit gave me an exersice regime,pain has never returned

After seriously dislocating my elbow at a jujitsu class (like an upside down T, severe muscle and bone damage) i couldnt straighten my arm out. I decided after much deliberation to take chrondrotin glucosamine sulphate complex. Proven to have had good effects on arthritis sufferers. Anyhow it did the trick a treat when all kinds of physiotherapy didnt work. It promotes the growth of soft tissue and fluid in the sockets of your joints. When those tissues and fluids are depleted thats what causes the pain in movement. I strongly recommend it just dont expect it to work over night. I was taking 2400mg a day for 3 months before i noticed any effect. Since then i just take 800mg a day for 2 weeks in october as the weather changes.

Over the years i've given my hands severe punishment. Broken knuckles through punch training on gravel filled wallbags, broken fingers, dislocated hips. I dont feel any joint pain as long as i keep my chrondrotin/glucosamine levels up. If you can find authentic dit-dah-jow at a chinese medicine place that will give immediate relief but not cure the problem. Dunno about the usa but several of its ingredients are illegal in the UK (tiger bones and all that gumf). Which makes it exceptionaly hard to get hold of. Well worth having though as the heat it induces is a good relief.

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Red Paul said:


I don't know... I own an actual 1970 Telecaster with Bigsby, a Deluxe Players Stratocaster, a Gibson SG Standard and a Martin D-15M. Would any of those qualify?

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"...The final truth is, there is no truth..." - (from "Nice n' Neat" by the Boomtown Rats)

DrBrodie.

Seriously mate it sounds like early onset arthritis to me. Omega oils (which the herbal tablet i mentioned, contain) are the only real cure/stave off/prevention.
Arthritis doesnt discriminate by age either.

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Agreed. Oh if you are diabetic (I did not catch on to that) you may want to ask your Doctor before the Glucosemine Condrointin tabs. It make mess with your Blood Suger.

RK

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

This might sound a little silly, however once you get used to them I promise they're terrific for working the muscles in your hands.

Look into something called "baoding balls", otherwise known as chinese health balls. They're terrific for training dexterity and sore muscles. Pretty inexpensive, too.

A few thoughts... ('am working with an MD on an Alternative Medicine book)

Make your nutrition and dietary supplements as perfect-appropriate as you can

Flush and eliminate as many toxins as possible from your body

Drink half your weight in pounds of ounces of good, healthy water, per day

Learn and practice proper breathing

Get appropiate exercise

Get the proper amount of rest

Pursue peaceful spirituality

Temperance-moderation in all things

Be constantly grateful (take a look at The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne)

Learn your body better than anyone else; love and appreciate it. Your doctors see you only briefly; pay attention to the good and bad signals. Write stuff down

Best of fortune.

I thought smoking cannabis was the fix for all of the above

A roach clip prevents joint pain...I've got blisters on my fingers

Seriously though, if medical consultation has not been made, do that first...Before I play, I tend to do a bunch of arm stretches and windmills...to me it almost looks like I am warming up to lift weights or something, but it tends to cut down on any cramping or discomfort because when I don't do that I tend to cramp up or something...

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RAMA LAMA FA FA FA

I'm 46 and have beat the hell out of my body in general. Football in Jr High and High school, years of full contact martial arts, heavy weight lifting and aggessive dirtbick riding. Here's a couple of suggestions

A glucosamin and chondroitin supplement will help all the joints in your body (takes about 2 weeks to see results)

ibuprofen is a decent anti-inflammatory which will reduce pains

overall physical fitness is VERY IMPORTANT to your entire body. If you are/have been a couch potato your body will break down faster than someone who has exercised consistenly. the good news is, it's not too late! Warm up and do some medium weight lifting exercises and or pilates type stuff. You will feel beter all over and some of your shoulder, elbow pains will diminish. the fingers you'll just need to warm up and use a topical pain reliever.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

I'm just letting you all know that I am reading every single one of your experiences and suggestions. I'm feeling pretty good about this post, actually. Let me just say that I am guilty of many of those bad habits. Back in my day I used to be on the Anheuser-Busch liquid diet...

Anyway... it seems like there's a lot of fellow musicians who suffer with this stuff everyday. Maybe this will be one of those posts on this forum that just seems to continue on forever... I'd like to thank everyone who's shared their aches and pains so far...

Oh, I also forgot to mention that I am also on medication for high blood pressure. To control my blood sugar, I take two different medications and I'm on Lantis at night. All this stuff is on my Mom's side of the family... the rheumatoid arthritis... heart conditions... baldness...

But, the type II is most likely my own fault.

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"...The final truth is, there is no truth..." - (from "Nice n' Neat" by the Boomtown Rats)

Eliminate shellfish from your diet................and replace it with Motrin.

Glucosamine chrondrotin can have a negative effect with some blood pressure medicines. See your doc before taking it.

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