I had two ruptured discs in my neck several years ago; anything that weighed more than a couple of pounds was excruciating to lift. I didn't play for two months before the surgery and about a month afterwards (and then it was only seated or playing an acoustic)...

Ten months after that initial surgery, I had to have a second surgery, this time to repair a torn rotator cuff and a damaged labrum (related to the problem in my neck). This one was equally devastating to my playing; the muscles in my right arm and on the right side of my chest (pectoral) atrophied severely both before and after the surgery (it was somewhat freakish looking). That set me back about four months as well, but this time it hurt to play an acoustic, because of the angle I had to hold my right arm away from my body (due to the larger/thicker body of my dreadnoughts)...that surgery was harder to recover from, guitar-wise, because all the strength on my right side had to be built back up. it took, all and all, almost a full year to get all my strength and range of motion back after the second surgery. It still hurts to throw a baseball or swing a bat, and that was almost five years ago.

I had to adjust the way I held a guitar and where the strap went over my shoulder after each surgery.

It took a little time to get my chops back (about two months each time), but I wasn't actively gigging or even regularly recording. If I had been rehearsing or even just jamming more often, it probably wouldn't have taken as long.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Between 1992 to 2002 I hardly picked up my guitar. Really got back into playing on a daily basis in 2005. After my 10 year break it took me a year to get back to the level I was playing before the break. Now I don't feel right without playing every day.

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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