| It's a sad fact that overuse injuries tend to be fairly | | | | rather amazed that my hand felt so good. Half-way |
| common among guitar players. This problem, which is | | | | into the program however, I began to panic when a |
| also known as Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) or Carpal | | | | familiar tingling sensation ran down my arm. The next |
| Tunnel Syndrome, can become so painful that a | | | | thing I knew I had no feeling in my fingers at all! It was |
| musician may lose their ability to play the instrument | | | | the weirdest sensation. I remember smiling at the |
| with the same skill they once had. I'm sorry to say that | | | | audience and trying to look like I was having a good |
| I tell you this from personal experience. | | | | time, but my fingers were completely numb and I still |
| Several years ago I developed Carpal Tunnel | | | | had to play the harder pieces! |
| Syndrome in my left wrist. I didn't really know about | | | | Somehow, by God's grace, I managed to get through |
| overuse injuries at the time, I only knew that my fingers | | | | the whole set without anyone noticing my plight. Not |
| would go numb whenever I played guitar for an | | | | long after this incident I decided to see a specialist in |
| extended period. It eventually got so bad that my | | | | order to find out if something could be done to alleviate |
| whole arm, from elbow to wrist, would start tingling and | | | | the pain in my hand. It was then that I learned about |
| hurt whenever I played. | | | | overuse injuries and the negative impact they can |
| Then one day I was asked to participate in a fund | | | | have on guitar players and other musicians. |
| raising concert. I decided to play some of my Classical | | | | If you are experiencing pain in your wrist or hand when |
| Guitar Favorites for the show; putting the easiest ones | | | | you play the guitar then I suggest you see a physician. |
| first and the more difficult pieces toward the end. This | | | | Overuse injuries can wreck any career plans you may |
| would give my fingers a chance to warm up, or so I | | | | have, not to mention taking the shear joy out of simply |
| thought. The performance started off well and I was | | | | playing the guitar. |