Injury

This page details physical injuries related to guitar playing. Most are related to muscles, the skeleton, and nerve compression, which can be avoided with care to warming up and good posture.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist. There are numerous ways this can happen, but it is commonly associated with repetitive, low impact movements of the wrist and fingers, such as working on computers or playing guitar.

The best way to combat CTS is by stretching the muscles and tendons surrounding the wrist as described in the stretching warm-up page.

For more information, see Wikipedia.

Saturday Night Wrist

Dave Mustaine suffered this injury and basically had to relearn how to play guitar for a full year before regaining his former technical ability. It is caused by a nerve compression in the armpit, which basically causes paralysis of the wrist and finger muscles. The "Saturday Night" portion of the name is due to it being associated with getting drunk and passing out in a chair, with one's arm draped over the backrest.

Bulging/Herniated Disks

A bulging or herniated disk is a condition where the lining that surrounds a spinal disk is torn, allowing some of the disk's internal tissue to press against the spinal cord, causing debilitating pain. Often a severe injury cannot heal and requires surgery.

Guitarists face this injury mostly in the form of lifting heavy equipment with poor technique. This is made easier by maintaining poor posture while playing or doing studio work.