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Rick, Thanks for sharing this — with as many "auld farts" around here, we certainly need to be aware of what we can do. http://soundcloud.com/usrsbin http://audiozoloft.com http://usrslashsbin.angrek.com/ On Sat, Dec 15, 2012 at 3:08 AM, Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com> wrote: > On 12/14/2012 9:57 AM, Luis Angulo wrote: >> >> hers a brief interesting article about the subject >> >> >> http://guitarinternational.com/2010/08/21/fear-and-loathing-in-your-fingertips/ >> > > Here's the salient part about preparing yourself against RSI injuries > _* > EXCERCISES:*_ > > Improper technique or trying to stretch the hand and fingers beyond > normal > capacity can irritate joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerves. This last > category – nerves – causes the most pain and anxiety in guitarists, > simply > because nerve damage is hard to treat. It affects a number of musicians, > as > well. Keith Emerson, for example, has undergone therapy and major surgery > for damage to his hands, and his ability to perform and to record is, as > of > this writing, in serious doubt. BassistJohnette Napolitano > <http://guitarinternational.com/2010/06/14/johnette-napolitano-big-sky-rock-n-roll-and-rattle-snakes/>, > formerly of Concrete Blonde, also suffered major nerve damage to her arm, > such that a guest bassist (Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson) was brought in > for > that band’s last studio record. Exercises can help prevent a problem > before > it gets to such an extreme stage. > > Extend your right arm straight out, palm forward, with fingers pointing > up > as if you were pushing against a wall. Then grab your fingers with your > left > hand, and pull back, gently. Do it just enough so that you can feel the > pull > on your muscles, but don’t hurt yourself. Then turn your arm and hand > upside > down. With your forearm up and your palm still facing out, your fingers > should now be pointing downward. > > You MUST do this for 20 to 30 seconds each time, at least once a day. > Not 10 > or 15, but at least 20 seconds, and do it six times with each hand – > three > up and three down. > > For forearms, wrist extensor exercises are important. Extend your arm > straight in front of you, with the elbow locked. Point your fingers down, > palm in, and bend your fingers in toward you. You should feel an obvious > tug > on your forearm. Do this in the opposite direction, pointing your fingers > up, and try stretching them back towards you. Do not use your other hand > to > help (as in the exercise above). Just let your fingers stretch the > forearm > muscles on their own. > > There are also finger exercises that you should do, often referred to as > a > “hand ballet.” Start with your fingers straight up, palm out. Then fold > your > fingers forward and down to a 90-degree angle, so that they are flush > against your palm, and then curl them into a fist. Pull the knuckles up, > keeping the fingertips flat against the lower part of the fingers – so > that > they are almost hook-like. Then flip them back to the pointing-upward > position, and repeat the entire exercise from the beginning. > > Don’t forget your shoulders and back. While your fingers and hands are > the > front line of your playing, there are other parts of your body to > consider. > Electric guitarists who play while standing up frequently share one major > complaint: their shoulders ache. This comes from standing hours at a time > with a guitar slung somewhere between the chest and the knees, supported > only by a thin strip of leather or cloth. The culprit here is often-times > your strap. Your shoulder (the left one, for right-handed guitar > players) is > supporting the entire weight of the guitar, which also puts stress on > surrounding areas, especially the neck. > > One bit of advice from physicians is to use a wide, heavily padded > strap. If > that isn’t your style and you prefer the Jimmy Page skinny strap model, > try > dispersing the direct weight of the strap by placing a small folded towel > under the strap (even under your shirt if you don’t want to mess up an > all-important fashion statement). Anything to keep the strap from eating > into one or several square inches of your shoulder will be better than > nothing. By the way, Page claims that his strap, and the weight of Les > Pauls > and doublenecks, has permanently sloped his left shoulder so that it is > significantly lower than the right shoulder. > > For you sitters, the constant hunching over the guitar isn’t any better, > either. Like your mom told you, “Sit up straight and don’t slouch.” True > enough: hunching forward can cause you some lower back pain and shoulder > stress. Take care of sitting up straight first, then do some basic > relaxation exercises. Neck rolls are a good start: roll your head from > side > to side, slowly, touching your ears to your respective shoulders. > > Regular exercise can keep problems from developing and turning into > disasters. Do yourself a favor: treat your fingers as well as you treat > all > the appendages on your body. > > >