Old Age

Those exercises may help and I am sure there are other pages that can be looked up doing a search.
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Well at the ripe young age of 41 I'm a seething bag of niggling injuries old and new. I have occasional rotator cuff problems, shoulder problems, neck problems, lower back problems, knee problems, tennis elbow in one arm and golfer's elbow in the other. Just been through the wars I guess. I just do what I can in the way of exercises and cope with it. I think some of my tennis elbow/tendon problems came from playing guitar in the classical position because when I play like that now my arm hurts like hell. 
 
Some suggestions: 
 
1) Play with wrist supports on. I have a set of these, they are excellent: http://www.newgrip.com/guitar.html - probably a little overpriced, but they're better than the ones I've tried from drugstores.
 
2) Get a Thera-band FlexBar: http://www.thera-band.com...php?ProductID=20  - there's an exercise you can do with it for tennis elbow that's proven to work. It's also good for general arm/wrist strengthening and tendon problems. Comes with a little booklet with loads of exercises in. They come in different thicknesses - best to start with the medium light one (red) and work your way up to the thicker one (blue). It's best to start the exercises lightly and when the pain has died down a bit. 
 
3) Take bromelain and turmeric capsules. Now Foods does a combined capsule - they work best when you take them together. Bromelain and turmeric reduce swelling and heal tendons. They really do work. Another great one for tendon problems is astaxanthin, a very powerful antioxident (which also provides your skin with some UV protection). Look them up online and see what you think. 
 
I used to be able to play for 6 hours straight without a single twinge. Guess I'll not be doing that anymore, lol! It's probably for the best anyway, I have other things to be getting along with 

Hi,
 
I'm thinking a bit differently. I was reading the John Myung interview on the Bass Whatever issue and he is asked about his hands, arms and such specially since he plays "so much". And he says that his only clue and knowledge has been his warmups, that he makes a point of starting out real slow, and build it up slowly.
 
He stated that he does not think his flexibility to play would be there without those warmups and by the time he gets on stage he has already been at it an hour or more!
 
The other part, I imagine is the posture. If you do not work on your posture with good exercises that give you more strength where you need it, and when you need it. I think I read once that the wider strap made a huge difference, as well, instead of digging a patch through your shoulder blades!
 
I really should get you tickets to see ROBERT FRIPP. I bet you would stop talking about shoulder this and that! Time to consider the music, not the posture!
 
I imagine this could be worse for a drummer, unless some of the movement can be assimilated as "exercise".

I was going to read this, but I can't find my glasses.

I'll tell you one thing. M.D. doctors treat patients like a hunk of meat.
There has been nothing that could not be fixed by one of the D.O. doctors or chiropractors that I have had, and an M.D. would probably have performed surgery.
 
"According to the AOA, osteopathic manipulative treatment is considered to be only one component of osteopathic medicine and may be used alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, patient education, diet, and exercise. OMT techniques are not necessarily unique to osteopathic medicine; other disciplines, such as physical therapy or chiropractics, use similar techniques.[12] OMT can be considered as a treatment for certain musculoskeletal problems such as lower back pain."

https://en.wikipedia.org/..._manipulative_medicine

It might take some time for the body to heal its self, but surgery is not always the answer needed.
And with some illnesses viruses and bacterias that the body is fighting does not require surgery to fix all the time.
 
If surgery is needed, it is going to be the last option with me, because I have been through it, and I know it can work.
Bringing a meat cleaver to the party when it is only requiring a knife so to speak (an adjustment) is just what it sounds like - a quick way to fix something that usually leaves the person worse off in the end further on down the road.
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yorolpal
I've developed a condition known as (I'm sure this is incorrectly spelled) DuPuyters Contraction. It's been getting worse over the last five years. It manifests itself with gnarly looking swellings in some of the tendons in my hands. In fact, my right hand pinky is now at a permanent 90 degree angle and the index finger on that hand is at about 70 degrees. It is not painful in the least...it just restricts motion. My Doc says they can fix it with surgery...on both hands. And probably before too long I'll let them.

As I'm both a keyboardist and guitarist it has proved ironically beneficial to my guitar playing and detrimental to my keyboard playing. My pinky being bent allows me to play much better "claw style" stuff on guitar. But it also precludes me from reaching octaves as well as some arpeggiated runs on keys.

As with every other damned malady that has crept up on me as I age...I'm just rolling with the punches.

You're not alone ol pal.
I have Dupuytren's contracture. in both hands. Mostly in the right hand. The deformity goes right down the middle of my palm pulling all the fingers down. Mostly the middle finger. I guess eventually you end up with a fist without the operation. I've never been to a doctor about it (or anything else for that matter) but I may check into it this year.
 
It has really put a damper on my playing. As you said, especially on keys. I don't even bother much with the keys much anymore.
 
 

Take your 81mg tablet of aspirin, eat veggies, less red meat or none, call your doctor in the morning.
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Or move to Ecuador, Costa Rica, or perhaps Panama City. Others are!