There's a song that I love and play it every once in a while. Here recently the physical things I used to do seems to hurt something. Tendon pulls kind of stuff. When I walk, work out etc. I've never had problems with chords before but now it hurts when I play on the harder chords. There are two chords in the song with double stops and going from one to the other really hurt today. I know the solution is don't play them anymore but songs like that is why I play in the first place. I'm going to take a day off and come back to it. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come 

Here:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/5-exercises-to-improve-hand-mobility-and-reduce-pain
 
There you go!
(I can not make two posts in that amount of time, so I must have something more to say. Nope, sure don't!)
 

Thanks Al !! I will start on those in the morning.

Those exercises may help and I am sure there are other pages that can be looked up doing a search.
??
 
 

I feel your pain - well, so to speak. Last summer I had issues with my index for almost two months - it made it very difficult to play. It had happened before, but it usually went away after a day. For whatever reason, it eventually went away.
 
These days, I have been having problems with my right shoulder. First time I noticed it, I was recording a bass track. Then it went away. Second time I noticed it, I was playing bass again. That's when I realize that it was related to my right arm's position. When I play the SG, I'm alright
 
I got my Riviera last week, I gave the SG a break and decided to try and enjoy my new guitar. Problem is back, big time. Runs from the center of my shoulder blade, all the way up to my neck, down the back of my arm and all the way down the outer side of my forearm.
 
It's gotten so bad that I've told my wife I want to see a doctor - something which usually happens once every 12 years, when there's just too much blood for duct tape to work.

Rain
It's gotten so bad that I've told my wife I want to see a doctor - something which usually happens once every 12 years, when there's just too much blood for duct tape to work.

Well, when things aren't moving as they should you need to use WD-40.  Duct tape is for when things are moving that shouldn't be.
 
HTH. 
 

 
@Bill - Remember, getting old beats the current alternative!  Tart Dark Cherry extract; Glucosamine with Chondroitin and MSM; and Capsaicin (rub ONLY on the joints!) can all help. 

Might need a chiropractor instead of a doctor. But pick one that is not going to charge an arm and a leg with x-rays of the area and not adjusting it better than a very few visits to the office. Or see a doctor of osteopathic medicine that can adjust the back, but of course they charge for an office visit also.
But that may not be as effective as a chiropractor.
 
"One notable difference between D.O. and M.D. training is that D.O. training adds 300–500 hours studying philosophically-based techniques for hands-on manipulation of the human musculoskeletal system. These techniques, known as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM),[1] have been criticized as "pseudoscientific"".

https://en.wikipedia.org/...f_Osteopathic_Medicine

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 

If you live long enough, a lot of things will hurt and eventually nothing will work.
 
That is not pseudoscience.

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".