Only a person who is a guitar enthusiast can perfectly answer this question. Guitarists utilize a guitar for personal recreational purposes, entertaining an audience or as a means of livelihood. In each case, there are back and other health problems that are deemed to arise if playing takes place for long periods of time. What is the genesis of back problems experienced by guitarists?    

Common Causes Of Back Pain For Guitarists

 

Posture Problems

Playing guitar while seated interferes with the correct functioning of shoulder and back muscles. The muscles become strained and back pain sets in. It is worse where a guitarist can only play the guitar using the right hand. Under such circumstances, there is no effective co-ordination of both legs. This displaces the pelvis from its rightful position accompanied by leg pain.  

Playing For Too Long

Playing the guitar for a length hours puts stress on the neck and back muscles especially where the guitarist tends to focus so much on the fretboard. The frequent turning of the head to look at the fretboard puts strain on the neck. What follows is neck and back pain which escalates into chronic pain. Chronic pain results due to spine misalignment and pinched nerves.    

How To Avoid Back Problems

 

Stretch!

You need to make it a habit of stretching for a couple of minutes to keep your neck and back healthy. As you stretch your neck, carefully focus your head towards the right. When stretching your back, engage in the "child's pose" which is a yoga posture that keeps the lower back in good shape. A guitarist’s hands play an active role when he or she is performing. The joints are prone to fatigue when a guitarist performs for long. To keep the hands rejuvenated, stretching using a strong rubber band is important. The rubber band should be located on the part between your fingertips and joints. As you engage in the extension stretches, repeat the process several times to get good results. To ease leg pain, do regular stretches to make the affected leg stronger. Leg stretching, in this case, involves adopting a standing position while ensuring your knee is bent. The knee should be focused on the back. The affected leg can also be made stronger by ensuring it plays a more active role when walking.  

Adopt A Good Posture

A guitarist can minimize neck and back pain by adopting an upright posture. An upright posture enables the spine to remain in a straight position while a guitarist is performing. A good posture also means that you play the guitar without repeatedly looking at the movement of your hands or the fret board.  

Final Thoughts ...

To conclude, as a guitarist, you can play your guitar without back problems if you practice the tips discussed here. You can also incorporate other tips such as the use non-weighted sticks to relieve soreness on the forearms and massage therapy. Remember also to take breaks in between your guitar playing sessions if they run on for many hours. During the breaks, simply stretch your legs, arms, and neck for a few minutes before resuming playing.    

Your Turn to Sound Off!

Do you suffer from back pain? If so, how do you deal with it?

Let us know in the comment section below!

   

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