Pain in the arm from playing guitar.
December 14, 2010 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ive Dr. Schaaf
Good morning,
I have been experiencing pain in my left arm for weeks (if I were to describe it, I would say it feels like muscle soreness), starting from the inside of the elbow to the outer forearm (upper part) up to about halfway down the forearm. The arm hurts especially when under strain. I'm not sure if there is a causal relationship, but I have had this pain ever since I started guitar lessons (with a posture that is unfamiliar for my left hand/arm, which is definitely not relaxed, especially for a beginner).
I thought that these pains should eventually stop through habituation to playing the guitar, but could it take months?
Well, I am now 50 years old, so maybe I have to get used to the fact that such processes simply take much longer than they used to. Or could the issue be more serious than I think?
Thank you in advance for your effort.
Sincerely,
U.S.
Good day,
Assuming we understand the same thing by outside/top, it is most likely a so-called tennis elbow, which often has nothing to do with tennis. It is an irritation of a nerve at the elbow, leading to discomfort in the form of muscle soreness / tired muscle / lazy muscle / pulling muscle. It can vary in intensity but tends to persist.
The diagnosis is made by a general practitioner or a surgeon or orthopedist, possibly also a neurologist.
Treatment is not straightforward, as there is no quick fix unless you opt for surgery, which may not always have the desired outcome.
My advice: Find your mix of the following measures.
- Wrap the elbow and forearm to provide stability and calmness.
- Take aspirin or ibuprofen for 8 days if you can tolerate it from the stomach. It helps counteract nerve irritation.
- Avoid anything that aggravates the symptoms without excessively protecting yourself.
- Apply diclofenac gel thickly on the spot in the elbow crease in the evenings.
- Possibly acupuncture.
- Possibly injections near the nerve.
Best regards - Get well soon!
Dr. Schaaf
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This advice does not replace a personal conversation with a doctor!
