I have severe back pain constantly, and many times walk around the house with my hands around my waist near my back. It just makes it more tolerable. We all know that repetition is key to learning, so I “strum” with my thumb on my right hand, as I would be using my pick, and I use the fingers on my left hand as I would on the fretboard. I do that over and over, as I would be playing. It really seems to work for me. I’ve tried it on my chest, on a table, and it doesn’t seem the same to me. Don’t laugh. Whatever works, right? Just something to think about. I just thought I’d post something that has been working for me. I play my mandolin throughout the day, but sometimes my fingers get tired/sore, and this is a way to practice until my fingers recover and I can go back at it. Thumbs pointing forward.
Agree: whatever works! Chronic pain sucks, though. I hope you can find relief somehow.
Thanks man.
You have to get your hands and brain working together. Whatever you can do to speed that along is good in my thinking.
Having had a couple of my own back issues over the years, my first reaction is to the fact that you 'walk around the house with my hands around my waist near my back. It just makes it more tolerable'. Have you ever tried to use one of those Velcro compression back belts? They only run about $25.00 or so, you can get them at any pharmacy, and they work very well - in pretty much the exact same way that you get relief by applying pressure to your waist and back. Perhaps if you can greatly ease the pain, you can give more concentration and technique to practicing? Just a thought.
I have one, but haven’t used it for a while. I do have a Tens unit that helps a lot, but I haven’t used that for a while either. I bought the top of the line Teeter inversion table, but I can’t get off of it without so much pain. I believe in the theory, but I think I’m going back to it slowly. Just a bit of backwards decompression.
