Back pain

[BaconSoda]

Hi I have a Les Paul but haven't played it in a while because of back pain. I recently got some rigid insoles for my shoes, and I noticed that I can paly my guitar standing up with a strap, and NO back pain! I had tried different things, like a wide leather strap, but with proper arch supports, I no longer have back ache! So if you have back pain playing your guitar, think about getting some new arch supports for your feet.

 

[renderit]

Getting old...

I have noticed this is sometimes not as it seems with the feet/back thang.

I have gotten shoes with very hard soles (but good arch support) and they make me more comfortable on the back than softer liners that feel more comfortable in the store.

Who'da thunk?

For me Merrills seem to work best. For others who knows.

 

[TM1]

I had some serious back issues that I had to have surgery(a Lamenectomy) cause I had bone spurs and a lot of fat in my spinal column. Best thing I ever did for my back issues!

 

[oxyen33d]

Old thread, I know, but found it now and it might help someone if I leave a comment

Arch support is underrated as hell. People keep changing straps while standing with destroyed posture for 3 hours straight lol.

My back pain turned into daily stiffness after gigs and the clinic I dealt with had an mdt involved because regular painkillers were doing absolutely nothing anymore.

 

[Vics53]

Sometine back around '96 (I was 43 at the time) I did quite the number on my back at work. Didn't have surgery but went through about 3 months of physical therapy. When finished the therapist told me "consider yourself to be a car that got into a wreck. We fixed you up, but you're never going to be the same. You may not notice it so much now but may in later years." He was right.

I'm now 73 and for the most part I'm okay but as far as standing while playing guitar, wearing a back brace is a must along with using a 3" wide strap. I've been using a back brack for a few years now and it's been a life saver.

As usual, YMMV depending on what you're dealing with when it comes to back pain. Works for me along with daily walking and exercises for my back.

 

[dwagar]

Sometine back around '96 (I was 43 at the time) I did quite the number on my back at work. Didn't have surgery but went through about 3 months of physical therapy. When finished the therapist told me "consider yourself to be a car that got into a wreck. We fixed you up, but you're never going to be the same. You may not notice it so much now but may in later years." He was right.

I'm now 73 and for the most part I'm okay but as far as standing while playing guitar, wearing a back brace is a must along with using a 3" wide strap. I've been using a back brack for a few years now and it's been a life saver.

As usual, YMMV depending on what you're dealing with when it comes to back pain. Works for me along with daily walking and exercises for my back.

I'm also 73, and have spinal degeneration mainly lumbar.

I've just started physio (appears I herniated a disk the other day doing yardwork). I'm hoping physio will also help with my ongoing pain.

I have a chair for on stage, but I've spent my whole life standing at a gig, it's hard to get used to playing sitting down. But I've never considered a back brace. Can you let me know what you use?

I moved away from gigging with my R9 (8 3/4 lbs) to my Special (7 lbs), and bought an SG (6 1/2 lbs). Maybe a back brace will let me gig the R9 again?

 

[Vics53]

Sure can! The one I bought is by Mueller. I bought it at my local Kroger grocery store. I just looked on Amazon and you can buy them for $16.97. I just tried copying the link for you but I can't seem to get it to copy here.

There's a few other ones that Mueller makes as well. Don't know if it's the ultimate in back braces but it sure does me good!

With the "years later after effects" of my back injury, I can't stand for long periods at a time without my lower back starting to act up. Also, sustained bending motions (like using a weed wacker) irritates my lower back in no time.

I play at church (3 services) which means I'm pretty much on my feet from 6:30 AM until 12:30 PM. Without my back brace, my back is a wreck afterwards. But I have no problem when I wear my back brace.

Hope this helps and all the best to you!

 

[Offshore Angler]

I'll piss a few of you off here but one thing I notice when I see local bands is they are almost always hunched over and staring at their guitars when playing. That posture is a guaranteed sore back at the end of the night, regardless of your shoes. Seriously, next time you play, take a mental note of your posture. Then duplicate it at home without a guitar and stand that way for ten minutes and see what happens.

Need proof? I just responded to a post in the Sunburst Pub about where people posted pics of themselves playing. Go through those pics. Ain't a damned one of the folks in them standing straight up and engaging the audience, and none of y'all are smiling. In fact, you mostly all look like you're in pain. Really, go look. Find the happy looking players in there.

Stand tall, make eye contact, and play directly to the prettiest girls in the crowd. And above all, smile. That's part of the job.

Chuck

 

[corpse]

Not looking at the fretboard while playing is an entire new thing. Scary as hell.
And a guitar player smiling...?

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

I'm smiling in this one....and making eye contact.

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

I stopped looking at fretboards when I realised it didn't make a blind bloody difference to the end product.

I can find all the right notes without looking, sometimes they're even in the right order.

I don't play to pretty girls no more for health reasons, the Wife'd fecking kill me.....

 

[Vics53]

I admit my posture is not very good. I'm painfully aware of it when I watch the video when I play at church. The thing is, I was really trying to concentrate on my posture this past Sunday but when I saw the video, there I was all slouched over.

Well, I'm taking a break for the rest of the year anyway. Been serving since 2009 and between that and work (I'm now retired) I am years behind with home projects. Really looking forward to getting some much needed things done.

As far as smiling at the pretty girls and ladies...........not very appropriate in church. Besides, I'm 73 and stopped getting second looks years ago. Guess I've "hit the wall" as they say. Well, I had my day so that's fair.

Honest to gosh, I swear this has happened to me a few times at church. Someone comes up to me and says "when are you playing next?" I say "well, I played today." They say "you did? I didn't notice you up there." Trust me, not once was I ever up there trying to be noticed. Just saying.

Guess I've turned into one of those invisible people that I've heard about. Ya know what? That's really okay. Good thing I don't have a fragile ego. Life goes on without me.

 

[garywright]

Guess I've turned into one of those invisible people that I've heard about. Ya know what? That's really okay. Good thing I don't have a fragile ego. Life goes on without me.

 

[Vics53]

Yup, that's me these days!

 

[Greywolf]

at 71 with multiple back injuries due to an adventurous life , I play sitting down most of the time. I also play the semi's and hollowbody's a bit more.